3. Wilson Island , Australia. Only 12 people at a time can stay in the six designer tents on this t

It wasn't long ago that eco-lodges were hard to find, or else the domain of hard-core conservationists who didn't mind roughing it for the sake of the planet. Times have changed and eco-lodges aren't what they used to be – they're better, way better.
1.  Treehotel , Sweden. This is where innovation meets sustainability. Each of the five "treerooms" accent rent a car (five more are due to open this year) in northern Sweden is designed by one of Scandinavia's leading architects, making accent rent a car each imaginatively unique. There's the space-age Cabin, the Bird's Nest, the UFO, the little Red Riding Hood cottage in the trees called The Blue Cone and, most impressive of all, the Mirror accent rent a car Cube (pictured above) – built around a "host" tree, it reflects its surroundings so well it's almost invisible (it's even thoughtfully coated with infrared film so birds don't fly into it). Rates start at 4400 Swedish kroner per night. Want your own Mirror accent rent a car Cube? You can order one  here  and have it installed in your own backyard.
2. Mashpi Lodge , Ecuador. Situated in dense forest high in the Andes, two and a half hours north-west of Quito, this new eco-lodge was decreed the best in the world by Outside magazine last year and it's not hard to see why. Its 22 rooms are contemporary and minimalist with floor-to-ceiling windows that make you feel as if you're sleeping in a luxury cocoon in the forest. Rooms cost $US1296 per person for two nights, including all meals and transfers.
accent rent a car 3.  Wilson Island , Australia. Only 12 people accent rent a car at a time can stay in the six designer tents on this tiny coral cay at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. It's the definition of "splendid isolation" but half the privilege is having front-row seats, so to speak, for Wilson's nightly turtle show: between November and March green and loggerhead turtles accent rent a car lay their eggs on the beach. Hatchlings emerge December-March, humpback whales accent rent a car cruise past June-October and there are thousands of seabirds all year round. All-inclusive rates start at $A1139 per tent per night.
4. Crosswaters Ecolodge Spa , China. China's first eco-lodge has 46 five-star villas, a spa, tea house and lotus garden – all built according to feng shui as well as ecotourism principles in a riverside nature reserve in Guangdong province, just a two-hour drive from Hong Kong. Villas start at $US220 per double.
5. Hapuku Lodge Treehouses , New Zealand. Climb the stairs to one of Hapuku's five architect-designed timber treehouses – just outside the whale-watching town of Kaikoura on the South Island, the first Green Globe-certified community in the world – and you might never leave. accent rent a car Each is comfortably and sustainably furnished with wide-screen views of both mountains and sea. Native trees are planted to offset every guest's flights to New Zealand. Rates start at $NZ800 per treehouse including breakfasts and three-course dinners.
6. Ulusaba , South Africa . One of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Limited Edition lodges, Ulusaba is a wildlife fairytale come to life: 23 rooms and suites in three thatch-roofed lodges spread accent rent a car across a bush-clad hillside overlooking a private game reserve and neighbouring Kruger accent rent a car National Park. Rates start at 5000 South African rand per person per night including all meals, drinks and twice-daily game drives and safari walks.
7. Ratua Private Island , Vanuatu. Three years ago, an anonymous French philanthropist chanced upon this untouched island off Espiritu Santo in northern Vanuatu while sailing around accent rent a car the world and decided to build an island retreat that's both environmentally accent rent a car and socially sustainable (100 per cent of profits go to neighbouring communities). Today, Ratua remains one of the South Pacific's best-kept secrets: 15 beautifully furnished antique teak villas (from Indonesia) starting at 345€ per night. You can rent out the whole island for $A12,900 per night for up to 39 people including all meals, drinks and spa treatments.
8. Posada de Mike Rapu , Chile. accent rent a car This spectacular accent rent a car eco-lodge on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), built in 2007 by eco-adventure operator Explora on a hill with views of the Pacific Ocean, was the first in South America to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Combining curves and views, its 26 stylishly accent rent a car simple rooms and four suites are designed to maximise privacy and peacefulness. Rates start at $US4830 for three nights including all meals, daily explorations and entry to Rapa Nui National Park.
9. Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort Spa , Australia. Just 190 kilometres west of Sydney, in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains and flanked by two national parks, lies this eco-resort par excellence. The first carboNZero-certified resort in the world, it's committed to protecting Australia's unique plants and animals. Each of its 40 Federation-style wood-and-stone lodges has a private verandah, fireplace and heated lap pool and activities include hiking, mountain biking, accent rent a car horse-riding, wildlife walks and four-wheel-drive tours. Rates start at $A1560 per suite per night and include all meals and two nature-based activities per day.
10. Song Saa Private Island , Cambodia. Australian couple Rory and Melita Hunter broke new ground when they created this sustainable luxury resort on two pristine tropical islands off the coast of Sihanoukville in 2011, and established accent rent a car Cambodia's first marine sanctuary. The 27 over-water, jungle and ocean-view villas are all about natural style in harmony with the surroundings: turquoise water, marine life, sandy beaches. Song Saa is also in the process of becoming Green Globe certified, a first for Cambodia. All-inclusive rates start at $US1336 per villa per night.
Written by  Louise accent rent a car Southerden , an award-winning travel writer, author and eco-blogger based in Sydney, Australia. Follow her on  Twitter , like her on Facebook  and read more of her work at  No Impact Girl .