Retreat accomodation in Alleppey, Kerala, India
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
For some years now, we have consciously adopted a policy of eco-farming techniques, which avoids use of pesticides & encourages use of organic fertilisers, planting shrubs which attract butterflies, avoiding use of plastic bags at the Villa itself. We have started our own protected hatcheries for the backwater turtles, which find a ready refuge behind our house in the 2 large ponds which keeps them safe from poachers.
Community
We believe in taking the local community along in the practice of tourism – be it employment, procuring of fresh produce or community participation. The tourists very often are made welcome by the local people and the interaction between them is often mutually beneficial.
We extensively employ local community members for guiding the tourists, local boatmen for taking the tourists around the vast backwaters (which is a major attraction here) and procure vegetables, fish & poultry from the neighbouring houses.
This has helped the local communities be pleasantly disposed to the tourists arriving here & many have written about this particular aspect of their stay.
The surrounding areas are paddy fields worked by the farmhands who take these fields on hire. Traditional methods of farming are used here - a very labour intensive profession. Other professions include fishing, duck rearing & shell collection for making "cement" for local house construction.
All our employees are from the local community. The cook, assisting ladies in cleaning & cooking, Men for guiding the tourists, local boatmen for taking the tourists are local peoples. And we procure vegetables, fish & poultry from the neighbouring houses. This has helped the local communities be pleasantly disposed to the tourists arriving here & many have written about this particular aspect of their stay.
In this way we had helped some of our community people to find a job.
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