Responsible Traveller mag - edition 3 - 2017

R E S P O N S I B L E edition 3 – 2017

be the difference

PEOPLE & PLACES conservation & communities

w w w. re s p o n s i b l e t rave l l e r. c o. z a

The only 5-star cage diving experience in South Africa. More than just a dive, our biologists share their knowledge & adventures on each trip!

Experience the Marine Big Five in their natural environment.

Focused on the protection of African Penguins & sea birds.

Discover & Protect - in partnership with the Dyer Island Conservation Trust.

www.DICT.org.za

Comment

Welcome to another edition of Responsible Traveller.

In this edition we celebrate People & Places...

And intricately linked to people and places is conservation and communities.

Meet Sipho Ntombela at Amakhosi Safari Lodge and be inspired by his (and his grandfathers) stories of Zulu culture and traditions... and Pie Blight who on a visit to Thonga Beach Lodge was inspired to invest in the Mabibi Primary School.

And then there’s DEEP - the Dyer Island Conservation Trusts’s Environmental Education Programme that exposes learners from a disadvantaged background to conservation through interactive education. And the team at Thanda Island, who together with a local NGO have played a significant role in sea turtle conservation. Start planning a trip to the newly opened Roho ya Selous in the Selous Game Reserve - Asilia Africa’s newest ‘impact investment’. Or Botswana’s Chobe National Park for a Pangolin Photo Safari like no other.

Visit Knysna and discover how owners Geoff Engel and Dandre Lerm-Engel reinvented the Thesen Island Power Station into the uber chic Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa - enjoy the quirkiness of Knysna, the arty places and interesting people... and be sure to take some time for a walk in the forest.

But as I always say, the responsibility of being a responsible traveller lies ultimately with the person travelling and the choices they make. It’s about choosing to not waste water , to switch off when you leave the room, to stay, shop, experience and eat local... thereby providing employment and contributing to the local economy. By choosing to have conversations with locals and experiencing the ‘real’ destination, you add value and return home with irreplaceable memories.

Enjoy the read… and be the difference.

Tessa

Magazine Information edition 3- 2017 Publisher / Editor Tessa Buhrmann Cell: 083 603 9000 tessa@responsibletraveller.co.za Design & Layout Michele Mayer Cell: 082 934 6940 creativelink@mweb.co.za Advertising & editorial enquiries info@responsibletraveller.co.za Digital Subscriptions info@responsibletraveller www.responsibletraveller.co.za

Responsible Traveller Published by Spotted Mongoose Media CC (CK 2008/178482/23) Contact Details P.O. Box 3, Gillitts 3603 KwaZulu-Natal South Africa Tel: +27 31 7674022 Fax: +27 86 542 9615 Publication details Responsible Traveller DIGITAL is published bi-monthly

Cover Image: River sunset at Selous Game Reserve pic - Asilia Africa

Disclaimer Responsible Traveller is published by Spotted Mongoose Media CC. The information provided and the opinions expressed in this publication are done so in good faith and while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents, neither the managing editor nor the publisher can be held responsible for any omissions or errors; or for any misfortune, injury or damages that may arise. All rights are reserved and no material from this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers.

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Contents Regulars: Comment

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Being a Responsible Traveller 05

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Destinations & Places to Stay: A conservation Legacy... at Amakhosi Safari Lodge 06 Falling in love on a Pangolin Photo Safari

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The Turbine... a past life revealed in the present 46

Conservation & Community: DEEP BLUE Ambassadors 14 Thanda Island saves turtles... 20

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Anti-tourism?

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Roho ya Selous

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Green, clean & sustainable in Abu Dhabi 58 Investing in a school worth developing

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News: Additional land for conservation at and Beyond Phinda

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Grootbos returns home to Fair Trade Tourism

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Packa-Ching... turning trash to cash

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iSimangaliso bids farewell to Andrew

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Bay’s renovated Campanile a unique visitor experience

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www.responsibletraveller.co.za 04 responsible traveller

Being a

Responsible Traveller

Responsible travel is a way of enjoying the many sights, experiences and memories of the destination you have chosen. It ensures that visitors and local communities alike share the benefits of tourism and travel equally, and it promotes greater understanding of and appreciation for fair and equitable business practice. Responsible travel is about putting back into travel what you get from it, and here are a few considerations that you could make when next you travel.

• Ask to see your tour operator's responsible travel policy.

• Ask to see the environmental policy of the accommodation establishment that you have selected – don’t be fooled by vague and unsubstantiated claims.

• Help the local economy by buying local produce in preference to imported goods.

• Ask your tour operator to establish the extent to which local communities enjoy benefits from your economic spend during your stay at a location.

• If bargaining to buy an item, bear in mind that a small amount to you could be extremely important to the seller – be realistic and fair.

• Realise that often the people in the country you are visiting have different time concepts, values and thought patterns from your own, this does not make them inferior, only different.

• Cultivate the habit of asking questions and discover the pleasure that you can enjoy by seeing a different way of life through others eyes.

• Use public transport, hire a bike or walk where convenient – you'll meet local people and get to know the place far better – always be safe and considerate.

• Use water sparingly – it is precious inmany countries and the local people may not have sufficient clean water – challenge any wasteful practice at your hotel or lodge.

• Switch Something Off – whenever you leave your room, switch unnecessary lights and equipment off and play your part in reducing greenhouse emissions.

• Don't discard litter when visiting outof-the-way places and attractions, take it with you and dispose of it at your hotel or lodge. Waste disposal is often a major problem at outlying attractions and sites and it leads to litter and unhealthy environments for locals.

• Respect local cultures, traditions and holy places. For example, ask permission before you photograph local people – in some countries it can cause offence.

• Learn more about the cultural experiences that you are exposed to – avoid ‘sound-byte’ tourism and encourage tour operators to provide more insight into the dances, songs and traditionalexperiences that they present to you.

• Do not buy products made from endangered species, hard woods, shells from beach traders, or ancient artefacts (which have probably beenstolen). When visiting gift and curio shops, be aware of the source of the products on sale and if in doubt, don’t buy.

• Read up on the countries you plan to visit – the welcome will be warmer if you take an interest and speak even a few words of the local language.

• When you get home drop your tour operator a note to let them know how you got on.

Essentials: www.heritagesa.co.za www.fairtrade.travel www.trees.co.za www.rhinoafrica.com

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A Conser vation Legacy... words & pics - Tessa Buhrmann

W

e’re on an open game viewing vehicle on our last day at Amakhosi Safari Lodge listening to game ranger Sipho Ntombela tell yet another wonderful story. “My grandfather was Magqubu Ntombela” he says… this alone speaks volumes, especially if you’re familiar with KwaZulu-Natal conservation history. Not only was Magqubu Ntombela ‘beloved friend, mentor and wilderness guide’ to world renowned conservationist Dr. Ian Player, he was a proud Zulu who served wildlife conservation for almost 80 years – but the thing he would no doubt be most proud of is the legacy he left to his family.

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View over Amakhosi Safari Lodge... with its pristine Zululand bushveld and the Mkuze River

Sipho Ntombela loves sharing stories about the fauna and flora with guests at Amakhosi Safari Lodge

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“My grandfather taught me everything about conservation”, Sipho continues. Telling us about the way he used to walk with his grandfather through the wilderness areas of the iMfolosi Game Reserve, where he learnt about the birds, the trees and the animals, their habits and idiosyncrasies… ‘like a rhino’ he tells us, that ‘lies down from about nine o’clock, until three o’clock when he starts waking up, then he eats all night and in the morning drinks water’ – just to repeat it all over again.

My mind drifts to the rhino we saw that morning.

He had been grazing on remnants of veld grass that had survived the prolonged drought. I glance at my watch, ‘yep, nap time coming up’.

This predictability unfortunately often playing into the hands of rhino poachers.

Sipho tells us that his grandfather was a good ranger, was good at training the students and loved working on the Wilderness Trail… and with a smile tells how he always carried a small pot – a little three-legged pot. In a tribute to Magqubu, Ian Player tells this story: “Wherever he went he carried his little threelegged cooking pot that he had bought in 1925 for five shillings. To smart hotels or into the wilderness, the pot went with him. Once we were attacked by lions and he put his pot down as we were retreating. When he decided he was going back to fetch it we had a furious argument. I said his life was more valuable to me than the pot. He ignored me, braved a wounded lion and returned, smiling, with his pot.”

