Sustainability in Tanzania

Discover our guide to the most beautiful ecotourism trips in Tanzania. Tanzania is a favorite destination for safari enthusiasts. Thanks to its large parks, it protects one of the largest concentrations of wild animals in the world.

Go on an eco-safari off the beaten track to meet the Maasai or a responsible trek on the mythical Kilimanjaro and end your trip with a stay in a small village in a guesthouse in Zanzibar. Tanzania has something to satisfy all your desires… and those of your partner!

Going on an eco safari in Tanzania is to travel responsibly, off the beaten track, in the heart of the wilderness, and as close as possible to the local populations.

ecotourism tanzania

 

Many travelers takes it a given that every lodge shall be, by their very essence, green in such a place as Tanzania. But it would be a way to forget that sustainability is not to be reduced to buying local and saving energy; it englobes a lot more of criteria and goals.
Because many travel companies, as well as local actors, see Eco-tourism as a pure marketing strategy, forgetting about the very goal of sustainability : preservation.  According to the World Tourism Organization, sustainable tourism should lead to the “management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems”.
Luckily, others regard it as a genuine effort to imaginatively dispose of waste, employ and train local people, preserve the environment and support local communities.
You can check for successful examples on lodges and hotels that manage the difficult task to combine comfort and natural preservation.

B&B, with a pinch of Nature please.

Living in the urban jungle is fast-paced, full of stress and even toxic for some. More often than not,
city folk veer to the seclusion of quaint little towns and villages dotting the rural areas to take a
glimpse of good old pastoral lifestyle. Nowadays, vacationing in these bed and breakfast joints are
making waves instead of the mainstream hotel and resort stay most of us would want to have. So
much so that in the US, practically all states, whether in the outskirts of megalopolises to high up in
the mountains, have bed and breakfast accommodations that are truly sought after.

Most of these B&B’s have a lot of things in common from one another – it is reminiscent of the
yesteryears of personal lodging, has excellent homemade food prepared, secluded and exclusive to
almost only 10 or so guests for every stay, and fabulous views of manicured gardens and landscapes.
Whether nearby a ski resort area or in the northeast US where a maritime feel is evoked in every
stay, these B&Bs provide a fabulous backdrop for any vacation, more so for urban folk awaiting to
detoxify themselves from the stresses of city living.

Though these bed and breakfast accommodations have been small-run businesses and are very
much personal to the guests, they still live up to the eco-philosophy that is running on the minds
of hoteliers around the world. Great examples are found in Greenty’s wide selection of bed and
breakfast lodging. Carriage House B&B in Lynchburg, Virginia is a classic example of early American
lifestyle complete with spacious foyers and brick exterior facades. Madeleine Inn in Santa Fe, New
Mexico has been set strategically in the middle of ski vacation areas, city establishments and the
pristine New Mexico landscape – giving guests a sampling of all local sights and sounds. High up
in the mountain area of Leavenworth comes Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat, offering variety of
green activities such as nature and music retreats for those visiting from urban areas. Lastly, if guests
want a feel of pastoral living on a fully-functioning ranch, then First Farm Inn situated on Northern
Kentucky is the best place to groom, tack up and befriend barn animals some thirty minutes outside
of Cincinnati.

Bed and breakfast accommodation may be some of the best places to recharge, relax and
rejuvenate, and it has so much more at store to promote wellness as well as the protection of our
environment.

Nature at it’s best

Hi readers,

Today I will be sharing some of the most beautiful scenery photos taken by photography enthusiasts, which are uploaded onto pinterest, a virtual version of a personalized pinboard where members share photos.

Personally, I feel that these photos really brought out the beauty of nature and it is something that we, as human beings, should really appreciate before they are gone..

Phuket, Thailand
Lord Howe Island, Australia
Chartreuse Regional Nature Park, France
Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, South Africa
Lofoten Islands, Norway

Cherry Blossom Lake, Taiwan




There are of course more photos that were uploaded and it will take forever to upload all of them here. Do you find them captivating? 
Fact is, because such sceneries are highly sought after by visitors, it is saddening that litter gets left behind when they do visit the place. 
Here is one example:

Playa Ascension, Curacao

Like the other beautiful beaches, this place used to shine with charm and is one of the top turtle breeding areas in Curacao. However over the years, trash is left behind by visitors and eventually accumulated to knee deep levels. Poor turtles now have limited places for them to breed! The locals are currently in the midst of cleaning up beaches like these but there still many left to be cleared.

