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Vembanadu House
Community
All the employees at the homestay are local people. Activities like fishing, canoeing and clam picking are offered to guests. These activities are through services rendered by the local community to generate extra income and they are very proud to show case their traditional skills and knowledge. The homestay kitchen requirements are fulfilled by the local market and we encourage guests to buy local crafts.
Environment
The garden is natural without artificial landscaping. The garden has native plants adaptable to the natural environment. It is maintained without using any pesticides or chemicals. The Biogas plan in the homestay and the composting techniques generate enough manure for the garden. All waste such as even leaves are composted and not burned. Great attention is given to the protection of flora and fauna that are native to Alleppey including different varieties of birds, butterflies and fish in the natural canals within the homestay.
For cooking, organic farm products from the garden and from the neighboring village farmers are used. All kitchen waste is managed in the bio gas plant and we get fuel and manure from this plant. To reduce the electricity consumption, the homestay has CFL Lamps and well maintained home appliances. To discourage use of plastic, drinking water is distributed from the homestay’s own water purification plant and reusable water bottles. Cloth bags are preferred to plastic bags. All rooms have cotton towels, linens, and furnishing that are non synthetic.
Vembandu house's Green Earth Initiative involves planting trees, educating villagers about global warming, water and energy conservation and Vembandu Lake and wet land protection. We are training our in house staff about the minimum usage of all energy sources. We use alternative energy like solar and bio gas and only use washing machines when they are full. For village visits we encourage guests to walk, cycle or take a canoe ride to avoid taxies.
We have a water purification plant, and no chemicals are added to the water. Waste water from the water purification plant is used for dish washing and cleaning. As we are planting native plants they don’t need much additional water. We spread a layer of dry leaves and coconut husk around plants to help them retain moisture and water. We protect our ponds, wells and natural canals to store the rain water.
All other Homstays
Community
We pride ourselves in providing alternative earning sources to the local community in the places where the homes are located. The Homestays’ owners employ local people to help them run their Homestays thus creating employment for the local population.
In the case of rural homes, the earnings from the Homestay business provide a major source of income for the home owners. The hosts provide guidance to the Guests for the places to do sightseeing and involve in activities through the local population which ensures the tourists spent to reach the grass root level.
We have a socially responsible tourism as its founding principle. This is reflected in the following benefits of a homestay vacation. Guests staying at a Homestay provide local employment as domestic help to support the running of the homestays are recruited are locally
As many homestays are located in the countryside where additional employment is created.
Environment
All homes affiliated with us follow environment friendly practices which do not disturb the ecological balance.
Most of the Homestays follow the below mentioned practice:
- The waste segregation is according to the municipality norms which help in proper disposal.
- Most of the Homestays employ water conservation and rain water harvesting.
- A lot of Homestays affiliated to Mahindra Homestays use solar energy to heat water etc. thus conserving electricity.
- We help in training the affiliated Homestay owners in running of a Homestay.
- Using the company’s vast experience in hospitality industry our vacations provide training to the Homestay owners and their staff for the Homestays affiliated to its brand.
- Our homestays are affiliated with family homes where the host family is staying and unlike hotels there is no construction of buildings required for providing the accommodation to the Guests thus preventing pollution.
- The Homestays prepare food mostly from their own plantations or gardens which are organic and there are no harmful chemicals used in growing these which help prevent harmful chemicals being released in the atmosphere.
- In case of rural Homestays at places like Spiti the earnings from Homestays get deposited in a communal fund which is used for compensating the loss of animal stock caused by endangered species like snow leopards, thereby avoiding the community people from hunting animals from such species.
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