Experiencing a foreign culture on holiday, immersing yourself in nature, taking a break from everyday life at home and letting your mind wander: the perfect getaway for most travelers. All the better if they can enjoy a getaway abroad with a clear conscience. For example, peace of mind since the hotel management has committed itself to an environmentally friendly corporate policy. Or perhaps the hotel is particularly committed to providing holidaymakers with authentic insights into the host country. And last but certainly not least, it pays its employees appropriately, trains them – and thus improves the economic situation of the local community. There are many ways for hotels to get involved in their region. The careful use of resources and architecture that fits into the landscape are usually a matter of course for sustainable hotels. Green Pearls® Hotels demonstrate that holidays in paradisaical surroundings with a sustainable positive impact on the host country are possible.
Barefoot Holidays in the Maldives
Let your mind wander to the eco-luxury resort Gili Lankanfushi on the private island of the same name. The six-star hotel is located about six nautical miles from Malé in the North Malé Atoll in the Maldives. The 45 villas built in the lagoon above the sea are accessible via jetties, blend harmoniously into the lush vegetation of the dream island, and guarantee a barefoot holiday in a class of its own. Guests are served fresh seafood from the region, as well as vegetables and herbs from their own organic garden. The menu features plant-based menus inspired by the culinary tradition of the Maldives. Holidaymakers can gain an insight into the ecosystem of the Indian Ocean on environmental tours with the resort’s own marine biologist. The luxury resort also supports the Coral Lines project, founded by marine biologists there in 2014. Its goal is to promote the regeneration of the vulnerable coral reef ecosystem.
With the so-called Gilis Seas Program, the resort has set itself sustainability guidelines to protect the environment and its social responsibility as an employer. Almost all employees are locals who are trained and developed. Whenever possible, local and fair-trade products are sourced to keep transport distances short and to support the local communities. Suppliers are selected based on whether they pay their employees fairly and offer good working conditions. There is a free ferry to Malé and Himmafushi for resort staff. The hotel is also involved in the Himmafushi school and pays the salary of the English teacher there.
Paradise experiences on tiny Seychelles island
A stay at the Cerf Island Resort with its 24 luxurious villas on the Seychelles island of the same name also promises a holiday close to nature. The boutique hotel is located only ten minutes by boat from the main island of Mahé at the entrance to the Sainte Anne Marine Park, a nature reserve. Cerf Island is only about one and a half kilometers long and about one kilometer wide. In contrast to the main island of the archipelago, holidaymakers can unwind and enjoy the Robinson Crusoe feeling in the idyllic seclusion and family atmosphere of the tiny islet. The resort is popular with honeymooners and newlyweds. A visit to one of the restaurants is an unforgettable experience – and not only for the romantics. Directly on the beach, with a view of the sea and the setting sun, guests are served local and seasonal organic food as well as fair trade products fresh from the market. A visit to the nature spa in the four-star hotel, which impresses with its local architecture and offers holidaymakers an authentic Creole experience, another special treat. The underwater world on Cerf Island is especially impressive, with its increasingly regenerating coral reef: a dream for divers and snorkelers. One of the best diving spots in the area is Brissaire Rock: around the rock, holidaymakers can observe reef sharks, rays, and whale sharks with a bit of luck!
Family-run eco hotel on Koh Samui
The family-run boutique hotel Tongsai Bay on the Thai island of Koh Samui, nestled in untouched nature, also promises a very special kind of holiday. Since its opening in 1985, the hotel has been committed to a sustainable philosophy. The idyllically situated five-star hotel with 83 suites, cottages, and villas is tucked into a hillside with sea view of the private bay and spread over an area of 28.5 hectares in the midst of lush gardens. This is where hotel founder Khun Akorn Hoontrakul realized his vision of a sustainably managed holiday resort. His goal was to build a resort in harmony with nature. Insecticides and chemical fertilizers are forbidden, and to date no trees have been felled. Plastic is banned throughout the complex. Straws made from lemongrass are used as an alternative to plastic straws. Waste is separated, and organic waste is used as fertilizer. The hotel staff make their own cleaning agents for the bathrooms from fermented pineapple peel. And the coffee grounds are used for exfoliation in the hotel’s spa.
Many employees have been working there for more than 30 years; 95 percent of the team is Thai. There is regular training and further professional development. During the corona-related lockdown, the staff received free meals, and some salaries were paid. The eco-hotel is also involved in various social projects and supports, for example, the local animal shelter, schools, temple projects and “Sisters of Samui”. In this project, more than 1,000 homeless members of the community are provided with food every day.
Fascinating insights and views of rural Morocco
A stay at the Kasbah du Toubkal in the middle of the national park of the same name in Morocco also promises an extraordinary holiday experience. The Berber-run hotel is located only 60 kilometers from Marrakech at 1,820 meters above sea level at the foot of the Jbel Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa in the middle of the High Atlas Mountains. The exposed yet secluded location promises fantastic views. Holidaymakers can reach the refuge from the mountain village of Imlil on foot or on the back of a mule.
The Kasbah du Toubkal offers holidaymakers insights into traditional Moroccan life and promises unforgettable authentic impressions. The hotel is also deeply socially committed and is a co-founder of the project “Education for All” (EFA). This has set itself the goal of enabling all children to attend school. Especially in the rural regions of Morocco, this is often denied to girls in particular; the male offspring are preferred. The reason: schools are often far away – and it is financially impossible or difficult for families to pay for accommodation close to the school. This is exactly where EFA comes in and provides girls with free accommodation in the school’s own dormitories. The project started in 2007 and has positively influenced the view of the locals, who no longer hesitate to provide schooling for girls as well.
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