I’m beginning to like this man, so much so that in writing this story I needed to find out more about Magqubu Ntombela, the man. I discovered that his work with the Wilderness Foundation took him to America to attend and speak at the Fourth World Wilderness Congress. Here he told that his grandfather had served Shaka Zulu, and that his father fought in Cetshwayo’s Zulu army at the battle of Isandlwana in 1897. It was not surprising that this man who came from a long line of Zulu warriors would be afraid of nothing – not even a wounded lion!

And he no doubt keep his audience enthralled with his stories of Zululand…

“I will begin my talk with the month of October, uzibandlela. It is the time that the footpaths of Zululand become covered with new grass. It is also the month when the red flower of the msinsi (Erythrina caffra) falls, and the green leaves of that tree appear… There are other trees which also come to life, such as the sycamore fig which grows along the banks of our rivers. Animals love the 08 responsible traveller

Jeremy giving us a thumbs up, and SIpho with his familiar smile

fruit of this tree. The baboons climb up to the very top and in their haste to feed themselves they spill many figs on the ground. Other animals like the bushbuck, rhinoceros, warthog, grey duiker and inyala will then feed on the fallen fruit.

When the baboons have had their fill they play and start trouble amongst themselves.

Youngsters tease the older animals who then chase them about the tree, asking, “What do you think you’re doing?” and the youngsters will reply, “Sorry, father! Sorry!”. “What do you think you are doing?” the older baboon will repeat, and the youngster will say, “Please, father, please.” But the older baboon will then hurl the

‘Sipho tells us that his grandfather was a good ranger, was good at training the students and loved working on the Wilderness Trail...’ responsible traveller 09

youngster out of the tree by his tail. This will annoy the mother of the young baboon and she will say, “Hey! Hey you! You want to kill my child? What do you think you’re doing?” The troop leader, reclining right at the top of the tree, having watched this inter-play, makes screeching loud noises.” ...and “Nhlangula is the month of May, the month when winter starts, when the leaves fall and we feel the first pinch of cold. The days grow shorter and a great stillness falls upon the land. It is the time when my people begin burning grass on the hills and pastures and it is this month when the insingizi, the ground hornbill, begins calling while walking across the burnt grass in search of grasshoppers.

As they go one says, “What tree? What tree?

What tree is that?” And the other bird will turn round and say, “That tree, that tree, that tree is an msinsi.” Then after having eaten well one will say, “Have you had your fill? Have you had your fill? Have you had your fill?” And the other will reply, “Yes, I’ve had my fill, I’ve had my fill, I’ve had my fill.” (excerpt from Magquba Ntombela’s speech at the Fourth World Wilderness Congress, interpreted from Zulu by Maurice Mackenzie)

spirit something to hold on to where it is then taken back to the homestead where it is given a resting place near the family.

A few of the other fascinating tree stories were that the fruit of the sausage tree are hung at the top of a home to stop lightening; that the Tamboti (Spirostachys Africana) and wild camphor tree (Tarchonanthus camphoratus) are rubbed together to create a powder that is used as a perfume; and how the fruit of the snake apple (also known as poison apple, Solanum panduriforme) can be used for snake bite.

We had spent many hours in the bush with Sipho and Jeremy, our tracker – both delighting us with their exuberance, animal antics and wonderful knowledge. Nothing like discussing South African politics over a mug of steaming coffee whilst surveying the expanse of the reserve, or having them head off into the bush to track a cheetah, only to creep back and give us a fright – Jeremy the ‘cheetah’ and Sipho the prey, sporting a set of horns!

A visit to a game reserve is not just about seeing the Big 5, it’s about the birds, the trees and all the other creatures and critters… and the

‘We had spent many hours in the bush with Sipho and Jeremy, our tracker - both delighting us with their exuberance, animal antics and wonderful knowledge...’

I can almost hear Sipho telling us these stories too, as he had the story of the Marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea), which is referred to by the Zulus as the ‘marriage tree’. He told us that this tree is also believed to be a symbol of fertility, where a powdered mixture of the bark of a female tree will produce a baby girl, and that of the male tree a baby boy – the Marula tree is dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees.

He told us about the buffalo thorn (Ziziphus mucronata), and explained it’s significance to the Zulu’s – it is used by family members to retrieve the spirit of the deceased from where he died.

The chosen person goes to the place where their family member died carrying a branch of the spirit tree (as it is called by the Zulus), it gives the 10 responsible traveller

experiences, of which Amakhosi has many. We saw epic African sunsets; watched a herd of buffalo cool off in the Mkuze River – the same river that one early morning was a slow trickle and a few hours later a raging torrent, thanks to rain upstream, and hung on as Sipho negotiated an old unused road up a hillside to give us a glimpse of a lioness with her young cubs. He also explained that the dominant lion we were later watching was quietly keeping an eye on the ‘rival’ across the boundary line, and that once he rose would soon be scent marking his territory just in case there was any doubt as to who was in charge of this area.

Then there were the elephants. We watched numerous dust baths and watched a procession along and through the river, with much drinking,

Dominant male

Snake apple fruit

A twig of the buffalo thorn

Herd of buffalo

The baby ellie playing in the mud

A glimpse of the lion cubs

Sipho and Jeremy’s animal antics responsible traveller 11

‘As always, a visit to Amakhosi Safari Lodge is accompanied by fabulous food, delightful surprises, gorgeous suites and wonderful people...’

Our last sundowner stop... Jeremy preparing the G&T’s

bathing and sloshing in the mud – the littliest in the herd providing much entertainment as it battled to keep its balance and couldn’t seem to work out what its trunk was for!

And as always, and visit to Amakhosi Safari Lodge is accompanied by fabulous food, delightful surprises, gorgeous suites, and wonderful people.

Which brings me back to Sipho, grandson of Magqubu… telling us his story in that game viewing vehicle with the Mkuze River flowing strongly beside us. He continued to tell how he brings his son to Amakhosi, how he takes him into the bush and teaches him things and tells him stories. He tells us proudly that his son’s teacher said to him ‘your books… the bird book, 12 responsible traveller

tree book and the animal book… he’s teaching the other kids’ – a budding conservationist. All my family are working in conservation Sipho tells us. “My Dad works at Mpila at iMfolozi Game Reserve, and my brother is in the rhino antipoaching unit there”.

Magqubu Ntombela, ‘beloved friend, mentor and wilderness guide’ to world renowned conservationist Dr Ian Player, would be so incredibly proud. •

www.amakhosi.com For More Info on Dr. Ian Player & Magqubu Ntombela Visit: www.ianplayer.com

Always fabulous treats for high tea

Inside our River Suite responsible traveller 13

DEEP BLUE ambassadors words & pics - Dyer Island Conservation Trust / DEEP

The DEEP learners before a trip out to sea

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CONSERVATION PROFILE

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I

CONSERVATION PROFILE

n an area where unemployment is rife and social ills are on one’s doorstep, having hope for a successful future is often non-existent.

This is a reality for many in South Africa. However, there is hope – through education. Close to the southern tip of Africa, Dyer Island and the surrounding ocean is a critically important eco-system where the Marine 5 are to be found – the endangered African penguin, the iconic great white shark, the abundant Cape fur seal, Southern right whales and various dolphin species. It is here that the Dyer Island Conservation Trust is making a difference through research, conservation and education.

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust’s Environmental Education Programme known as DEEP works with dedicated groups of young learners from a disadvantaged background and runs for three years to monitor and evaluate the impact and growth of each and every individual learner. The aim is to expose these young learners to the field of science and conservation and serve as a forerunner for future skills training. Students are chosen from the local Masakhane School. This community is just 4kms from the sea yet many have never even been to the sea.

The students learn about the marine world, participate in beach clean ups, go out to sea with eco-tourism partners Dyer Island

Tree planting

Cruises and Marine Dynamics and go on special excursions relevant to the programme, including a year-end camp.

“We believe that we are making a big difference in the lives of these students with ripple effects to the community. Their growth in confidence is testament to the dedication of our main educator, Pinkey Ngewu, who is supported by staff and other conservation organisations,” says Trust founder, Wilfred Chivell.

“The students learn to present to an audience, understand the Marine Big 5™ and some of the other animals in the area, learn about our crucial wetlands and issues related to marine pollution.

They are exposed to any special conservation

Learning about photography..

...and practising the skills

Learning about the Marine Big Five

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CONSERVATION PROFILE nature. It takes the entire community to raise a child, so let us work together in raising these blue ambassadors for our environment.”

moments that the staff of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust experience,” says Pinkey.

“At the beginning of a year, the next group of students start their three year programme.”

An educational manual, a first for the nonprofit, was launched at a function held at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, another key project of the Trust. The manual was put together by Pinkey, drawing on valuable resources from various conservation partners.

