From reggae to salsa without breaking the bank

Tropical AdventureThe dollar is down and if you get any greener you'll go from eco-chick to complete hippie. So how exactly are you going to justify a tropical vacation?

You don't have to! There are plenty of destinations you can still afford; and some are greener than Al Gore. For budget friendly beaches, check out eco-friendly Costa Rica. Condé Nast Traveler boasts that your greenbacks will buy 37% more now than in 2002.

Taste of the Caribbean in Limón or enjoy Latin American culture in San José, but after a few days on the beach, it's time to enjoy an Eden of biodiversity. It's why you really came isn't it?

While the cities are easily accessible by plane, Costa Rican rainforests are more difficult to reach -and practically untouched. A strong commitment to the environment means they sprawl more than 51% of the country. In Costa Rica, it's easy being green in the rainforest.

Carbon-neutral country

Costa Rica's government has a 15 year plan to clean up its environmental act in urban centers. Meeting the deadline will give them bragging rights as the first country to go completely carbon neutral. Go Costa Rica!

"Here's the big goal, which I am personally declaring for the first time tonight," said President Arias in June 2007. "By 2021, Costa Rica's 200th birthday, we will be a carbon neutral country."

Eco-express

You're on your eco-loving own to justify the trip to Costa Rica. But a local airline can help your green conscience by transporting you quickly over the treetops- saving you valuable days of driving.

So save the planet- by hopping on one of the biggest polluters around - really. Nature Air is completely carbon-neutral. It sounds crazy but the offset industry means that a lot of traditionally bad industries can clean up their act, without changing their ways.

What's your take on big polluters using carbon offsets to clean up? Is a carbon-neutral airline any better than ecotourism in the Middle East?