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Travel with a Purpose: Asia’s Most Sustainable Stays
There’s been plenty of talk about enhanced sustainability and responsibility in Asia’s post-pandemic travel industry. Indeed, many of the region’s most appealing resorts are getting on board with the trend through activities ranging from ethical elephant encounters to wildlife conservation and community-focused tourism. With the Thanksgiving holiday in full swing, we give praise to some of our favorite forward-thinkers.
TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE:
ASIA’S MOST SUSTAINABLE STAYS
There’s been plenty of talk about enhanced sustainability and responsibility in Asia’s post-pandemic travel industry. Indeed, many of the region’s most appealing resorts are getting on board with the trend through activities ranging from ethical elephant encounters to wildlife conservation and community-focused tourism. With the Thanksgiving holiday in full swing, we give praise to some of our favorite forward-thinkers.
WILD ABOUT CONSERVATION IN CAMBODIA
A Wildlife Alliance ranger patrols the jungle
American hotel designer Bill Bensley took his flamboyant aesthetic and passion for conservation into the heart of one of Cambodia’s most remote jungles at Shinta Mani Wild. Situated in the Cardamom National Park in southern Cambodia, the all-inclusive luxury tented camp combines adventure with sustainability and community-focused initiatives. Bensley bought the land back in 2010 with the aim of putting it to altruistic use. And his high-yield, low-impact camp is getting plenty of traction with global travelers. Luxury adventures include the option to join armed Wildlife Alliance rangers on their daily anti-poaching patrols throughout the National Park, or hopping aboard an expedition boat – also designed by Bensley, naturally – to discover the waterways, flora, and fauna of this unique ecosystem. You can even help the chef forage for edible plants that are then incorporated into the resort’s culinary creations.
READ MOREUP CLOSE WITH ELEPHANTS IN THAILAND
An elephant grazes in front of guest lodgings
In Thailand, the elephant, or chang, is the national animal, celebrated in everything from artworks in royal palaces and temples to the name of one of the country’s favorite beer brands. But as human populations grow and forests are destroyed for cash crops, elephant habitats shrink. The animals are often pitted against farmers, deployed as beasts of burden, or forced to entertain in unethical elephant camps. Thankfully, there has been a growing realization of the work that needs to be done to protect the country’s elephants with a host of progressive camps leading the way in conservation efforts. At Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle elephants are central to the appeal, with guests offered unique opportunities to get up close with the gentle beasts, especially during breakfast and dinner times. The camp’s luxurious tents, meanwhile, are situated high in the treetops and boast open-plan spaces and large outdoor decks, some with hot tubs.
READ MORENIHI SUMBA PAYS IT FORWARD
A herd of horses on NIHI Sumba's beach
Sumba stands out as one-of-a-kind in Indonesia with its unique topography and traditions. And what sets NIHI Sumba apart is its strong focus on sustainability and dedication to giving back to the local Sumbanese community, while respecting and helping to preserve long-held island traditions. Just as the island’s remote location is beautiful, it is also isolating for the island’s people, leading to a lack of meaningful employment opportunities. Since its opening, this small, exclusive hideaway has single-handedly kickstarted the island’s economy and aimed to improve the quality of life for those living on the island. Around 90 percent of the staff on-property are Sumbanese, and many more islanders have been employed through the food supply and materials needed to maintain the resort’s upkeep and operations.
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A LONG-TERM VISION FOR LANGKAWI
The Datai's head naturalist leads a rainforest walk
When it comes to sustainability, select resorts around Asia are walking the walk while talking the talk. One of these is The Datai on Langkawi in Malaysia, which has been putting a strong emphasis on sustainability since well before the global health crisis. Its Datai Pledge is dedicated to improving the well-being of the environment, wildlife, and local community of Langkawi. Initiated in 2019 to create a robust conservation and sustainability program for The Datai Langkawi, it comprises four pillars: Pure For The Future; Fish For The Future; Wildlife For The Future; and Youth For The Future, which respectively focuses on business operations and ethics; the marine life; the fauna and flora’ and the children of the community. We applaud their efforts and hope many more hotels follow suit.
READ MORESOORI BALI TAKES IN THE TRASH
Rice farmers next to Soori with Mt. Batukaru in the background
Soori Bali is pushing a series of meaningful initiatives that bolster its reputation as one of Bali’s greenest and most sustainably-minded properties. One of them is a “plastic for Soori rice” program. Revenue generated by their venture Tenda — an ecologically empathetic cabin created to inspire and empower travelers in the exploration of different ways of living — goes into purchasing rice from local farmers. Soori Bali puts this rice to excellent use by utilizing it for a trash-tidying program — garbage washing up onto Bali’s otherwise pristine beaches has become a significant problem over the years, affecting the island’s vital tourism industry. Serving a dual purpose of combatting beach rubbish as well as nourishing the local community, Soori Bali gives away a kilogram of rice as barter for every kilogram of plastic trash collected.
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ASIA IS OPEN
Vaccinated travelers can travel to any of these destinations right now. ArmeniaAzerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Cambodia
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia Nepal
Oman
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
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