Feel good about your travels

Now there is a chance to stay local, save money and feel good about your travelling habits. East London has a host of activities that you can enjoy with family and friends whilst supporting businesses with credible green policies. We are one of the most accessible places to visit; with walking, cycling, busses, boats and trains offering you viable leisure ideas. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

1. From the Island to the City is how the new no.135 bus route from Old Street to Crossharbour is best described. It now links all the fashionable shopping locations in on one easy-to-use route. It offers the opportunity to visit neighbouring Spitalfields with its markets, bargains and banter, Commercial Street and Whitechapel, the three shopping malls at Canary Wharf and the Museum of London Docklands at West India Quay. The route finishes at Mudchute Park and Farm, originally a derelict piece of land which is now home to the largest Urban Farm in London. There are plenty of eating options all along this route – weather dependent on a picnic in the park or a pint in the pub. See tfl.gov.uk.

2. London has some of the best and most unusual green spaces for Londoners to be proud of. The South East London Green Chain is just one of these spaces. From three points on the river Thames in the east, these open spaces thread their way through 16½ miles westwards into Crystal Palace Park. Download the walks for free from greenchain.com.

3. ExCeL London, located in the Royal Docks, has enlisted the help of over 300,000 busy worms to chomp away in their ultimate re-cycling machine – a wormery. These wonderful creatures break down the food waste generated, which is then used as compost and fertiliser in the local area. Visit excel-london.co.uk.

4. Restaurants in east London understand the nation’s obsession with looking after the environment and none better than Water House in Shoreditch. This is an eco-friendly restaurant with attitude. Owned by the Shoreditch Trust, a huge 48% of the profits go back into improving the area. They buy as many ingredients from local sources, use ambient water from Regent’s Canal for the heating and cooling system, and solar panels to provide hot water and renewable electricity. Visit waterhouserestaurant.co.uk.
5. There is no better way of buying groceries than buying local. One of our favourites has to be Broadway Market in Hackney. This bustling market sits at the heart of the community with stalls that stock a diverse range of mouth-watering produce - from local farm shops to continental delicacies.

6. Follow the greatest river in England 184 miles (294 km) from its source in the Cotswolds almost to the sea. Passing through peaceful water meadows, unspoilt rural villages, historic towns and cities, and finally cutting through the heart of London to finish at the Thames Barrier in Greenwich. The Thames Path Walks are one of the best ways of enjoying London and seeing the city in a new light. See nationaltrail.co.uk/ThamesPath.

7. The Olympic Park in Stratford lies at the heart of London's plans for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The Games which have promised to be the ‘greenest ever’ has made a commitment to champion low waste, low carbon emissions and green transportation. About 90% of the demolition materials will be reused or recycled and at least 20% of materials used in permanent venues and residential areas will be recycled. And half of the construction materials will be transported to the Olympic Park by rail and water. Walking, cycling and public transport will be promoted as the best ways to get to the events. See london.gov.uk/mayor/olympics/benefits-environment.

8. Exploring the canals and waterways can feel like you are a million miles away from the noise and the city. There are a number of lovely circular walks in and around east London, and our favourite starts and finishes at Limehouse. At just over five miles long, with jaunt can be completed in half a day and there plenty to see along the way; working docks, charming marinas, Victoria Park, Bow Wharf and the ecology park at Mile End Park. See waterscape.com.

9. Cycling is a great way to ‘blow away the cobwebs’ and get active. East London has a wide choice of great cycling routes that allow you to take in the key sites or even just get to work without going underground. Transport for London produce a great range of cycle guides available from tfl.gov.uk/cycleguides.

10. East London is so easy to get to; planes, trains, and automobiles – and the greenest of these has to be the Eurostar. Now transporting 2.37 million travelers, (an impressive increase of 6.4% against the same period last year), it really does take the strain out of travel. See eurostar.com.