When beaches get polluted with litter and harmful materials, it endangers marine life as well because sea water gets contaminated. Innocent sea creatures consume these harmful litter and as a result, they get poisoned and perish. 

Spinner Dolphins at Maldives
Imagine these dolphins would cease to exist if beaches are not well maintained. 
So think twice when you visit the golden sandy beaches next time and treat these places with care.

Unfortunately, seas and beaches are not the only scenic places that gets polluted. As the saying goes ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. Hidden spots such as the hills and jungles often gets litter due to human activities like hiking and biking too. Many people are unaware that when there is a heavy rainfall, these litter can still be washed down the hills and flow through the river streams, eventually ending up polluting the nearby lakes. The Naini Lake in Nainital, India, is one example of a lake that is polluted due to mainly tourism activities.

All these pollution caused have raised many concerns regarding tourism and its providers, especially those that are located right in the forestry areas or sea front line resorts and hotels. The good news is, these concerns have turned into actions in which many tourism providers are amending their operations to be more environmentally friendly.

Coincidentally, I happened to see this comic illustration on 9gag today.

Hope you get the drift. Play your part in protecting the environment by being a responsible traveller before it’s too late.

Here at Greenty, we give recognition to accommodation providers which take pride in reducing any environmental impacts whenever possible.

Here are the list of hotels and resorts rated this week:

Sarara Camp
Papillote Wilderness Retreat
Tamarind Tree Hotel and Restaurant
Hotel Rural Quinta de Bispos
Balenbouche Estate
Fond Doux Holiday Plantation
Hog Hollow Country Lodge
Hotel Posada del Valle
Agroturismo Can Marti
L’Ayalga Posada Ecológica
Finca al-manzil
Finca De Arrieta
Granada Vacation Rentals
Ecohotel la Correa
El Bancalillo
Ca’n Verdera
Son Bernadinet
Hotel Casa Camper
Jetwing Lighthouse
Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
Novotel Bangna Bangkok
Novotel Phuket Resort
Dalyan Queens Hotel
Club Afrodit
Atami Hotel
Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort
Alveston House Hotel
The Cavendish London Hotel
Cedar Manor Hotel
Chatsworth Hotel
Chewton Glen Hotel
Claridge’s
Combe House Hotel
Crieff Hydro Hotel
The Howard
Greenbank Hotel

Green Lawns Hotel

Langdale Hotel

Langdale Hotel

Longmynd Hotel

Huntingtower Hotel

Draycott Hotel

The Zetter Hotel

Rufflets Country House Hotel

Atholl Palace Hotel

Battlesteads Hotel
Best Western Edinburgh Capital

Best Western Edinburgh City

Budock Vean Hotel Ltd

De Vere Carden Park Hotel Golf Resort Spa

Careys Manor Hotel

Crown Spa Hotel

Dunstane City Hotel

The Esplanade Hotel

Lancaster London

Lysses House Hotel

Have a good day!

Signing off,
Michelle

Recycling plastic into … roads

A Tasmanian government body has found a very unique way to recycle single-use plastics and other landfill-bound waste by building a new road. 
173,600 plastic bags and packaging, 82,500 glass bottle equivalents diverted from landfill, Toner
from approximately 5,900 used printer cartridges and more than 33
tonnes of recycled asphalt were  repurposed to create the 330 tonnes
of asphalt used to construct a 500-meter long road along Charlton Street in the town
of Snug, outside the city of Hobart.

It’s the first road of its kind in the Australian state. Great example to follow.

Future of ecoutourisme in France (and elsewhere in Europe)

 “The phenomenon remains difficult to quantify, however, since there is for the moment no body that manages to classify rigorously what falls under ecotourism, to define the sector, its exact perimeter, and to measure it”, explains Jean-Marie Boucher, CEO of consoGlobe, the Internet portal for sustainable development. Difficult to distinguish therefore, especially as a number of related concepts such as responsible tourism, ethics, fair trade etc. confuse the issue a little more.

