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Environmentally conscious travelers now have a wide-ranging choice of luxurious resorts, where they can kick back and relax with a clean conscience (tree-hugging optional).

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when ecotravel became mainstream, but as global warming and the dwindling of fossil fuels have become crucial issues, travelers have turned more and more to environmentally conscious options when planning their vacations. It’s no surprise, then, that hotels, airlines, and pretty much everybody else in the travel business have been rushing to declare themselves “green.”

Plenty of luxury properties call themselves green just for asking guests to take it easy on the towel turnover, but Katie Maschman, of the International Ecotourism Society, a nonprofit group promoting sustainable travel, explains, “The “eco” in ecolodge doesn’t just stand for ecology. To be considered an ecolodge, a place must be beneficial to the environment and the local community and economy.”

Luxe ecolodges

Five high-end ecolodges, from Montana to Queensland, Australia, prioritize sustainable business and service techniques while also offering extremely comfortable accommodations, access to pristine locations, and the opportunity to not only leave the environment undisturbed, but to give something back as well.

Shompole, Rift Valley Province, Kenya

Vibe: Overlooking the Great Rift Valley in southern Kenya, Shompole offers stunning, safari-inspired accommodations amid a private wilderness. The tented rooms have hand-carved furniture, quartz floors, and “cool-pools,” for lounging. Safaris are available, but many guests prefer to relax by the pools and take leisurely nature walks.

Green highlights: Along with solar power, recycling, and low-impact building practices, Shompole maintains the Asali Community Trust to assist development in surrounding rural communities, and works on wildlife conservation efforts with local Maasai, who share in the lodge’s profits.

Eco/luxe index: More pampering than tree-hugging. The environmental and social programs are outstanding, but most guests come for the exquisite rooms and property. Rooms from $365/night (all-inclusive); www.shompole.com

Daintree Ecolodge and Spa, Queensland, Australia

Vibe: Located in the heart of the vast, ancient Daintree Rainforest, this 15-room lodge is surrounded by lush jungle and waterways, home to the largest number of endangered and rare species anywhere in the world. The spa features Vichy showers and elaborate treatments using locally made botanicals, such as the Lillypilly berry facial and coffee-and-wild-ginger body scrub.

Green highlights: Built on stilts to leave adjacent habitats undisturbed, the lodge treats its own wastewater, hosts recycling and composting programs, and works to preserve aboriginal culture in a collaborative effort with the Kuku Yalanji tribe, who provides guided rainforest walks, art classes, and performances.

Eco/luxe index: More pampering than tree-hugging. The big draws here are the spa, the decked out private bungalows (all rooms have TVs, phones, and Internet access), and proximity to rare wildlife and gorgeous scenery. Rooms from $414/night; http://www.daintree-ecolodge.com.au/