Kanha tiger safari lodge, India
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We are a member of the International Eco Tourism Club, and a lecture on environment & eco friendly measures is given to our guests on arrival.
The lodge was constructed using locally available material and each cottage built in the local style without chemical paints. The open floor area is smeared with cow dung paste mixed with husk which works as a binding material & represents true Indian village flooring. We use waste wood boilers for heating and try to minimuse electricity use by using energy saving lamps and solar, hurricane and earthen lamps in the night. We have no air-conditioning.
We use recycled stationary, harvest rain water, use soak pits to collect water and reuse waste water in the garden. All cleaning is done manually (no machines), organic waste is composted, food is cooked on LPG stoves and we do not allow music or televisions to keep noise pollution to a minimum.
Community
Our lodge is dedicated to the local upliftment of the area. We were the first in the history of Kanha National Park to train the locals in catering, house keeping, steward ship, guiding etc., all of whom had very basic schooling if any at all. Our staff is trained in our parent hotel in Jabalpur, and the majority (all our drivers) come from the local community. We have financed one vehicle for a member of our staff who is from the community and use this for game drives. We do not have washing machines so we can provide work for the local community and have taught the local people cane weaving and pottery, the results of which are all used in our lodge. Raw materials are purchased locally where possible.
When we arrived, the medical provision was deplorable, and we have given health eduction talks and supplied medicines to the community. There was great animosity between the relocated tribal villages and the Kanha Tiger Reserve officials, and following our intervention a meeting was held between Park authorities, our lodge owners/managers and local villages to resolve problems amicably which to this day continues. We are able to take our guests on a visit to this relocated village.
We have recently provided 80 sets of utensils (stainless steel plates, glasses, bowls & spoons) for the local school so the children can eat their Government provided meals healthly and hygeinically.
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