France ecotourism


Between social trend and fashion phenomenon

But, deep down, is this green tourism really worth taking an interest in? Isn’t it just a simple fancy ?

Not so sure … “This is more of a fundamental trend that is running through society,” said Françoise Riera-Dabo, founder of FRD Conseil, consultant in trends and brand strategy.

There is a growing awareness in society that the planet cannot be allowed to deteriorate. That if we continue like this, we are going straight into the wall.

This is a gradual, diffuse awareness, but it will become more and more important to take it into account. “Tourism surveys for 2020-2030 indicate hypotheses where certain parts of the territory are invaded by water and therefore … no longer usable for tourism,” she adds.

For sociologist Jean Viard, research director at CEVIPOF (Center for Political Research at Sciences Po) and author of numerous books on tourism, ecotourism is “between the fashion phenomenon and the phenomenon of anxiety”. “The sector is being seized by this logic of sustainable development, but it is obvious that there is a contradiction between the ecological objective and tourism itself.

Traveling thousands of kilometers by plane to spend a week in China for pleasure is, in itself, totally unecological.

Basically, the best way to do ecotourism is to stay at home! “” I mainly believe in sorting waste, saving energy (…), but I do think that this will become the norm. This will even become, in the long term, an exclusive concern and the hotels which will not have adapted will remain on the side of the road. “

“In my opinion, this is a fundamental trend that is turning into a fashion phenomenon”, considers Jean-Marie Boucher. “As with all fashions, I think that we will see things flourish, witness an inflation of the offer, with the danger which is to put green labels everywhere, but that once fashion is a little fallout, something solid and lasting will remain. The offer will have been permanently reoriented towards greener products, which will have taken an increasing place in the overall tourism offer. “

 

In any case if you go to France please get a good travel insurance, they call this an ” assurance voyage ” . merci !

Green Ho Ho Ho(tels) Around The World.



Ever wondered about the mystical Nicaragua? How about a laid
back and peaceful holiday in Switzerland? What about the unknown and vibrant
Slovenia? To spice things up a little, let’s throw in unique Morocco to the hat, along
with exotic Argentina. With the festive season just around the corner, people are probably making plans to travel. In a bid to help you travel green, below are green hotels
from the various countries mentioned, and hopefully these green hotels will appeal to you!


 
Picture courtesy of 
 Lahuen-Co Eco Lodge & Spa Termal website



For a really green travel, look no further than the Lahuen-CoEco Lodge & Spa Termal in Argentina. This
eco-lodge was designed to be eco-friendly, and allows guests to enjoy a luxurious
yet green holiday. Lahuen-Co Eco Lodge & Spa Termal is powered partially by solar and hydro-electrical
energy, while water is reused. Guests are requested to refrain from bring
non-biodegradable materials, keeping in line with Lahuen-Co Eco Lodge
& Spa Termal’s green policies.



Picture courtesy of Eco Hotel Locanda del Giglio website

Not
too interested in travelling over to South America? Well then, how about a
relaxing trip high up in the mountains in Switzerland. Hidden away from the
buzzing city, Eco Hotel Locanda delGiglio promises to redefine your definition of peace with a green
perspective. Enjoy the freshness of the air, and embrace the organic meals
served at Eco Hotel Locanda del Giglio. Interested in starting a
business? Perhaps consider the areas nearby Eco Hotel Locanda del Giglio, as Eco Hotel Locanda del Giglio promises to support sustainability
and patronise local start-ups nearby.


Turning the style up, Bohinj Park Eco Hotel has to be mentioned if one ponders
about the yonder within Slovenia. Featuring state of the art facilities which
aid green initiatives, Bohinj Park Eco Hotel is definitely worth a visit for
visitors interested in going on a green holiday! This 5 star hotel has invested
heavily in alternative energy systems, with an energy well used in heating up
of the hotel. Bohinj Park Eco Hotel also emphasises on proper cleaning
procedures, stating that cleaning products may be bio degradable, but not all
are eco-friendly, and that cleaning should strictly be done with eco-friendly
products only.


