Our High Eco Tourism Lodging in East Africa

What’s Eco Journey?

There’s nothing like the joy of an East African safari, with its plentiful game-spotting alternatives and pristine bushveld so far as the attention can see. Eco journey is a sustainable method of travelling that enables safari-goers to provide again, supporting the well-being of this valuable ecosystem for generations to come back.

Based on the Worldwide Ecotourism Society, eco-friendly journey is outlined as “accountable journey to pure areas that preserve the atmosphere, maintain the well-being of the native folks, and contain interpretation and training”. In essence, eco tourism follows three essential rules: conservation, communities, and training.

Eco Journey with Asilia 

Asilia’s greatest dedication is to empower essential wilderness areas in East Africa, benefitting folks and nature. With the assistance of our visitors – who contribute a donation of US$5 for every night time that they stick with us – we’re capable of take advantage of important impression in direction of empowering these areas, together with the native communities and wildlife that decision them dwelling.

All Asilia safari stays contribute indirectly, however there are some camps the place you may select to be extra actively concerned in environmental tourism throughout your go to. Listed here are our high three eco journey lodging.

1. Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Residence to the world’s final two surviving northern white rhino, Ol Pejeta Conservancy is legendary for pioneering conservation tasks and unspoilt wilderness. The conservancy goals to guard all weak species, present a sanctuary, and generate revenue by tourism for reinvestment in conservation and communities.

At Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, you will get concerned by serving to with canine coaching or recording lion sightings for the analysis group, if this pursuits you.

Canine Coaching at Ol Pejeta

Go to Ol Pejeta’s bloodhound kennels and study concerning the coaching that transforms these canines into anti-poaching patrollers. After your tour, you may play a sport of cover and search with the canines as a part of their coaching. (Morning go to solely: 8.30 am, most group dimension of six, minimal age 12 years.)

Lion Monitoring at Ol Pejeta

A number of lions on the conservancy have been fitted with radio collars. You possibly can learn to monitor them together with the researchers who observe them. Whenever you find a pleasure, you’ll learn to establish the people by notches on their ears, whisker patterns and different distinguishing marks. All this vital information is handed to the Ol Pejeta Ecological Monitoring group to assist them additional perceive these magnificent predators. (Morning exercise: 6.30 am, afternoon go to: 3.30 pm. Period approx. two hours. Minimal group dimension two, most six. Visitors are to stay within the car always.)

Rhino Experiences at Ol Pejeta

Go to the world’s final two northern white rhino of their protected enclosure, and study from the keepers concerning the efforts being taken to protect the final of this extremely endangered species. You’ll additionally study concerning the conservation of Grévy’s zebra and Jackson’s hartebeest on this intimate wildlife expertise. (Morning go to: 8.30 am or 11 am, afternoon go to: 3 pm or 4.30 pm. Period 1 hour. Most group dimension of six. Bodily interplay with the rhinos is comparatively restricted.)

 2. Rubondo Island Camp, Rubondo Island 

Rubondo Island Nationwide Park is basically lined by untouched equatorial rainforest. It’s uninhabited by people and has been put aside as a refuge for endangered chimpanzees, elephants and quite a few different animals. 

Whenever you keep at Rubondo Island Camp – the one camp on the island – you’ll have the chance to take part in a chimpanzee habituation expertise, along with the standard sport drives and forest walks. 

Chimpanzee Habituation on Rubondo Island

Get pleasure from a once-in-a-lifetime expertise with a chimpanzee trek, whereas serving to to habituate Rubondo’s chimpanzee inhabitants. The extra they develop accustomed to the presence of people, the better it is going to be for researchers to check them sooner or later. Hike by the forest along with your educated information, monitoring the chimps’ actions and serving to to get them used to proximity to folks. (Most group dimension eight, minimal age 12 years.)

Learn extra concerning the chimpanzee habituation expertise.

3. Usangu Expedition Camp, Ruaha Nationwide Park

Ruaha Nationwide Park is a superb place to identify lion, leopard and cheetah, in addition to an abundance of different wildlife. This peaceable park provides an immersive off-the-beaten-track expertise with boating journeys, night time drives and strolling safaris all on provide. 

Usangu Expedition Camp is situated on the banks of Ruaha’s lovely and wildlife-dense Usangu Wetlands, simply past the attain of the seasonal high-water mark, within the far south of the park. A pioneering camp in an up-and-coming wildlife space, Usangu provides visitors the chance to be amongst the primary travellers to discover this distinctive panorama.