The first and second year students showed off their knowledge with a presentation on the Marine Big 5 and marine pollution and ended off the event with some passionate singing.

Pinkey said at the event, “I have been honoured to be part of this life changing programme since 2016. I believe we are making a difference in not only the lives of the students but of the entire community by creating ambassadors for tomorrow. “ “The DEEP teaches the youth invaluable lessons about themselves and their surroundings. It builds inside them a love for nature. With the environmental crisis we are facing, it is very important to educate the children of tomorrow today and rebuild the connection with man and

Wilfred added, “We truly believe that this long term effort will ensure that these young ambassadors protect our environmental heritage.”

Not only do the students learn about the environment but they have social lessons as well where the students are taken to a local restaurant to learn how to carry themselves in public areas as well as learn basic table manners.

“This might seem strange for many but many people in the disadvantaged communities don’t have access to having meals on the table and using knives and forks,” says Pinkey. “We also include healthy living lessons and spend time in an organic garden learning about what food is good for their health.”

The students have also learnt about photography, planted trees, visited the Two Oceans Aquarium, and have also been to theatre productions as part of the Hermanus FynArts Festival. “But being on sea and seeing the whales and seals was truly life changing for them,” says Pinkey.

Presenting on marine pollution to their peers

At the Two Oceans Aquarium

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CONSERVATION PROFILE

At the launch of the DICT DEEP Manual on 20 May 2017

“The student’s enthusiasm for learning is encouraging other students at school and even changing the behaviours of their parents.

The long term approach and being able to see the impact we have on these children is drawing attention from our conservation partners. We have some plans that we hope will contribute to the future careers of these students,” says Wilfred. • Pinkey Ngwewu, the main DEEP educator

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Visit www.dict.org.za for more information

CONSERVATION PROFILE

Special thanks to all donors and conservation partners: Cape300 Foundation and the Community Chest for the printing of the education manual; Marine Dynamics; Dyer Island Cruises; International Marine Volunteers; CapeNature; Overstrand Municipality; Investec; Consol Glass; PlasLantic; Mike Gibbs; Bill Watkins; Glenda Monson and Barry Ponsford.

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CONSERVATION PROFILE

Thanda Island

saves turtles through partnership with local NGO

D

eeply committed to the conservation of the region’s sea turtles, dugongs and whale sharks, as well as the preservation and rehabilitation of the Shungi Mbili coral reef, Thanda Island’s support for Sea Sense, a Tanzanian marine conservation NGO, has already facilitated meaning ful results within its first year.

words & pics - Thanda Island 20 responsible traveller

CONSERVATION PROFILE Thanda Island

Addressing a shared concern for the marine biodiversity of the waters off Thanda Island and the area surrounding Mafia Island, Thanda Island’s donation of US$20,000 has played a significant role in the advancement of research, education and the broader engagement of the local communities in sea turtle conservation in particular.

Six Community Conservation Officers have been recruited to monitor the number and species of nesting turtles, recording 344 green turtle nests and two hawksbill nests. More than half of all nests laid in Tanzania each year are laid in Mafia Island confirming that the island continues to support the country’s largest green turtle rookery. Historically turtle nests were routinely poached but the establishment of a community nest incentive scheme, which provides a small financial incentive to report every successful hatching, has helped reduce this. Additionally, the reporting system provides an opportunity for Conservation Officers to sensitize their fellow citizens on the importance of sea turtle conservation and threats to sea turtle survival.

In May, Sea Sense provided theory sessions and practical training on sea turtle conservation to 18 Thanda staff (13 local staff and five management staff ). A re-established nesting site, the Thanda Island team were taught the essential field skills of nest relocation and post-hatching excavations to record hatching success. Information was also shared on dugong and whale shark biology and conservation.

The funding also supported a Green Turtle Population Census on nearby Juani Island where most of the nesting is concentrated.

Each encountered female turtle was measured and examined for the presence of existing tags, or later tagged. Tagging data was analysed to allow calculation of clutch frequencies, internesting durations, level of nest site fidelity and re-migration intervals. Conducted for the 5th successive season, the data has already started to provide information on remigration intervals with several females having been encountered during previous nesting seasons. Preliminary data analysis suggests 2016 will have been a very successful nesting year.

Using World Environment Day as a platform to spread key messages to the residents of the local seafaring communities, Sea Sense was able to mobilise a variety of groups to conduct a series of clean-up activities, using the opportunity to sensitise citizens on the links between poor waste management and human health. responsible traveller 21

CONSERVATION PROFILE

Green Turtle nesting

Conservation officer measuring a female turtle

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Community members counting the number of eggs hatched

CONSERVATION PROFILE Furthermore, a community theatre group staged a series of short plays delivering key messages on the impact of illegal fishing practices and the role of governance of marine and coastal resources that reached approximately 1400 people.

The poor commitment of village leaders to fight illegal fishing practices was identified as a major issue stimulating heated discussion. This demonstrates the positive impact the awareness programme has already generated in growing the desire to challenge and demand accountability.

Sea Sense was also able to initiate the setup of a focus group discussion between 38 fishery stakeholders where it was clear the relationships between fishers, fish traders, village councilors and leaders were weak. The widespread confusion about the types of fishing licenses, vessel registrations, associated charges and their validity period were addressed by a District Fisheries Officer. Migrant fishers were raised as a concern with an agreement to enforce limits on these reached. The session provided an opportunity to address inherited and inaccurate knowledge of the key endangered species and their habitats.

Supporting this initiative further, Thanda Island’s donation facilitated the visit to two migrant fisher camps totaling over 500 fishermen where Sea Sense were able to address illegal fishing issues as well as poor waste management resulting in clean-up operation at both camps. The minimal resistance and suspicion received by the Sea Sense team compared to previous meetings was noted. It is evident that the funding of the NGO’s ongoing work has facilitated an increasing level of trust which in turn has provided the opportunities to influence attitudes towards the exploitation of marine resources and deliver the successes that have been achieved through the partnership to date.

Thanda Island is in the process of developing a programme that will allow guests to become more involved in their conservation partnership activities. This will include participation in turtle nest monitoring, patrolling of the marine reserve and snorkel surveys of the coral reefs. •

www.thandaisland.com www.seasense.org About Sea Sense: Sea Sense targets the conservation of flagship marine species such as sea turtles, dugongs and whale sharks to achieve broader marine conservation goals. In view of the fundamental link between humans and their environment, Sea Sense uses a ‘grassroots’ approach so that coastal communities have opportunities to engage in marine conservation initiatives.

Turtle hatchling responsible traveller 23

Falling in love

on a Pangolin Photo Safar i

D

words & pics - Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

an Ntengu’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he thinks. I’ve just asked him what makes Botswana’s Chobe National Park so special and the cogs are turning... A gentle smile creeps over his face as he volunteers an answer: “The animals here are very relaxed and are happy to be seen.” It’s a fair comment because everything we’ve spotted since arriving in this amazing stretch of northern Botswana has virtually posed for pictures, seemingly enjoying the attention and excitement.

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Dan is a safari guide for Pangolin Photo Safaris, a Kasane-based sustainable tourism operator specialising in teaching guests the finer points of wildlife photography, no matter what their level of expertise or what equipment they have, while at the same time supporting local communities and putting money into pangolin research with the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Dan’s brought us to Campsite No 10 - a special mobile safari campsite on the Chobe River where Pangolin Photo Safaris has set up home for a few short days. “This site was just bush until two hours before you arrived,” explains Dan. Pangolin’s advance crew of four were sent in earlier to set things up for us, putting up four spacious Meru-style tents with en-suite facilities (where the sleeping and relaxing happens), a mess tent (where the eating takes place), a kitchen tent (where chef Moffat Simasiku works his magic) and guide’s and staff tents with their own ablution facilities. The result is something akin to glamour camping, or “glamping” as it is known. I prefer to think of it as “roughing it in style”.

The “rough” bits are the “natural” toilet and bucket shower in the tent’s en-suite facility.

They’re not really that rough but certainly take you out of your city-slicker comfort zone.

For “natural toilet” read long-drop loo with a portable toilet seat on a fold-out frame positioned strategically over it. Next to it is a pile of soil with a large enamel jug on top.

This allows you to cover whatever you do with nature’s own sanitiser - good, old-fashioned Chobe earth! The bucket shower is a canvas bag filled to order with water heated over an open fire. You flick a valve switch on the shower head attached to the canvas bag and out comes the water. It all works perfectly and doesn’t really produce a challenge.