Picture courtesy of 
Touda Ecolodge website


Moving on, it gets greener and greener! This time, in Morocco, is the
critically acclaimed Touda Ecolodge. As with all eco-lodges, Touda
Ecolodge too has energy saving implementations like energy efficient
lightings, solar power, and low flush toilet to say the least. What makes Touda
Ecolodge stands out is its commitment to the environment, with the
planting of at least 2200 almond trees. This is done with the hope of limiting
soil erosion, and giving the area around Touda Ecolodge a green and lush
outlook.


Saving the best for the last, I am
delighted to be able to present to you La Mariposa Eco Hotel. This hotel tries
its best to provide comfort for guests, but ultimately warns guests that the
premise is extremely eco-conscious, and is limited in its facilities. La Mariposa
Eco Hotel runs solely on solar power, with the energy stored in batteries.
Energy depletion is a real threat, and guests are encouraged to practise energy
saving habits while staying at La Mariposa Eco Hotel. Almost all items are
recycled, and mostly are as decorative items.

So there you have it, another 5 green
hotels to consider for a green holiday trip. Below are other recent hotels
evaluated by me, and hopefully they could be of interest to you! Merry Christmas, and have a happy holiday!

How to spot for a Green Hotel?

Hi Readers,

Following up from the previous blog post, here are some useful tips on how you can judge whether a hotel is green or not.

#1: Check for Green Labels

Starting from the most straight forward method, try to spot for Green Labels on the hotel’s official website or publications. These Green Labels are often awarded by independent third party organization and thus, have already evaluated the hotels subjectively, saving you the trouble. Some examples of Green Labels include: Green Key, Green Globe and EarthCheck, which is a partner of greenty.com.

Source: Google images

#2: Look out for green practices

In some cases in which hotels might not display their Green Labels distinctly and publicly, it is best if you look out for environmentally friendly policies that are implented by the hotel. Here are some examples:

Recycling bins

These bins are usually placed at the hotel lobbies and facilities sites like the swimming pool. Do try to spot them the next time you visit a hotel!

No-smoking policy
To ensure high air quality for all its guests, some hotels would impose a no-smoking policy on its premises.
Linen reuse option

Do not be surprised or offended if you happen to see such signs in your room. Some hotels place such signs in their guest rooms to encourage guests to indicate whether they would like their linens and towels to be washed daily. The primary purpose of such practices is to conserve water through reduced laundry.

Bulk Soap and amenities
These bulk dispensers play a huge part in saving the environment by reducing the amount of individual packaging materials required. Many of you might not also realise the wastage of soaps and shampoos involved if these products were distributed in individual packaging; unused products would have to be eventually thrown away after every guests’ stay.
Organic food
Organic food may generally refer to food that are produced without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are mainly harmful to the natural environment due to contamination of ground water. Some hotels have actually taken steps to grow their own vegetables and fruits in an eco garden, to ensure that ingredients used in the hotel’s restaurants are fresh and thus provide healthy benefits for its guests.

#3 Incorporation of hotel design and eco-friendliness

Feel free to contact the management of the hotel to enquire on the degree in which eco-friendly designs have been integrated into the construction of the property.
Some hotels have attempted to do so by using green roofs which acts as a natural heat insulator and reduces room temperature within the building.
Nowadays, it is also a common practice for hotels to install equipment that generates alternative sources of energy and water such as solar panels to create heat and water treatment systems that treat collected rain water.

#4 Involvement with staff and the local community

There is no point in designing the hotel to be environmentally friendly if the staff does not execute the green policies. Thus, it is the hotel’s responsibility to train its staff on being green as they are the ones who will be managing the operations of the hotel. The employees of the hotel can also uphold the “green values” by encouraging guests to conserve water and energy.
Being green could also mean giving back to the local community of the area that the hotel is situated at. The hotel can do this by supporting local food produce, as well as highlighting the local art and culture to its guests. It can also help the needy through charity drives.
Lastly, hotels may opt to be involved in conservation projects, to protect the natural surroundings of the place. This is especially so for hotels and resorts that have beaches or tropical jungles located in proximity to its premises. Examples of conservation projects include beach clean ups and restoring of homes for the fauna and flora.

Hopefully, this post helps to clarify any confusion of what a Green Hotel really is.

Here’s the links of hotels that greenty.com has rated this week; do feel free to browse through them as we continue to introduce and rate more green hotels daily.

