HOTEL HEROES
Some of the most innovative accomodation design has sprung from the need for sustainability:
ASILIA AFRICA’S THE HIGHLANDS in Tanzania runs almost entirely on solar power, with geodesic domes made of sustainably sourced wood and recycled materials. asiliaafrica.com
HOANIB VALLEY CAMP is solar powered and uses a wood, bamboo and 7O% recyled material composite for decking. It also donates 1.5% of profits to conservation. naturalselection.travel
San Camp, Botswana (AKA the most romantic camp in Africa), is 1OO% solar-powered and has been designed to leave the lightest possible footprint. naturalselection.travel
BISATE LODGE, Rwanda, is a luxury base for gorilla treks from one of Africa’s leading eco-tourism companies. wilderness-safaris.com
THE ELEWANA COLLECTION designs its camps to have minimum environmental impact. Its Land & Life Foundation ensures communities benefit from tourism, with projects including the Lewa Wildife Conservancy – one of the most successful rhino conservation efforts in Africa. elewana.com
These lodges work to support local communities, and give back to the land around them:
ROYAL CHUNDU is a family run safari lodge that sources everything locally – they even donate seeds to the community and then buy the produce back at market price. royalchundu.com
NKWICHI, Lake Malawi, is a low-impact lodge that is part of the Manda Wilderness Project, which brings local communities together to encourage sustainable practice. kwichi.com
SINGITA PAMUSHANA, Zimbabwe, uses its profits to help feed around 2O,OOO schoolchildren every day. singita.com
Africa’s Finest Top 5O is a list of vetted camps and lodges, including: ELSA’S KOPJE,
Kenya (elsaskopje.com); MUMBO ISLAND CAMP,
Malawi (wilderness-safaris.com); AZURA AT GABRIEL’S, Mozambique (azura-retreats.com);
NYUNGWE LODGE, Rwanda (nyungweforestlodge.com), and NORTH ISLAND, the Seychelles
(north-island.com). Book with them for a guiltfree holiday. africasfinest.co.za.
For more information, visit Green Tourism (green-tourism.com), a resource for making sustainable choices, and the Africa Travel & Tourism Association (atta.travel). With thanks to Mercedes Bailey, Colin Bell, Chris Mears, Shelley Cox, Veronica Otter, Laura Shelbourne, Emelie Gintzburger Akerbrant and the Commonwealth Fashion Council.