The rest of the guest tent is by no means shabby, with two comfortable camping cots topped with lovely foam mattresses and warm, fluffy duvets for the winter nights, which can get a bit nippy here being so close to the river. There are bedside tables, solar lights and hangers for clothes provided. Outside the front of the tent are two canvas wash-basins for freshening up. The views are to die for and the game plentiful, both around camp and along the river bank.

The idea is to offer a completely immersive African experience while polishing up your photography skills, explains Pangolin photographic host Janine Krayer. “This is about getting as close to nature as possible so 26 responsible traveller

Gerhard “Guts” Swanepoel

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that you touch it, taste it and feel it, and then capture it on camera,” she explains.

When it comes to cameras, if you want to use your iPhone or point-and-click device that’s fine - Janine is on hand to ensure you get the very best out of what’s in your hand. But if you feel adventurous and want to really learn the basics, ins and outs and ups and downs, Pangolin supplies its own Canon 7D camera’s with 400mm lenses and 8GB memory cards for you to keep.

“It’s all about choice,” says Janine. “If you want to get to grips with a professional quality camera, we’ve got them here for you to try, but if you prefer to use your iPhone, that’s fine, we’ll show you how to get the most out of it too.”

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With three nights in the mobile camp and three nights aboard Pangolin’s luxury houseboat - the Pangolin Voyager - cruising up and down the Chobe, there’s more than enough opportunity to try a bit of everything where cameras and taking pictures are concerned. So I decide to use my own camera in camp, and try out the Canon once waterborne, on a very specialised, purpose-designed, super-duper photographic game-viewing boat.

The game drives don’t disappoint and on the first morning Dan delivers a pride of lions on a kill right next to the vehicle. It’s that total immersion thing that Janine was talking about - the “Imax 3D” version of wild Africa, complete with natural surround sound guaranteed to get your hair standing on end.

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Within minutes I decide that lions feeding sound like Harley Davidson motorbikes getting ready to race... revving up the volume from a low rumbling grumble to a crescendo of heartstopping growls and roars. Fur flies. Bits of meat and bone fly. Flies fly. Shutters whirl. It’s all very immersive and spine-tingly at the same time.

By the time we return to camp some five hours later (that’s the beauty of mobile safaris - there are no time limits) I’ve netted a haul of amazing photos... Said lions, elephants, buffalo, fish eagles, giraffes, zebra, kudu... The list is endless.

Learning is easy in an environment like this.

There’s a gentle rhythm to the camp, with Moffat and his team-mates Josiah Saoxago, Onks Kenosi and Matt Ntwa ensuring that nothing is too much trouble. The fire is always stoked, the beers flow effortlessly, the food is amazing and Dan is always on hand to give information on both animals and the area in general.

When the time comes to move across to the Pangolin Voyager I’m sad to be leaving this beautiful place, but excited at the prospect of seeing things from a whole new angle... and meeting the man who started it all - Pangolin’s founder, Gerhard “Guts” Swanepoel.

After a short boat transfer from Kasane’s immigration office to Impalila Island, I’m in Namibia and cruising towards the houseboat which has become Pangolin’s flagship offering.

The Pangolin Voyager is the perfect complement to the mobile camp, with luxuries like running water (hot and cold - there’s a full solar system on board), conventional showers and flushing lavatories. It offers five en-suite bedrooms on its lower deck, a spacious lounge and dining area on the middle level and a sun-drenched open-air viewing platform on top. But it’s the aforementioned safari boat that gets me all hot and bothered. With seats which swivel through 360 degrees decked out with custom designed multi-directional gimbles upon which cameras are mounted, this is photography heaven.

It’s also a bonus because a Canon 7D with a 400mm lens is not the world’s lightest piece of equipment and the gimble literally takes the strain, allowing you to swivel into position perfectly without breaking a sweat. One look through the viewfinder and I am hooked. It’s like watching a live HD television feed, and with Janine’s help within minutes I am taking incredible pictures and hopelessly in love with the Canon. Sadly, I can’t take it with me. responsible traveller 31

In between game viewing I chat to “Guts” about Pangolin Photo Safaris’ evolution, and, most importantly, how it got its name.

“Pangolins have always played an important role in my life,” says Guts, who was born “accidentally” early while his parents were on holiday in Kasane. “I had never seen one growing up on my grandfather’s farm in South Africa. I was very close to the old man, and I was 16 when he died. On my way home, on the day he passed, I saw my first pangolin. I took it as a ‘sign’ and took the animal as my ‘totem’.

Since then, at every important juncture of my life I have seen a pangolin on the same day.

So the safari operation virtually named itself,” laughs Guts.

“The idea started when I was guiding in the Kruger National Park,” he explains. “When I left South Africa and moved back to Kasane in 2011, it took shape from there. I met my fellow director, Toby Jermyn, and we began running half-day and full-day trips along the river and things expanded from there,” he says. “We’ve always strived to be sustainable and run our business responsibly,” adds Guts. “You have to invest in people and include people and communities, especially were conservation is concerned.”

Dusk is drawing in on the Chobe and we pull into the lee of a peninsula on which stands a solitary giraffe bull, silhouetted against the setting sun. It’s an iconic photo opportunity and one I am determined not to waste... Janine is giving us tips and advice and shutters are clicking in a frenzy of activity as we capture the shot. My love affair with the Canon is sealed, and the trip with Pangolin Photo Safaris goes down in my personal history as one which changed the way I view wildlife photography.

I vow to save up, both for the Canon and for a return trip. There’s just no way I can’t come back. Guts seems happy that his team has done its job... “We couldn’t ask for more,” he smiles. “And we’ll welcome you back any time you want to come. The Canon will be here waiting for you!” Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse. • For more information on set itineraries and photographic packages both in Chobe and other parts of Africa, visit:

www.pangolinphoto.com 32 responsible traveller

‘My love affair with the Canon is sealed, and the trip with Pangolin Photo Safaris goes down in my personal history as one which changed the way I view wildlife photography...’ responsible traveller 33

What’s news...

Additional land secured for conservation at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve &Beyond has recently acquired traversing rights over an additional 1 620 hectares (4 000 acres) of community-owned land at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. This land was recently returned to the local communities, its ancestral owners, and, thanks to the close relationship between these communities and &Beyond, they have chosen to lease it to the company, pledging the land for conservation use while simultaneously making an income.

The land right claim issue dates back to the early days of South Africa’s first democraticallyelected government, when one of the first priorities facing then Prime Minister Nelson Mandela and his cabinet was the issue of land.

The government’s land reform programme was introduced in an attempt to redress some of the injustices and discriminatory land actions of South Africa’s apartheid regime.

In 2007, in a pioneering move for land distribution in South Africa, &Beyond and the leaders of the Makhasa and Mnqobokazi communities, which surround the reserve, signed a mutually beneficial deal resulting in the restoration of 9 085 hectares (22 460 acres) of wilderness land within Phinda to those communities, its ancestral owners.

In terms of this deal, &Beyond secured a commitment from the community to keep the land under wildlife rather than return it to farming. The company has signed a 72-year

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lease on the property, with an agreement to continue running its lodges on Phinda while paying an annually escalating rental to the two communities. In this way, both the communities and conservation benefit, demonstrating once again &Beyond’s commitment to the Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the People.

This pioneering land claim settlement has also proved that, when communities surrounding conservation areas experience the benefits of responsible tourism (in this case as landlords), they support the conservation and biodiversity of reserves for the benefit of future generations.

In 2009, two additional pieces of land were handed back to the two communities resulting from separate claims on farmland in the area.

They requested that this additional land be included in &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, as they believed that their best financial return would be gained through the use of the land for conservation tourism. &Beyond secured a 36-year lease on these properties, from which the two communities receive rental income.

The additional land that has recently been leased to &Beyond is the result of a similar land claim process. &Beyond’s wildlife management policies are already being implemented and plans are under way to a variety of wildlife species onto the land. •

www.andBeyond.com

What’s news...

Grootbos returns home to Fair Trade Tourism The pristine Grootbos Private Nature Reserve overlooking Walker Bay near Hermanus has been recertified by Fair Trade Tourism, demonstrating its commitment to the responsible tourism portfolio which boasts nearly 200 products in Africa.

and cuisine, Grootbos offers a wide array of activities such as shark-cage diving and whale watching, botanical fynbos safaris, bird watching, horse riding, spa treatments and tours of its conservation and community projects.

Grootbos is an established leader in the responsible tourism arena and has won numerous accolades for its work. In addition to Fair Trade Tourism certification, it is one of 10 Long Run Global Ecosphere Retreats and is a founding member of National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. Both Tatlers Travel Guide and Fodors have rated Grootbos as one of the best 100 hotels in the world.

