As we celebrate the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day this Friday (April 22), here at LLM – Luxury Lifestyle Magazine we wanted to shine a light on the destinations proving that high-end travel doesn’t have to cost the earth.
From the Maldives’ first ‘Sustainability Lab’ to the world’s only exclusive-use marine resort, each of these experiences allows guests to travel more responsibly, by investing within our planet.
Fairmont Maldives
Home to the archipelago’s first ‘Sustainability Lab’
Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, a private island in the remote Shaviyani atoll, has unveiled the latest in a series of pioneering environmental projects – the ‘Sustainability Lab’ – the first of its kind in the archipelago. A hub of eco-education, the ‘Sustainability Lab’ will turn plastic waste into bespoke souvenirs and unique products, educate guests and empower local communities, helping the resort become as close to zero waste as possible.
The lab will eventually become a recycling centre in the atoll and beyond, and in order to create a culture of sustainability and accountability in local communities, the resort has partnered with seven local schools in the atoll for the Fairmont Awards Scheme, where schools will be visited, classes taught, workshops will be hosted on recycling, marine biodiversity, climate change and ocean conservation.
Cenizaro Hotels and Resorts
The luxury hospitality brand is minimising food waste with the ‘Earth Basket’
With an estimated 2.5 billion tonnes of food wasted around the world each year, Cenizaro Hotels and Resorts have introduced the ‘Earth Basket’ initiative to minimise food waste produced across their resorts. The goal behind the initiative isn’t only to reduce waste but to also elevate the guest experience in 2022 and beyond. The ‘Earth Basket’ is a year-round on-site kitchen garden, converted from degraded land, and each resort has the freedom to develop the gardens to suit their needs and best showcase local produce.
Operating with a 360-degree approach, the freshly grown produce features in both the culinary and spa offering, be it jackfruit from Mauritius or courgettes from Marrakech, whilst food waste is converted into compost. Fully integrated within the guest experience, a variety of workshops, culinary masterclasses with the resorts’ chefs, and packages are on offer to promote sustainable living, by sharing practices that can be applied at home long after the holiday is over.
Thanda Island
The world’s only exclusive-use marine reserve
Nestled in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of mainland Tanzania, Thanda Island is the world’s only private island surrounded by a protected marine reserve. Born from a desire to safeguard the region’s enchanting marine life, the island’s resident marine biologist has implemented a number of projects and has seen the successful return of reef herons and sea turtles on the island’s shores.
There are plenty of experiences enabling guests to get involved, including an underwater adventure to track the elusive whale shark and tours of the thriving coral nursery, essential for maintaining equilibrium under the sea. The island’s team have also spearheaded several community upliftment projects, supporting the residents of neighbouring islands through employment programmes and education on sustainable fishing practice. To ensure minimal environmental impact, the island is entirely solar-powered and features a comprehensive waste and water harvesting system.
Velaa Private Island
The Maldives’ largest coral regeneration project
Arguably the most exclusive and luxurious resort in the world, Velaa Private Island goes above and beyond to preserve the beautiful sea life that lies around it. Velaa has successfully contributed to this flourishing underwater world through its unique coral regeneration project which is one of the largest in the Indian Ocean. Since plantation five years ago, Velaa has transplanted over 8,000 nursey grown corals increasing growth on the island by five per cent, with 2,000 corals transplanted in 2021 alone which now cover 450sqm more of the house reef.
With an average survival rate of 80 per cent for transplanted corals and a capacity of nursing over 6,000 corals within the four nurseries of Velaa Private Island, the resort continues to create a thriving environment for the island’s spectacular marine life – including black and white tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, manta rays, black-spotted stingrays, and the graceful eagle ray – and will continue their outstanding efforts on this project in 2022 and beyond.
