A trending topic of post-Covid travel scenes has been sustainability and eco-consciousness. While everyone is trying to grasp as what might be considered under the umbrella of conscious travel, I started small and worked towards making conscious efforts not only in my daily life but also towards reducing carbon emissions during travel, leaving as little carbon footprint as possible. From carrying cutlery sets, travel mugs and a steel bottle to preferring intra-city commute by local means of transport to booking trains for domestic travel to cleaning my stays and leaving them in the state that I checked-in or better, being kind to those who open their houses and offer us meals to buying locally produced or handcrafted items, to throwing waste in designated bins for easier segregation – it is a constant ‘work in progress’ but even a small contribution towards conscious travel goes a long way in the larger scheme of things

 

In the process of planning a trip to Java, I wasn’t ready to board a flight. Besides being too expensive I wanted to re-live the days when I would travel by bus from Bangalore to Mumbai and back.

 

Despite wanting to leave as little carbon-footprint as I possibly could by carrying my bottle, or cutlery or bag everywhere, travel has been an area that wasn’t on my priority list – I wanted to change that. I consciously focused on being a sustainable traveller wherever I could, instead of looking for unsustainable means which would definitely be easy and convenient.

The best possible way is to fly from Bali to Central Java – definitely timesaving but neither economic nor sustainable.

 

So, I chose a sustainable option ✨

 

Travel from Bali to Central Java

Hailed a bus from Ubung Terminal in Bali to Gilimanuk Harbour

Journey time: 3.5 hrs

Carbon Emission in grams: 7,260 (7.26 KGS)

 

 

Got on a ferry from Gilimanuk Port to Banyuwangi Port (in East Java)

Journey time: 1.15 hrs

Carbon Emission in grams: 197.6 (0.1976 KGS)

 

 

Booked a cab from Banyuwangi Port to Brawijaya Bus Station

Journey time: 20 minutes

Carbon Emission in grams: Negligible

 

 

 

Boarded an overnight bus from Brawijaya Bus Station to Giwangan Terminal at Special Region of Yogyakarta (Central Java) that reached early the next morning.

Journey time: 14 hrs

Carbon Emission in grams: 36,420 (36.42 KGS)

 

 

 

Travel from Central Java to Bali

Embarked on a bus journey From Giwangan Terminal (in Yogyakarta) to Ubung Terminal (Bali)

Journey time: 16 hrs

Carbon Emission in grams: 43,200 (43.2 KGS)

 

 

 

What would be my carbon emission had I booked return flights from DPS in Bali to Jogyakarta (or Yogyakarta)

Carbon Emission in grams: 254011.8 (254.0118 KGS)

 

 

Total Emission for 2 people – 87.0776 KGS of CO2

 

How much did I end up reducing my carbon-emission?

254.0118 – 87.0776 = 166.9342 KGS of CO2

 

 

Although these numbers are more approximate than accurate, it’s still considerable.

Site that helped me calculate my carbon footprint https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Travel isn’t always pretty but it subtly builds your character in its unique capacity, pushes your boundaries as a traveller, whets your appetite as a storyteller, exposes you to a culturally diverse world, fills you with awe and leaves you with an ever-lasting desire to be a better and kinder version of yourself.

I don’t claim to follow a sustainable lifestyle, but I am definitely taking small steps wherever I can to ensure I reduce my emissions.

Hope you do too!