Says General Manager, Sean Ingles: “After an absence of almost three years, Grootbos is proud once again to be a brand ambassador for Fair Trade Tourism. The principles of sustainability, transparency, respect and progressive tourism are fundamental to the Grootbos DNA and we work tirelessly to follow these guidelines in every aspect of our business – in our conservation efforts, our community outreach programmes and in the lodges themselves. We look forward to sharing our practices and ideas with others in the Fair Trade network and to getting guidance from the Fair Trade team as we forge our path ahead.”

The award-winning, 5-star nature reserve was one of the first properties to be certified by Fair Trade Tourism in 2006 and is renowned for its environmental conservation and social development projects run through its non-profit arm, the Grootbos Foundation.

Since 2003, the Foundation has been active in conservation and community projects, reaching over 10 000 members of the local community and conserving over 16 000 hectares through the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. Besides offering spectacular vistas, luxury accommodation

Fair Trade Tourism MD Jane Edge adds: “The fact that Grootbos opted for recertification is a great vote of confidence in us. Their exemplary responsible tourism practices have long been an inspiration to the industry and we stand to learn much from the Grootbos team.” •

www.grootbos.com www.fairtrade.travel

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Beautiful woman, Thailand Hilltribe

ANTI-TOURISM?

Now, more than ever, the concept of responsible travel has come under the spotlight as anti-tourist protests are increasing and new bans are imposed at certain holiday hotspots. In recent weeks, demonstrations against so-called ‘un-checked’ tourism have sprung up across the European continent, with locals voicing their concern about the impact of increasing tourist numbers.

In turn, holiday destinations have responded by implementing new rules to try to regain control of their tourism industry.

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introducing some of the toughest bans in place concerning public behaviour. In addition to eating and drinking being outlawed at the Trevi Fountain, ever-increasing tourist numbers in Rome have now led to a ban on drinking alcohol on the streets at night. Supermarkets are only allowed to sell liquor until 22h00 at night and bars are only allowed to sell alcohol until 02h00.

Davidson adds that it is not only restrictions on consumables such as food and drink that are becoming more prevalent, but also the use of selfie sticks and limiting visitor numbers at certain attractions.

More recently, Segway tours and electric scooters were banned from Barcelona’s Old City and the seafront, as a result of protests on the city’s beaches.

“In July, we also saw restrictions implemented at Peru’s iconic archaeological site, Machu Piccu, which includes the use of selfie sticks and tri-pods, and limiting the amount of time that visitors are allowed to spend at the attraction in an effort to facilitate the flow and free circulation of visitors and also to combat damage to the site,” says Davidson.

Sold on being a responsible traveller? Here are some top tips to do your part: 1. Volunteer your time Regardless of whether you are travelling for a week or a year, volunteering a portion of your travel time to a worthwhile cause on your trip, and with a reputable organisation, can make a meaningful difference.

“While some may criticise the new imposed bans as over-the-top, perhaps it is the wake-up call we need to ensure that travellers pay more attention to the sustainability of destinations and the (sometimes) detrimental impact that their travel has on the people and places we should be preserving for generations to come,” says Jane Davidson, Director of Development Promotions, which represents G Adventures in South Africa.

Italy is one destination that is working to curb the negative impacts of mass-tourism,

Zoom in on your skills and passions to guide your choice here. If you have a skill that may be useful in the destination that you are visiting, such as medical care or if you have worked in social care, there are a whole multitude of avenues you can pursue to help put your expertise to good use.

G Adventures’ non-profit organisation, the Planeterra Foundation, is dedicated to ensuring the communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides. Planeterra manages over 50 current and funded projects in underserved regions all over the world..

One such project is the Maasai Clean Cookstoves in Monduli, Tanzania. G Adventures has created a community tour that allows travellers to experience the environment of a responsible traveller 37

boma both with and without a clean cookstove.

This visit is lead by the women engineer team and our local Maasai Stoves & Solar Project partners. Each visit pays for the cost of a new stove in the home that does not have one.

The visit also invests in a local community development fund that supports education and health initiatives in each of the villages visited.

2. Think twice about wildlife interactions If you are really interested in visiting a wilderness reserve or rescue centre, make sure you contact one that is a registered NGO and is transparent about their business dealings. A reputable organisation will have no problem sending you all the information you need.

The Jane Goodall Collection by G Adventures is a selection of 20 incredible, wildlifefocused tours endorsed by world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall. These smallgroup adventures offer travellers a unique opportunity to see some of the planet’s most fascinating wildlife, while at the same time, respecting their freedom.

Get up close and personal with the orangutans at a rehabilitation centre in Borneo or brave the cold if you dare in Longyearbyen to catch a glimpse of roaming polar bears, lounging seals, grazing reindeer, and colonies of birds.

3. Respect local cultures One of the greatest rewards we have when we travel is learning about different cultures

and religions. It is always important to show respect to those local customs and traditions when we travel.

In the Galapagos, tourism is seen as the primary economic contributor, however despite an influx in visitor numbers, the destination has little to show for it with very few job opportunities available to the youth.

Planeterra has invested in training and infrastructure in Galapagos’ first communitybased tourism programme which now benefits both the island’s young entrepreneurs and its unique wildlife.

4. Get involved with the experts As any straightforward Google search will reveal, there are thousands of options available to you when it comes to finding a place to rest your head, or choosing an operator to take you out on that once-in-a-lifetime holiday experience.

If you really want to make a difference, work with a provider of accommodation that actively works with local communities or have practices that help protect the environment.

Consider initiatives offered through Planeterra such as the Thailand Hilltribes Trek, Tengger Community Homestay, Barauli Community Homestay, Mayan Community Homestay and Ometepe Island Tourism. •

www.gadventures.com

‘One of the greatest rewards we have when we travel is learning about different cultures and religions. It is always important to show respect to those local customs and traditions when we travel...’

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Maasai tribe

Tanzania

Responsible volunteering

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CONSERVATION PROFILE

Roho ya Selous Asilia’s newest impact investment

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ituated on a hill overlooking a key waterway in the heart of the UNESCO world heritage site of Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, is Roho ya Selous. Roho, the latest addition to the Asilia stable of ecotourism camps, has eight private en suite tents, including a family tent and offers a variety of activities in this diverse landscape of swamps, river and lakes - game drives, walking, boating and fishing on a catch-and-release basis.

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CONSERVATION PROFILE

words & pics - Asilia Africa responsible traveller 41

CONSERVATION PROFILE As an impact company Asilia is a leader in the African ecotourism industry.

So what is impact investing? It is a very specific type of investing, and occurs across all types of asset classes. Its basic premise is to have a positive impact on society and the environment.

It can also be thought of as sustainable philanthropy.

“As an impact company we have a model whereby sustainable tourism, support for nature and support for local people go completely handin-hand. That vision is very much supported by our impact investor base which includes, among others, the DFI NorFund from Norway,” says Jeroen Harderwijk, Managing Director of Asilia Africa.

Operating 18 camps in East Africa, Asilia’s vision is to turn vulnerable ecosystems into viable conservation economies. A number of turnaround stories bear testament to Asilia’s vision. Their commitment to ‘walking the talk’.

The establishment of Sayari as a semipermanent camp in an area that was overrun by bushmeat poachers, and as a result was devoid of tourists, was pivotal to the northern Serengeti’s turnaround.

“The turnaround of this area involved lengthy consultation and communication with the communities on the edge of the park,” says Harderwijk. “It gave us a reputation for inclusive collaboration which stood us in good stead when we applied for other pioneering areas such as Rubondo and the Namiri area, where a similar situation occurred.”

In 2010 Rekero Camp in the Masai Mara Game Reserve joined the growing Asilia tribe. Since then Naboisho Camp in the all-important Naboisho conservancy (itself nurtured into being by Asilia and other stakeholders) showcases the benefits that local people can derive from nature if the will and knowhow exist. For its innovative and exemplary governance model the Naboisho conservancy won the prestigious African Responsible Tourism Award in 2016.

Asilia’s model of tourism employs large numbers of rural dwellers where few other opportunities exist. With over 800 continental citizen on its payroll it is a growing employer generating sizeable revenues to national governments in the form of fees, levies and taxes – approximately US$7.8 million in 2016/17. In addition, Asilia raised a further $236,000 for conservation and social development projects in the areas where it operates. Direct contributions from the company 42 responsible traveller

CONSERVATION PROFILE Local tourism business owner

‘As an impact company we have a model whereby sustainable tourism, support for nature and support for local people go completely hand-in-hand...’

JEROEN HARDERWIJK

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CONSERVATION PROFILE Herd of buffalo in Selous Game Reserve

to the same projects amounted to $137,000, over and above this.

