We currently employ around 20 people, half from local villages and half from the mainland. Staff are paid a fair local wage and receive training in customer service skills. We use local resources to support much of our operation. e.g. village boats for guests transfers; local drivers and their vehicles for safaris and guest transfers on the mainland. We also buy local produce (fish) on the island and purchase furniture locally. We have commissioned work from local artisans.
The resort is set in natural forest. There is a policy to maintain all natural tree cover where practical and we have initiated a tree growing program over the last 12 months to replace trees lost as a result of the Tsunami.
We have sponsored a Turtle conservation project for over 10 years on the island. Light pollution during the nesting season is restricted by the resort. We have also initiated a program to offer guests the opportunity to take part in a Whale Shark research project based out of the resort.
Electricity is provided by a diesel generator, and is only available to guests between 6pm and 11pm. No hot water or air conditioning is available at the resort. Where possible waste is composted. In the interests of water conservation, sheets are only cleaned every three days and we limit towels to one a guest. We limit printing and re-use paper where we can.
Our tours revolve around sustainability so tourists are educated in this way. We are looking to develop “volunteer-tourist” products that will result in further engagement with the local communities.
Although we don’t yet have a formal education programme, the locals are educated indirectly by helping them become stakeholders in our programmes (e.g. safaris and our own vegetable garden). Our tours visit both local villages and we do use the one local restaurant on the island.
We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
