South Africa Tourism is taking responsible tourism seriously and is trying to encourage, support and facilitate the use of eco-friendly practices. When choosing your accommodation in South Africa, there is now a good choice of “green” establishments. Tourists should ideally look for lodges that strive to promote conservation and interaction between guests and the community. We at Charitable Travel have picked out the following lodges and hotels that not only fall into this category but whose projects are outstanding and inspiring:
Lekkerwater Beach Lodge
Lekkerwater Beach Lodge is situated just over a three-hour drive from Cape Town, along the garden route. A beachfront property with just seven rooms, it is perched between land and see atop the ancient dunes of De Hoop and is situated on an exclusive concession of the De Hoop nature reserve, famous for offering land-based whale watching. Part of the Natural Selection group of hotels and lodges, it is committed to environmental conservation and the need to protect Africa’s wildlife areas for the benefit of future generations, as well as to community outreach programs in villages close to the hotel.
1.5% of the cost of every guest’s stay at Natural Selection camps is committed to regional conservation and community outreach initiatives. Over and above the 1.5% contribution, Natural Selection has also introduced a per-person per night Conservation, Community and Reserve Fee. This non-refundable fee secures funds that are crucial to their areas of operation for protecting wildlife habitats and ecosystems, supporting communities, and managing reserves and concessions.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
A twenty-minute drive from Hermanus, on the Garden Route, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve offers luxury eco-friendly accommodation on a 2500-hectare private reserve, nicknamed the “big bush”, one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the world. It is also the perfect place to spot Southern Right Whales from June to November. It is not only a beautiful, peaceful place to stay, but it also funds the Grootbos Foundation.
The Grootbos Foundation was founded by the owners in 2003 and is dedicated to empowering others through ecotourism, enterprise development, sports development, and education. All their projects are replicable and scalable, with many generating their own income or becoming partially self-sustaining. From coaching football, computer training, providing meals and education, to clearing alien vegetation, each programme has been carefully considered to build a brighter future for the people who live here, as well as the environment.
Beyond the community programmes, the foundation also conducts research into ecological, educational, and social issues – and then finds impactful solutions.
MalaMala Game Reserve
MalaMala is a game reserve located within the wider Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. It is one of the best-known game reserves, also both the largest and the oldest private Big Five game reserve in South Africa. It covers around 130 km2 or 15,000 hectares of land. In Xitsonga, the name MalaMala means Kudu, it was named so because of the abundance of these animals within the game reserve. In less enlightened times, the indigenous Tsonga people were forcibly removed during the 1900s to create the game reserve.
The Nwandlamhlarhi Community successfully claimed the MalaMala game reserve and the land was restored to them in 2015. MalaMala is now one of the few genuine black economically empowered eco-tourism businesses in South Africa and is committed to the delivery of long-term, tangible benefits to the local community. The Mintirho Community Development Trust was established in 2017 and is funded by a tourist levy paid by each guest. The money helps to fund hospitality and tourism academies, technical colleges, cooking schools and conservation academies, to name a few. The qualifications gained at these institutions are essential for community-based students looking to forge a career in eco-tourism.
In addition, a dedicated group of professional photographers and friends of MalaMala have donated wildlife photographs, all captured in MalaMala Game Reserve. They will be sold as ‘limited edition’ photographs to assist in raising funds to support critical community projects and to continue the invaluable work being done by local anti-poaching teams.
Noka Camp - Lepogo Lodges
One wouldn’t necessarily expect ultra luxury lodges with every high-tech gadget, a Heston Blumenthal-trained chef who specialises in African-Asian fusion gourmet food, wonderful quirky interior design from Cape Town and even ……..a helipad, all in the middle of the African Bush! But Noka Camp has created this luxury environment while still ticking off the requirements to be included in this blog about environmentally friendly and sustainable South African lodges. Noka Camp belongs to the Lepogo Lodges group and promises to offset every international guest’s carbon footprint from when they leave their homes to when they arrive at our lodge and back again.
Different modes of transport and different styles of travel carry different levels of emissions. When you are at the lodge, their team will go through your journey with you and calculate the carbon emissions for your journey. They then convert this to a monetary figure and ask the guest to choose which of their projects they would like to use to offset their carbon footprint. These projects include reforestation, animal breeding and reintroduction programs, a reduce-reuse-recycle principal, and a community engagement, education, and investment program.
Shamwari Private Game Reserve
Shamwari Private Game Reserve has long been a favourite safari destination for families from the UK, partly because it is in a malaria-free area of Africa but also because it is an education in itself for children, the future generation, and one could argue that what they learn here cannot be learnt from textbooks! It has supported conservation and sustainability projects for over 30 years.
The Shamwari Conservation Experience welcomes participants from all walks of life. Volunteers, adventure-seeking travellers, gap-year students, adults taking work sabbaticals… Anyone with a passion for nature conservation! Shamwari Private Game Reserve is truly passionate about the conservation of nature and the animals within its borders.
One of its endeavours includes the Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, which helps to rehabilitate and care for sick, injured, abandoned or orphaned animals under the care of its professional veterinary team. Once these animals have been nursed back to health, they are released back into their natural habitat.
Over the years the Born Free Foundation has been able to rescue several big cats from impoverished situations. Born Free focuses on promoting the conservation of species and the protection of habitat whilst maintaining a humane and compassionate approach to the welfare of animals.
The Born Free Foundation is a registered charity organisation and therefore solely relies on donations. No entry fees are charged, but a monetary donation is appreciated. The rescue and education centres home rescued lions and leopards from across the world and is an enlightening experience for all visitors.
Shamwari Private Game Reserve is also involved in Rhino conservation and educational programs for schools which aim to support local disadvantaged communities.
Oceana Beach & Wildlife Reserve
Oceana Beach & Wildlife Reserve is located on the malaria-free Sunshine Coast in the Eastern Cape. The luxurious accommodations overlook the warm Indian Ocean and are nestled in abundant greenery, making this a superbly peaceful environment. Nestled between the ocean and a wildlife reserve just south of Port Alfred on the Eastern Cape, Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve provides you with easy access to more than 7 km (4.5 miles) of unspoiled beach. The nearby reserve is home to 220 birds and 30 animal species including giraffes and zebra.
Oceana Beach & Wildlife Reserve belongs to the hotel group MANTIS, which provides experiences that connect guests to nature, educates them, and enhance their perspective on life. Mantis has founded an NPC which raises funds for and implements community and conservation projects. These include the procurement of sustainable products to be used and sold in all MANTIS properties. They also promote adventures that have been carefully crafted and made available without harming the natural world. MANTIS hotels are experience-centric, giving guests access to rare encounters and destinations including wildlife safaris, and community and cultural experiences in remote destinations.
For more information about these incredible hotels and how you can travel responsibly, contact Lizzi at Charitable Travel.
Feeling inspired? Book your next sustainable luxury South African escape now. Get in touch with Lizzi by emailing [email protected] to book your dream trip!
by net effect