The extra $370,000 was donated to effective and vetted partners in East Africa. For more information on our partners and their projects please go to: Asiliagiving.org.

This sense of making a difference to real people and places is an attraction to international tourists.

It also helps ensure the sustainability of the wild areas where Asilia operates.

“During the past decade, we have been able to substantially improve the prospects of important wilderness areas and its local people in East Africa, and we are fully committed to do even more of 44 responsible traveller

that in the coming decade. We are really excited to expand into Southern Tanzania and our new camp in the Selous is a key cornerstone in that.

Southern Tanzania has the most spectacular wilderness areas which have global conservation value too.

We are committed to bringing substantial volumes of upmarket responsible tourism into Southern Tanzania and to make tangible contributions to the local communities and conservation agenda in those areas. Tourism done in the right way can really transform the prospects of vast wilderness areas in Africa and the people living there,” says Harderwijk. •

www.asiliaafrica.com

CONSERVATION PROFILE

Roho ya Selous - dining tent (above) & bedroom interior (below)

‘We are committed to bringing substantial volumes of upmarket responsible tourism into Southern Tanzania and to make tangible contributions to the local communities and conservation agenda in those areas...’ JEROEN HARDERWIJK

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The Turbine... a past life revealed in the present words & pics - Tessa Buhrmann

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Cruising at the Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa

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he colours of the interior are bright and vibrant, much like the Knysna lagoon on a clear and sunny day. The Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa located on Knysna’s Thesen Island offers a feast for the eyes… from the local art that adorns the walls to the colourful reminders of the building’s industrial past life, so tastefully revealed in the present.

Knysna has a rich history, from the original Khoisan people to the Dutch and British that settled there – and to the Thesen families who arrived in early 1870 on their sailing ship, the Albatros, from Norway. The Thesen’s saw the vast indigenous forests as an income source and the Albatros was put to use as a trading vessel, exporting timber to Cape Town.

Fast forward to 1922... the saw mill and boat building factory that they had established were relocated to Paarden Island, later known 48 responsible traveller

as Thesen’s Island. Wood waste from the saw mill was used to start a power station which generated electricity from its turbines, supplying electricity to the towns of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay until the mid 1970s.

Fast forward once again to September 2007, when visionaries Geoff Engel and Dandre Lerm-Engel took on the challenge of reinventing the Thesen Island Power Station into an uber chic, luxurious 5 star boutique hotel that was designed within and around all the existing structures and equipment.

I stand beside a beautifully restored electricity generator, its glossy green paint complemented by an original raw brick wall, held together by steel reinforcing. Almost everywhere you look in this wonderfully arty space there is evidence of the buildings past life – all the old machinery used in the power station has been lovingly restored and forms an integral part of the hotel’s aesthetics.

spot workshop lead lights hanging above the counter, and the row of bricks under the counter sporting their stamp of origin... and later when we sit down for dinner I smile at jubilee clip (a hose clamp) that holds my serviette. And again when I am told that the massive lifting hook in the Gastro Pub, which blends in perfectly with the décor, is used on occasion as an imaginative photo prop!

It’s not just the ‘old’ that I revel in. The attention to detail is everywhere. In the Island Café I

The Gastro Pub, also built around a turbine, is a great spot for a light lunch and relaxed responsible traveller 49

conversation… and they stock a great range of craft beers too. The Island Café nestles between the original turbines, it is here the industrial feel comes to life with the pops of colour provided by bright and colourful furnishings and delightful art. It is alfresco dining by day and gourmet dining by night – or hot chocolate and the coziness of an open log fire any time in between.

It is here that I chat to Yolisa. She has worked at the Turbine for many years, I ask her about the power station and its significance to the local community. ‘Many people worked here’ she tells me, ‘including my step father and uncle’. I learn that most of the local staff members know someone connected to the building’s past life.

The Gastro Bar

Lunch at the Gastro Bar

Each of the 26 bedrooms has been individually decorated and themed to reflect the rich history and culture of Knysna – mine is the nautical room, in the Regatta Wing, which pays tribute to the regions seafaring history with rowers, maps, masts and schooners featuring in the décor. I could almost imagine being Mrs Thesen aboard the Albatros sailing past the Knysna Heads into the picturesque Knysna Lagoon.

‘I learn that most of the local staff members know someone connected to the building’s past life...’

I didn’t have to imagine for long, as that evening we set out on a sunset cruise through the canals of Thesen Island and into the lagoon… I doubt that Mrs T’s voyage included chilled bubbly and delicious canapes though!

Neither was she party to the wealth of information our guide Monty shared – we learn that the Knysna Seahorse (Hippocampus capensis) is endangered and found only here and in the Keurbooms and Swartvlei estuaries nearby, and that the female lays her eggs in the male seahorses pouch (much like that of the female kangaroo) where they are fertilised.

He carries them around until they are ready then goes through a difficult birth process which resembles labour and may last up to two days. A ‘pregnant’ male that goes through labour… who knew!!

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The old... preserved

Yolisa in the Island Cafe

Industrial touches at the bar in the Island Cafe

Art meets industrial in the Island Cafe Re-purposed decanters

Serviette ring with an industrial touch

Al fresco dining in the Island Cafe responsible traveller 51

AvoPomme workshop space

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Quirky car

AvoPomme

I loved the quirkiness of Knysna, the arty places and interesting people. We walk down Long Street, an arched bridge links Thesen Island to the mainland, and as we cross the I pause to admire the view – it’s high tide and the water of the lagoon laps gently against the abutments, the seagrass adding a touch of whimsy. ‘No Dogs Allowed’ a sign in the water says, not surprising as the Knysna Lagoon has one of the highest biodiversity levels of any lagoon in South Africa.

We walk past Thesen House, where Thesen & Co housed all their trading departments – it was rebuilt in 1926 after a fire destroyed the original 1917 building and is now home to Knysna Fine Art, one of South Africa’s finest galleries, featuring some of South Africa’s finest artists as well some international artists.

In Woodmill Lane we find AvoPomme, a double volume space where art gallery meets retail space, French lessons meet tattoo parlour and delicious coffee is accompanied by yummy koeksisters... or whatever other treat tickles your fancy.

I chat to Ricardo (co-owner with business partner Bernice) who tells me of their vision to provide a space that inspires creativity and authentic living, a space for entrepreneurs to network, for creatives to share ideas, and a space for visitors like us to savour the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. All this while ‘treading lightly’ – everything gets recycled, vegetable scraps are used in their worm farm, and a local pig farmer collects all other food waste.

Another fabulous foodie find is the rather nondescript Freshline Fisheries. Once inside you realise there’s nothing ordinary about the wide selection of seafood on offer – we opted for a variety of starters… including oysters, of course, followed by fresh Cape salmon done on the braai (barbeque). Being a wholesale fishery, one is assured of great quality and absolute freshness.

With all the wining and dining to be done in Knysna, one surely needs a good dose of exercise - easily achieved with the hotel’s very own Adventure Centre, Turbine Water Club. In addition to arranging cruises on the lagoon, on offer was kayaking around the canals of Thesen Island, mountain biking to the Knysna Heads, or hiking through the Knysna Forest.

Lunch at Freshline Fisheries

I opted for the 9km hike through the Knysna Forest – a magical place with moss covered boulders, delicate ferns and giant lichen covered responsible traveller 53

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‘No dogs allowed, a sign in the water says, not surprising as the Knysna Lagoon has one of the highest biodiversity levels of any lagoon in South Africa...’ responsible traveller 55

images - Turbine Hotel Š

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Yellowood trees (Podocarpus falcatus). It’s a place where one could imagine goblins and fairies, woodcutters and gold prospectors, legendary elephants and the strikingly coloured turacos.

And after exercise, one needs a relaxing spa treatment. It was between skilful massage strokes that Zandiswa tells me her story, and it was through tenacity and determination that she became a spa therapist. She wanted to work in hospitality, but her parents could not afford it so she left her home in KwaZulu-Natal and went to Cape Town. Here she found work at a hotel, a forward thinking hotel that exposed their staff to different departments. Once she got to the spa she knew she had found her niche… she worked, she trained, she qualified and in time found herself here working at the Turbine Spa. And during this pamper journey with warm oils, flowing movements and the sensory fragrance of lemon grass, I realise that we all have a past life that reveals itself in the present, it is our story. The Knysna Forest has a story, revealed in each moss covered rock and towering tree. And the Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa most definitely has a story, one that each turbine, art piece and staff member is telling exceptionally well. •

www.turbinehotel.co.za

Eco Credentials By re-purposing the original structure and re-using as much of the existing building materials of the building as possible, the Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa have from the start reduced their carbon footprint. In addition to this, numerous energy- and water-saving measures have been implemented to minimise resource consumption.