Reserva Ecologica Pachijal
Napo Wildlife Center
Piedra Blanca Ecolodge
La Selva Jungle Lodge
Hotel Patio Andaluz
Kapawi Ecolodge
Sonaisali Island Resort
Maritim Hotel Berlin
Creativhotel Luise
Maritim Hotel Dresden
Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten
Radisson Blu Hotel Berlin
The Regent Berlin
Maritim Hotel Frankfurt
25hours Hotel Frankfurt By Levi’s
Barcelo Cologne City Center
Maritim Hotel Köln
Steigenberger Parkhotel Düsseldorf
Novotel Hong Kong Century
Novotel Hong Kong Citygate
Novotel Shanghai Atlantis
Hotel Alexandra
Sankt Helene Holiday Resort
Maritim Bonn
InterContinental Berchtesgaden Resort
InterContinental Berlin
InterContinental Düsseldorf
InterContinental Frankfurt
InterContinental Hamburg
Flamboyant Hotel & Villas
Le Parc aux Orchidees
Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan
Novotel Hyderabad Airport
Udayana Lodge
Novotel Bali Nusa Dua Hotel & Residences
Novotel Bandung
Novotel Bogor Golf Resort and Convention Center
Novotel Lombok
Novotel Semarang
Novotel Solo
Novotel Yogyakarta
Locanda della Valle Nuova
Novotel Milano Malpensa Airport
Novotel Milano Nord Ca Granda
Novotel Venezia Mestre Castellana
Viva Wyndham Maya
Viva Wyndham Azteca
Hotel en Ixtapa
Barcelo Huatulco Beach
Barcelo Tucancun Beach
La Puertecita Boutique Hotel
Novotel Mexico Santa Fe
Scandic Sanadome
Novotel Hamilton Tainui
Novotel Queenstown Lakeside
Hotel Novotel Auckland Ellerslie
Novotel Capital Wellington
Novotel Rotorua Lakeside


Signing off,
Michelle

Ocean Clean-Up has finally begun !

A great ecological project has now become a reality as the Ocean Cleanup deploys its $20 million system designed to reuse and recycle the ocean plastic.
Here is the latest photo:

The floating boom system has been deployed from San Francisco
Bay and will undergo several weeks of testing before being hauled into
action. The system was designed by the nonprofit Ocean Cleanup,
which was founded in 2013 by 18-year-old Dutch inventor Boyan Slat.
Their mission is to develop “advanced technologies to rid the world’s
oceans of plastic.”

The floating boom system, with the help of dozens of more booms, is
estimated to clean up half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within the
first five years. Each boom will trap up to 150,000 pounds of plastic
per year as they float along the currents between California and Hawaii.

Can waste become a commodity ? The Chinese case study

Waste has emerged as China’s biggest environmental challenges.
The country faces a solid waste treatment backlog of around 60-70
billion tonnes, putting it under huge pressure to boost recycling
capacity.It
has already launched a scheme to create “waste-free cities” and is
building hundreds of “comprehensive recycling bases” across the country.
But firms complain that China lacks the infrastructure and waste
treatment habits required to create a profitable business.

Image result for china waste

We all know China closed the door on recyclable materials last year and will again tighten up by 2020. 

The
aim is to block imports of all waste products that could be sourced
domestically. Qiu Qiwen, director of the Ministry of Ecology and
Environment’s solid waste division, said
products not included on the banned list would also be restricted by
next year, but high-quality material would still be accepted.

“If
the solid waste … meets the requirements of China’s import standards
and doesn’t contain any hazards, then it can be treated as common
commodities, not waste,” he said.

more here: Waste as a Commodity 

Singapore International Water Week 2018 : debrief

The summit was in its 10th anniversary, with more than 24,000 people in attendance discussing the next Water Challenges

“Water is for sure the next big question mark; Australia is the driest continent in the world. Its population is growing strongly and 85 percent of it is living less than 50 kilometres from the coast. Where will the additional future water supply come from if not from the sea? ” asked Roch Cheroux, chief executive officer, SA Water

Cities took centre-stage in the event ; more details here

More details at the Official Website here: https://www.siww.com.sg/

His Excellency Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister, Sri Lanka delivering the keynote address. Image: SIWW