Luxury honeymoon in Madagascar

Planet

The vast rainforest of the Masoala Peninsula contains the largest tract of pristine rainforest remaining in Madagascar and being especially species-rich, Masoala is known in conservation as the “hot spot within the hots pot” of bio-diversity that is Madagascar.

This rainforest is home to primates, carnivores, birds and reptiles and countless plant species, of which over ninety percent are endemic to Madagascar.

Madagascar has the richest primate diversity of any country on the planet. Lemurs, a group of primates endemic to the island of Madagascar, are threatened by habitat destruction and poaching for the bush meat trade. If not protected, logging or slash and burn farming could eliminate half this forest and it’s wildlife by mid-century. Yet, these are the lungs of the world.

With this in mind, the Masoala Forest Lodge seeks to complement the efforts of Madagascar National Parks, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Zoo Zurich in the conservation of this rainforest and the Antongil Bay by embracing a philosophy of sustainable, earth-friendly design, construction, operation and maintenance, while providing an alternative and sustainable source of income to the local population.

Constance hotels which guests will also stay at, have an environmental charter which sets out how they work to minimise the impact they have on the surrounding ecosystems and cultures while improving biodiversity, cultural heritage and community development. There are a few ways they are working on this, for example:
- Energy (by using eco-friendly oil and batteries, recovering energy from air-conditioning systems & installing solar panels for heating swimming pools)

- Water (by clearing mangroves and landscaping at Moofushi, installing water flow regulators on showers, recycling grey water for gardening, toilets & preserving scarce water supply by using a desalination plant)

- Waste (by recycling glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, recycling restaurant organic waste and garden green waste & supporting urban and rural clean-up)

- Biodiversity (by using organic fertilizers, using plants and trees locally adapted & taking part in local action for the environment)

- Protecting marine life and reefs (by informing guests about responsible snorkelling and dive practices towards unique coral reef life, improving staff and guest awareness and concern towards littering beach and sea & keeping boats clean and in proper working order, including regular cleaning of propellers to reduce amount of underwater sound emitted).

People

The small village of Ambodiforaha and their rice fields are a short walk from the lodge and the friendly people of the Betsimisaraka tribe are eager to provide an insight into their traditions and techniques of subsistence farming and life in the forest.

The Masoala Forest Lodge is committed to a program of community benefit to assist these people to maintain their sustainable lifestyle in this protected environment. Only local Malagasy craftsmen and artisans were commissioned for the construction and furnishing of the lodge, demonstrating the local craftsmanship and providing job creation.

The lodge serves as a living cultural museum, with traditional artefacts and utilitarian objects provided by the local communities in daily use and on display, providing a sharing of cultural information with the guests and a sense of pride and ownership for the local community.

Constance Hotels are also aware of their social responsibility. Therefore, they employ local people where possible, support local community development projects with funding, time and human resources, provide ways for guests to volunteer for local conservation or community development projects & use locally sourced produce.