Some of these being: solar water heating, heat pumps, energy-saving modules that automatically switch off power in the rooms upon exiting, LED & CFL light fittings throughout, rainwater harvesting and water-saving fittings are just some of the innovations that were incorporated.

The Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa proves that a previously derelict and obsolete industrial structure can be adapted to perform a variety of functions It also shows that the re-use of existing materials and structures can preserve the sense of history associated with a building while still being appropriate in its ‘new’ surroundings.

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ECO PROFILE

Green, clean & sustainable in Abu Dhabi

Masdar City wind tower

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Masdar City green design

words & pics Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority

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ECO PROFILE

hile Abu Dhabi may be synonymous with rapid growth and economic diversification, environmental protection and natural resources conservation is not taking a backseat, with the city recently announcing that over 15% of its land and 13% of its marine areas are now declared as protected areas.

According to an annual report from the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), the target was accomplished last year by identifying 17 new marine and terrestrial protected areas in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

However, the city is not resting on its laurels and is actively pursuing even more ways to protect its environmental and natural resources.

Climate change: Abu Dhabi is also not turning a blind eye to the environmental challenges facing the city.

In response, the emirate is now targeting to lower future emissions by 38%, bringing the city in line with the globally agreed 2013 Minamata Convention on mercury reduction.

A prime example of this is Masdar City, which provides a fascinating glimpse into a cleaner, greener future. The city is a template – or “greenprint” – for sustainable urban development and contains one of the largest clusters of low-carbon buildings in the world.

Solar Hub-Beam Down facility at Masdar City

The perceived temperature within the city is around 10 degrees Celsius cooler than downtown Abu Dhabi. It is pedestrian-friendly and encourages sustainable public transport, including local buses, group rapid transport and, when built, Abu Dhabi’s proposed light rail and metro systems.

Within the city is a 10-megwatt (MW) solar array and 1MW of rooftop solar panels. The total clean energy capacity of Masdar projects in Abu Dhabi is enough to power Masdar City six times over.

Slated to reach completion in 2030, Masdar City, one of the world’s most sustainable urban environments, is targeting 50,000 residents and 40,000 people working at the city. responsible traveller 59

ECO PROFILE

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ECO PROFILE

‘At the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, the Greater Flamingo is now flourishing, and the Arabian Oryx once extinct in the wild has been reintroduced into the Um Al Zumoul Protected Area...’

Wildlife protection and conservation: There are currently six main protected areas in Abu Dhabi under management of the EAD. Two of these areas, Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve and Al Yasat Marine Protected Area, have already been fully ratified by Emiri decree, which means that the government has already signed into order the protection of these areas by law.

Another four have been announced as protected areas awaiting decree while the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park is the first of five national parks identified for establishment in Abu Dhabi Plan 2030. These protected areas provide a safe environment for wildlife

and have enabled the successful breeding and reintroduction of certain species. Prime examples worth mentioning is that at Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, the Greater Flamingo is now flourishing, and the Arabian Oryx once extinct in the wild has been successfully reintroduced into the Um Al Zumoul Protected Area.

The EAD are also the custodians of a population of approximately 3 000 Dugongs, mostly in the waters around Bu Tinah Island, which forms part of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve. This population of Dugongs are believed to represent the densest Dugong population on the planet. •

www.ead.ae responsible traveller 61

Thonga Beach Lodge ... investing in a school worth developing

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words & pics - Isibindi Africa

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s you drive towards Thonga Beach Lodge, past the Cashew Nut Factory, the sand becomes thicker and the homesteads thinner.

There is a lovely patch of grassland, with gently undulating hills where the back-lighting of the setting sun lights up each head of grass.

Grassland birds with heavy, long tails make sweet sounds. You get the sense that this is a remote and protected piece of earth. And as you round the top of one of these hills, you come across an unpretentious village where the main feature is a pretty and open blue and white school – Mabibi Primary.

Says the hero of our story (though she will object when I use this term) “I was immediately captivated by this school. I can never simply drive past a school and I yelled “Stop!” to my husband.

“This one stole my heart. It is especially thanks to the wise and well-intentioned headmaster, Mr Ngobese, for whom I keep returning again and again.” So started another beautiful journey, where Pie Blight, herself a teacher at her own private school, began to invest in the ongoing development of this school.

With a lot of enthusiastic help from the children, she began by cleaning out classrooms and a packed storeroom. There were documents from the 1960’s and books in European languages. The less useful materials were donated elsewhere and the paper was recycled. “It was important to us that the children did not see anything thrown away or wasted.” The children had fun going through everything and were very excited to take what they wanted home. Thonga Beach Lodge sent a big trailer and a vehicle to assist.

Because the school is in a deep rural area and in a small community, it tends to get neglected in terms of government support. “Yet this is such an important age,” says Pie “This is the foundation for all future learning.” When the children from this school go to high school, they are now automatically held back a year to catch up. Thus Pie, together with the principal, has developed a step-by-step vision. First they plan to improve the buildings and make the space more child friendly.

There are currently no shelves or pinboards and the blackboards are “so rough you go through half a piece of chalk per lesson”. Pie has opened a donations account and wants to start a foundation for support to the school. Next they would like to make the computer centre functional again, with ongoing IT support by empowering someone from the community to take on this role. Pie visits the school regularly to facilitate art and language classes.

“The new headmaster is phenomenal and his love for children is shared by all of us – that 64 responsible traveller

passion” says Pie. “The children are so receptive.

The parents are responsive and happy. It is an investment in these children. It is hard work but I feel happy. It is a clean, proud, gracious community. They are grateful for everything that happens. Everyone in the community knows each other – I have not come across a negative experience yet, and the kids here are happy. This is worth building on and I want to share this with as many people as possible.”

Her enthusiasm is infectious and she simply makes you want to be a better human being. Of course says Pie “I am being given more credit than due.

Thonga Beach Lodge has a lengthy history of caring about this school. Brett and Paige Gehren from Isibindi Africa Lodges do so much and they are so impossible not to like.

Many of the Thonga Beach Lodge staff come from this school originally, and most now send their own children and grandchildren to the school.

They are so eager to invest where they can and grateful for any impact that we make together.”

Thonga Beach Lodge is funding two assistant teachers and they hope to motivate for the government to fund one teacher per grade.

“It will take a long time to upgrade the school educationally” says Pie. But she and the principal have big plans.

Pie is already forging links with other local primary schools and has an exciting plan to possibly visit a local developing science centre in Hluhluwe. She is plotting to get ongoing investment from them in the much loved Mabibi Primary School. Watch this space for future dreams coming true thanks to this dynamic team investing in this most beautiful and unspoilt piece of the earth …

Wherever you choose to explore, don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes, bring a bottle of water, and maybe pack some blister plasters just in case. Enjoy! •

www.isibindi.co.za

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What’s news...

Langa Residents Turn Trash into Cash with Polyco’s PACKA-CHING Project In just four days, Langa locals brought 5,2 tonnes of glass,1,9 tonnes of paper,1 tonne of plastic and 295 kilograms of cans to the PACKA-CHING mobile buy-back service in their area and, in exchange, received R 5,403.32.

Spearheaded by Polyco and funded by its members, the PACKA-CHING project is being piloted in Langa and was launched on Monday the 21st of August 2017. Its goal is to divert at least 750 tonnes of packaging waste from landfill by increasing recycling within selected informal settlements and lower-income areas around Cape Town and Johannesburg. At the same time, the initiative’s intention is to uplift the lives of local residents by enabling them to benefit financially.

Mandy Naudé, Chief Executive Officer at Polyco says, “There is a vast amount of visible waste lying around, especially in informal settlements. The large majority of the public is uneducated on the topic of recycling and totally unaware of the opportunities it presents. Much of the waste that we see lying around is packaging material from household products, most of which is recyclable.

PACKA-CHING presents an income earning opportunity, whereby everyday South Africans are encouraged to take part in recycling in order

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to improve their own lives, the community as a whole and the environment in which they live.”

Brooke Kühne, PACKA-CHING Project Coordinator, explains: “The PACKA-CHING recycling trailer visits designated areas on specific days of the week to collect recyclable plastic, paper, metal cans and glass that has been collected and separated by community members. In exchange for these materials, they are rewarded with an amount of money determined by the current market price of each material type.

The money is loaded onto their Kilorands CardTM (a special debit card) and can be spent at any shop that accepts MasterCard.

