Namibia, Chobe and Victoria Falls holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This itinerary has been designed without the need for any internal flights in order to reduce the carbon impact of the itinerary. It also includes shared shared rather than private transfers where possible.

A number of accommodations included in this suggested itinerary are powered by renewable energy. For example both Nkasa Lupala and Chobe Bakwena are run entirely from solar power.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Chobe Bakwena is one of the most eco-conscious lodges in the Chobe area. When the lodge was built they sourced as much of the building material as possible from local and sustainable or renewable natural sources. This includes the sand for the wall in-fills as well as the thatching grass for the roofing, which comes from nearby Pandamatenga. The close proximity and use of natural materials not only accounts to a financial saving but is an integral part of maintaining a low carbon footprint. All decking is pine, sourced from sustainable plantations. Where furniture has been made, for example the beds and tables; these have been made on site using only sustainably sourced wood. As well as this the treatments used on all wooden surfaces are not harmful to the environment as they are made from natural oils and plant extracts. The walls are treated and finished with ‘green paints’.

The Okonjima Nature Reserve is home to the AfriCat Foundation, which is one of the best known wildlife charities in Namibia. The foundation focuses on educating Namibia’s youth and on research projects which are essential in accomplishing its mission of the long term conservation of Namibia’s wildlife in their natural habitat, but in an enclosed conservation area.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Chobe Bakwena is proudly Batswanan and all the staff, including the owners, are from nearby villages and wherever possible materials used in the lodge are sourced locally.

Nkasa Lupala Lodge is a joint venture (JV) enterprise between the 2,000+ members of the Wuparo Conservancy and private investors. The JV Agreement is a very detailed financial agreement that commits the lodge to pay a monthly fee and a annually significant ?percentage of net revenue to the conservancy. 95%+ of the lodge employees are from the local community.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

RiverDance Lodge has a close relationship with the local community and has a development project called MEYU which focusses on pre-school education and creating a clean water supply. The goal of MEYU is to build every local village a kindergarten and to drill a borehole for the water supply. So far this has been successful in two villages. The projects are funded by the lodge and private donors, therefore a stay at the lodge directly contributes to the outcome of MEYU and their ability to carry out this important mission.