Understanding the Usangu Wetlands

For individuals who have an interest, the neighbouring Douglas Bell Info Centre provides the chance to have interaction on the story of the Usangu Wetlands, to raised perceive the significance of the ecosystem and what has been realized thus far about this largely unexplored atmosphere.

Asilia’s Sustainable Eco Tourism Practices

Asilia’s camps and logistics reply to the best requirements of eco tourism. It means we cut back our footprint by limiting fossil fuels and utilizing sustainable vitality sources such because the solar, recycling water that’s utilized in camps, and decreasing our total wastage. The remainder of our carbon footprint is offset by our assist of native forestation tasks and even the introduction of our very personal vegetable gardens in areas such because the distant Rubondo Island and the northern Serengeti.

Sustainable Camp Design

Every of our camps has been designed to have the bottom attainable impression on the atmosphere, with few everlasting constructions. We make use of solar energy in all our camps, and reuse and recycle water the place attainable. Now we have the utmost respect for our pure world and our greatest concern is guaranteeing we’re doing every little thing we are able to to maintain and preserve the wild areas we function in.

Migration Camps

Our migration camps give you a front-row seat to expertise the Nice Migration and are additionally extraordinarily eco-conscious. They transfer as much as 3 times a 12 months, permitting for the atmosphere to revive itself to its unique state with none interference. These areas are allowed to replenish themselves and the wildlife of the realm can profit from this throughout the instances of the 12 months the camp just isn’t within the space.

Group and Training

Training is a robust key to altering perceptions. That’s why we intention to teach younger and outdated concerning the significance of conserving our wildlife and wilderness areas.

The Twende Porini Programme for Native Youngsters

Twende Porini, which suggests, “Let’s go to the bush”, is our flagship environmental youngsters’s programme. Classes are mixed with video games and enjoyable actions whereas educating the youngsters concerning the significance of sustainable tourism and conservation, and the advantages that these have for them and their households dwelling inside rural communities near our properties.

Watch our Twende Porini video.

Addressing Human-Wildlife Battle

Human-wildlife battle arises when wild animals threaten the native folks’s lifestyle, and these folks retaliate in opposition to the animals. Examples of human-wildlife battle in East African communities are situations the place elephants eat or harm farmer’s crops, or carnivores corresponding to leopards assault and feed on their livestock. Regardless of the historical past of human-wildlife battle, innovation and training have led to collaboration between conservancies and native folks, and constructive modifications are being made.

Waste Recycling

Now we have appointed “Eco Warriors” in every of our camps in Kenya and Tanzania in addition to on the island of Zanzibar. They’re accountable for the gathering of all waste produced by our camps. They type this waste into totally different teams based mostly on how they need to be disposed of, and each week this waste is distributed to Arusha for recycling.

Eco Tourism East Africa: How Can You Be a Accountable Visitor?

As a visitor having fun with a safari, you may as well be concerned and do your bit to make a distinction. Listed here are 10 ideas for being an eco-friendly adventurer:

1. Select sustainable lodging, like considered one of Asilia’s lovely East African camps.
2. Keep away from single-use plastic. Notice that plastic luggage are banned in Kenya and Tanzania, so go for reusable canvas luggage as an alternative. You can even skip the bottled water and use the refillable Asilia water bottle you obtain when you arrive in camp.
3. Preserve vitality. Bear in mind we make use of solar energy at our camps, so flip off the lights while you depart your room and don’t depart your home equipment charging for longer than want be.
4. Save water. Small acts can save many litres of water. For instance, take shorter showers as an alternative of baths, and don’t depart the water operating whereas brushing your enamel or washing your face.
5. Deal with the native wildlife with respect, and don’t try and feed the animals.
6. Take solely pictures, depart solely footprints. Eliminate all of your litter correctly, and don’t take away any pure objects from the atmosphere with out permission. 
7. Get pleasure from strolling safari experiences, which let you discover the bush on foot with out using a car.
8. Be memento good. Watch out what you purchase as a memento – don’t purchase merchandise produced from any endangered species. The ivory commerce has led to one of many greatest threats to wildlife species corresponding to elephants and rhinos, so you should definitely examine before you purchase what your memento is produced from. 
9. Help native companies. Purchase regionally handmade, sustainable crafts to assist the native communities. 
10. Study extra concerning the cultures you might be uncovered to whereas on safari. Be happy to ask the pleasant workers about their cultures and historical past. You’ll be intrigued by the which means behind the dances, songs and conventional experiences which are shared with you as a visitor.

Sustainable Safari East Africa

Converse to an Asilia safari planner that will help you put collectively an incredible East African safari expertise in a sustainable and accountable method. E-book your Asilia safari as we speak.