By incentivising and encouraging community members to recycle and reduce waste pollution, we aim to positively change behaviour and shift the way in which people perceive recyclable packaging, in order to show them that waste has value.”

“Furthermore, we run a community fund in each area where the PACKA-CHING project operates.

For every kilogram of recyclable material that is brought in, a fixed amount per kilogram of material type will be allocated to the fund. The accumulated value will be donated to a worthy

What’s news... project within each community, identified by the residents themselves. The intention of the fund is to provide additional incentive for households to recycle and to create a sense of unity and pride within the communities as they work towards a common goal. We would like the entire community to feel the benefits of this initiative and the positive change in behaviour,” adds Kühne.

The launch in Langa comes after weeks of distributing specially designed educational material in the area and visiting primary and high schools to educate learners about the value of and opportunities offered by recycling, as well as to encourage them to take the message home. During these presentations, the children were introduced to the project mascot, PACKAMAN, who taught them which materials can be recycled and how to separate them correctly.

They were also given specially designed agespecific educational booklets and board games to get them excited about recycling. Kühne shares: “By teaching children about recycling at a young age, they are more likely to grow up with this practice as second nature and will also be key influencers in their parents’ decisions to change their behaviour.”

Naudé shares: “We are thrilled that over 8.5 tonnes of waste - that would otherwise have littered

Langa or ended up in landfills - was collected in under a week and we can’t wait to see what will be achieved by the end of the year-long pilot project. We are perhaps even more excited about the feedback from the community and seeing first-hand how the project is changing their perceptions of recycling and positively impacting their lives. It is so encouraging to see individuals passing by the PACKA-CHING trailer with huge smiles and items bought using their Kilorands Card™. This project has been made possible by the generosity of our Polyco member organisations - a group of responsible polyolefin packaging producers - and we are incredibly grateful to them for their support.”

Plans are in place to roll the PACKA-CHING project out in Kya Sands and the surrounding communities in Johannesburg early next year.

“When a community is able to realise the potential that recycling holds and just how easy it can be, they will be excited to participate, spread the message and encourage others to get involved too. The more this process continues, the more the project can grow. This, in turn, will result in more recyclable packaging being diverted from landfill and more communities benefitting from this positive change,” concludes Naudé. •

www.polyco.co.zaDelta

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What’s news... iSimangaliso Bids Farewell to Andrew Zaloumis After some 20 years of outstanding leadership and a career dedicated to people-centred conservation, Andrew Zaloumis has stepped down as CEO of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. He will pursue his studies in sustainability at Cambridge University UK and continue to contribute to Southern African conservation and development.

Recognised in the international and domestic arena as a visionary in his field, Andrew has received a host of global awards for the implementation of a conservation model for protected area management that puts communities at the centre of conservation strategies.

Respected by his staff and people who worked with him as a leader who translated ideas into tangible life-changing benefits to the lives of the communities he served, Andrew leaves behind a living legacy that few South African’s would have had the courage and strength to pull together. He met his mandate and proceeded to do more.

Not only was he instrumental in the establishment of South Africa’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, he also transformed the region from a declining tourist economy into a flourishing and growing tourism destination capable of competing with some of the finest global attractions.

“Under his tenure, Mr Zaloumis pioneered and institutionalised development-focused conservation at the Park,” comments the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa, and during his leadership, government has delivered significant benefits across the iSimangaliso region, both through the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority.

These include the construction of the Hluhluwe to Mozambique road, upgrades to the N2, the implementation of a malaria programme that reduced malaria incidence by 96% in KwaZuluNatal, as well as the listing of iSimangaliso on the World Heritage role and the promulgation of the World Heritage Convention Act, the consolidation of 16 parks under one banner and management system, the investment and construction of Park roads, bulk services, tourism accommodation and day-visitor facilities in the 320 km long iSimangaliso. In his drive to recreate the wholeness of nature and to begin the process of rewilding the Park, Andrew managed the reintroduction of historically occurring game last 68 responsible traveller

seen a century ago on the banks of Lake St Lucia, the removal of commercial forestry plantations from the Park, and the systematic rehabilitation of the Eastern and Western Shores sections of iSimangaliso.

Well ahead of his time, however, Andrew recognised that the cornerstone of rewilding iSimangaliso involved a dimension way beyond the rehabilitation of nature. He understood that in order to recreate this wholeness, it was imperative to create a place where people and nature could reconnect and flourish. So Andrew and his management team set about to explore – and implement – every possible avenue to create opportunities for access, equity and economic empowerment of local communities.

Most of the land rehabilitation work is undertaken using labour-intensive methods, creating a significant number of temporary jobs in the area, and some 8 000 permanent tourism jobs have been created. There are three community-owned tourism lodges in the Park, as well as communityowned and operated boat cruises, turtle tours, game drives, and other excursions in the Park under licence.

The Higher Education Access Programme has provided 87 young people with financial and other support for their university studies. The first 50 graduates are charting a path for themselves in conservation-related fields. The Rural Enterprise Programme has mentored and supported 215 small businesses, 106 of which have been given seed capital and 3 000 odd crafters, artists, and tour guides have been trained.

The work in iSimangaliso has translated into a reversal of a negative tourism trajectory. The number of establishments in the iSimangaliso region has grown some 86%. The region has outperformed other KwaZulu-Natal destinations in numbers of arrivals, both domestic and international, and average spend by tourists has increased.

Last but not least, under Andrew’s inscrutable direction, iSimangaliso has achieved 15 consecutive clean audits, helped to raise millions with the establishment of the iSimangaliso Rare and Endangered Wildlife Species Fund and enlisted the financial support of the World Bank’s Global Environment Fund, for the rehabilitation of the Lake St Lucia Estuary – arguably the biggest estuary rehabilitation project in the world.

What’s news...

The awards given to Andrew and iSimangaliso include the SAICA 2015/16 award for Public Sector Audit Excellence, the WWF Living Planet Award, Mail and Guardian Greening the Future Award for youth leadership and job creation, the National Heritage Council Golden Shield Award for World Heritage Site of the year, and the KFW Grizmek (for people-centric conservation practices). iSimangaliso was also a finalist in the World Travel and Tourism Council Tourism for Tomorrow Awards and in 2016, Andrew was given the honour as a John P McNulty Laureate for the Rural Enterprise Programme.

“He is a legend in our lifetime”, says Buyane Zwane, Chairman of the iSimangaliso Board. “Not many in our nation have demonstrated selflessness, dedication to grooming leaders, managers, professionals, and entrepreneurs in rural settings to world standards with unquestionable love for the country as recently retired founding CEO of

iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority. He remains a towering gentle giant despite his size. He is a walking encyclopedia on whom conservationists, researchers, media, conservation enthusiasts, amateurs, professionals and others will continue to call on.

We are privileged to have worked with him as a board over the past two years and are professionally richer and wiser for the association. I know I speak on behalf of many that in Andrew we have a patriot, professional, and a dedicated South African whose contribution will outlive him and many generations to come. There are many lives that have changed for the best forever because Andrew touched them. We wish you greatness as you venture into an even broader world beyond the confines of iSimangaliso and KwaZulu-Natal to the global stage. You’re a hero – go shine!” •

www.isimangaliso.comelta

responsible traveller 69

What’s news...

Bay’s Renovated Campanile offers Unique Visitor Experience Renovations and upgrading of the Campanile, one of Port Elizabeth’s most visible skyline and audible heritage landmarks, has been completed and is now open to visitors to the Friendly City.

The Campanile Memorial has a climb of 204 steps that takes one to the Observation Room, offering a magnificent view of the harbour and surroundings, more than 52m above the city, and it contains contains the largest carillon of bells in the country in addition to its chiming clock.

Some of the new features of the Campanile include an interactive visual-technology array dubbed ‘Ghost Bells’ – bell proxies installed under the actual bell carillon which visually light up during chiming or when visitors press keys of an interactive silver console to match the pitch of a key with the corresponding bell.

Another addition includes the harbour viewing window - an observation deck capsule at the top of the 50m Campanile memorial, suspending

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visitors in the sky when they overlook the Port Elizabeth harbour.

A new reception area that will act as an information desk and several exhibition areas within the Campanile for the city’s creative communities has been developed. Other features such as a silver plaque on the 67th step of the 204 steps spiralling staircase to acknowledge Nelson Mandela’s 67 years in service of democracy, had also been included as a new feature of the building.

The Campanile also provides ample opportunities for creative and arts communities with several galleries and exhibition spaces incorporated on various floors. All of these new features offer a welcoming start to the city’s iconic Route 67 – a public art urban meander dedicated to Nelson Mandela which has its starting point at the Campanile. •

www.mbda.co.za