Luang Prabang eco lodge in Laos
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Energy - At Kamu Lodge we strive to minimize our carbon footprint by using solar power to generate electricity. Our 20 free-standing lodges are hybrids actually. Thick-walled tents shut out the elements while a sturdy thatch roof guards against rain and sun. However rustic the look and feel, Kamu's mattresses guarantee a good night's sleep.
In the spirit of sustainable lodging, solar panels fixed to the roofs gather just enough juice to keep your fan turning all night and your interior lit. Every lodge features a white-washed stone annex, and the familiar trappings of a traditional bath. Hot water flows from Kamu's shower heads. And there's ample space to maneuver about as you make your daily ablutions.
Suppliers - We source our food ingredients from local producers and local community to contribute with local economy. Between the lodge and the village, our rice field takes in two hectares. The villagers work this field. And our guests work this field, harvesting what's known in the region as white gold.
Building - Such a visit is vital and life-affirming. Walk about the village on a Saturday morning when children are everywhere at play, and everywhere delighted by your visit. They're learning about you, and you're learning about them. We're building bridges.
Community
We commit to contribute to local economy by providing local people jobs and training as well as buying their local products produced in the region.
Everybody loves the idea of low-impact travel. But so few actually embrace its tenets. At Kamu, we do. We're all about a low-impact footprint. We work on a small scale. We're intimately involved in the economic developments of neighboring villages. We're educating our guests. And doing what we can to empower the Kamu.
Our lodge neighbors Ban Nyoy Har, where 63 families make a living in traditional Kamu fashion. They fish; they farm; they harvest teak they've planted, after 15 or 20 years. No visit to the Lodge is complete without a visit to Ban Nyoy Har. This is life as the Kamu live it.
A million things always seem to be in the works here. A villager braiding strips of bamboo into a cylinder for rice. Another scooping harvested peanuts from a tarp to a bamboo basket. And yet another shaping a door frame. And everywhere, dogs and pups, pigs and piglets, chickens and chicks.
At dinner, feast on fish harvested from the Mekong. On pork raised by local farmers. On beef and buffalo and curry flavored Kamu style. Most of the rice and produce is grown within walking distance. And the fruits you eat at dinner may be the fruits you passed during your trek that day.
Our efforts, and your visit, help support this traditional way of life, stimulating sustainable economic development.
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