Creature Comforts That Mother Nature Will Enjoy

The Malewa Wildlife Lodge

     Yesterday was Earth Day, a celebration of sustainability and a call to live a more Eco-friendly existence.  These are concepts that I am sure we all could probably work on.  One area that has started to embrace these ideals, is the travel industry.  I know what you are thinking, the travel industry is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to impacting the world through waste and energy usage, but this is all starting to change.  From New Zealand to Costa Rica, many hotels and resorts are becoming more and more conscious of their carbon footprint and the impact that they have on the planet.

     On my latest trip to Kenya, I stayed at The Malewa Wildlife Lodge, which happens to be at the forefront of the Eco-lodge movement.  Here they have learned to embrace their symbiotic relationship with nature.  They make substantial profits from the tourism that African wildlife brings in, and they consequentially make every effort not to impede upon it.  One way they are able to do this, is through the use of solar power.  The whole resort is operated by this environmentally friendly resource.  Besides being cost effective, it helps the lodge to avoid the use of fossil fuels and cuts down on air pollution.  When you arrive at The Malewa Wildlife Lodge, the first thing that you will notice is the thatched roofs.  Not only are they extremely charming and rustic, but are exceptionally effective.  Essentially, they will keep you nice and cool in the intense heat of the day and warm at night.  This effectiveness at temperature regulation is why they have been used throughout Eastern Africa for centuries.  These roofs are also very cost effective.  Locals can easily gather the materials necessary to build them by hand in the bush, and do not need to have expensive building supplies shipped in from large cities.  Best of all, these building materials are all biodegradable, and thus will not impact the land that it is is used in. 

     Another environmentally friendly touch that this hotel provides for it's guests, is the food that it serves.  Like Italy's slow food movement, this lodge has embraced the use of locally grown and raised food for it's restaurant.  Almost all of the food that you will consume here has been either farmed or raised or caught near by.  While I was there, we were severed an incredibly delicious grilled fish which was caught that day from Lake Naivasha, a mere twenty miles away.  The vegetables and beef that we had for diner all came from a small village which was less than two miles away.  This proximity to the original source has allowed the chef to produce fresh and incredible tasting dishes that guests simply rave about.  It also helps to employ the locals to procure these resources for the guests.  Talk about an absolute win, win for everybody. 

     Finally, they minimize their waste through a major effort in recycling.  Besides composting food waste, they take all paper, plastic, and metal garbage, and send them to the local village.  Here the villagers are able to turn these everyday items into ingenious handicrafts.  They take scrape paper, magazines, and posters, and turn them into elegant beaded necklaces and bracelets.  Plastic bottles are crafted into fashionable hand bags, and so on.  These newly created items are both incredibly beautiful and exceptionally durable.  They also provide the local villagers with an added and highly needed revenue.  It always impresses me how a society can become so creative when their resources are so few.  Truly amazing!  Anyway, very little of the waste that The Malewa Wildlife Lodge actually produces gets thrown away.  It truly is a sustainable and environmentally friendly place to stay, and the best part is that Malewa is just one of many Eco-Lodges throughout the world that are truly trying to make a difference in their local communities as well as the world at large.  So on your next trip, see if you can find an Eco-lodge and do your part to reduce the carbon foot print that we continue to create.

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For more information about The Malewa Wildlife Lodge, checkout their website at www.kigio.com