Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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The lodge and retreat is part of Asilia Lodges & Camps, a company with its very own charity, the Honeyguide Foundation - a grassroots organization dedicated to community support and to the conservation of wildlife. This is being achieved through long-term community partnerships. Established in 2006 by the Asilia Group, the Foundation is an independent entity that supports specific projects in the areas where the Group has a presence.
The Foundation is trying to cover a wide range of different projects. These projects include education, supporting small local, eco-friendly businesses and initiating land use plans. Other initiatives being undertaken are - Environmental initiatives that aim to conserve community resources, community health care and conservation awareness.
With more than a decade's experience in Tanzania, we believe the most successful projects are those initiated from within a community - rather than those imposed from outside. A selected community must be able to articulate its issues, needs and vision to the Foundation, rather than simply being handed a solution.
By encouraging self-awareness and good leadership at a focused, grass-roots level, the Foundation envisions that our partner communities will pull themselves out of poverty. This will therefore achieve sustainability for the projects and at the same time, the communities will become stable, imaginative and progressive contributors to the preservation of the country's wildlife and wild places.
Environment
The Honeyguide foundation contributes to the village's sea turtle protection programme, Villagers employ guards to protect the crucial Hawksbill Turtle nesting ground. The Matemwe Turtle Project had their annual turtle hatching event where over 100 young turtles hatched from their eggs and dug their way out of the hole to leave the beach and swim out to sea.
By minimising waste, reducing electricity consumption and water usage by recommending using towels more than once and switching off the electricity during the day, the lodge and retreat tries its best to minimise environmental impacts.
The lodge and retreat aims at being a Robinson Crusoe paradise at one of the world’s most stunning beaches and offering a very beautiful and natural setting- there is no active pool entertainment, TV’s in room etc – the experience is real! The beaches have not been touched - and the sea life is unharmed and preserved through tourist education. The diving excursions are carried out by authentic dhow boats rather than diesel-driven power boats. All material used to build the lodge and Retreats are local traditional Zanzibari – that way supporting local craftsmen- and it’s all natural!
Did you know that coconut tree wood is ant-resistant? That means we don’t need any pesticides! A stay at the lodge and retreat is so powerful and relaxing that most people just want to take off their shoes and stay- throw away the laptop and instead help the local fishermen fish some fresh crab, lobster and fish! The lodge educates every guest about the sensitivity of the coast and its wildlife and the impact every guest can have on the environment and how to keep this at minimal level.
Community
The accommodation (comprising of the main lodge and the Retreats) has a 90% local staff policy - preferably from the very local village of Matemwe - and with the aim of working for us on a long term basis and actually, with in-house training, climbing up the career ladder within us. The accommodation’s stunning white beach is used by the local fishermen in the early morning to provide the fresh seafood the lodge serves during the day. The local ladies collect seaweed from our beach to sell on to make their living. The accommodation has built the local school and library which can be visited by guests if they are interested and is very active in different educational projects to help Matemwe village.
The biggest change for the village is the desire for education; the Honeyguide Foundation assists the community to complete the primary school building. Providing school materials like books, chairs, desks and blackboards. Now more than ever, the villagers understand the need for good schooling for their children.
Malaria, the biggest killer in the world and its carrier, the mosquito regularly visit the nearby village. HGF have a plan: the mosquito net is going to be introduced to every household near the accommodation. We will work together with all the hotels and lodges and provide a means for any guest staying in the lodge to donate a mosquito net to a family.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
