Selous safari and beach vacation in Tanzania

Environment

The company that owns the camps that our guests stay at takes pro-active steps to ensure the properties and tourism activities are run in an environmentally responsible manner. This is important in protecting the fragile ecosystems of Selous and the islands that wildlife and local people rely upon for their survival.

The conservation of water is of critical importance in both beach and park environments, where many local people do not have ready access to safe, clean drinking water and droughts are commonplace. They conserve water through regular maintenance to reduce leakages, fitting flow restrictors on shower heads and taps where possible, watering our gardens and grass roofs at cooler times of the day, planting only drought resistant native plants where landscaping is necessary, and implementing a guest towel re-use and water conservation programme.

All waste water from the kitchens, guest bedrooms and staff houses is run into a sewage systems and biologically treated as it runs through natural sand filters. The water outlets are tested regularly. In this way they can be sure that they are not introducing harmful toxins into the protected environments in which they operate.

All of the waste produced is recycled, re-used or disposed of responsibly. They use recycled paper in offices and in brochure production, and recycle waste paper and cardboard through local community paper-making.

Park fees are paid which go towards conservation of the park, local guides are used on safari and all guests are instructed by the guide the proper way to view wildlife whilst on safari.

Community

All the camps support the villages close to the areas they are located in, but in 2005 the owners realised they could work with the resources they have and also the goodwill of many guests to create an NGO; Foxes Community and Wildlife Trust. The charity has become very successful with community projects like education, health and other necessary areas of support - as such there are blueprints in place to support other communities throughout Tanzania.

Since it's inception in 2005, the NGO has progressed from helping the local primary school, to establishing a Children's Village for Aids orphans, building dispensaries in the remoter regions of the District and establishing a Counselling and Treatment Clinic (CTC) in the local hospital for the administration of Anti retrovial drugs.

To achieve these ends, the NGO has been lucky to have the energy and enthusiasm of Geoff and Jenny Knight who joined the organisation in 2007 to manage the multiplying number of building projects and to oversee the running of the NGO. An important element of their work is setting up an Outreach Programme whereby orphans and families in extreme poverty can be helped to remain in the community living with relatives or foster families with the support of the NGO. This approach has proved successful throughout Tanzania.

They are further helped by a monthly visit by Dr Leena Pasanen who has worked in rural Tanzania for nearly 30 years. Dr Leena hold clinics in the various dispensaries and makes home visits to the most seriously sick.