One place that’s always impressed me with its concept of eco-tourism is Kerala in southern India, where the state government is trying hard to balance the fragile ecosystem against the pressures of modern life and the economic need for tourism.
It’s incredible listening to the chatter of monkeys, the cry of a fish eagle or the oddly hollow sound of elephants on the march- Deborah Ratcliffe
Vast tracks of land have been designated as reserves and there are numerous sanctuaries to savour.
My personal favourite is the Periyar Tiger Reserve, dominated by its man-made lake and home to a diverse and unique ecosystem. It’s very much a community scheme with locals acting as trekking guides and forest guards.
Nothing beats a cruise on the lake at dawn or dusk to watch animals coming to water. If it’s a good day, see enigmatic elephants with trunks swirling to pick-up the scent of human intruders and, if you’re very lucky, a tiger nonchalantly taking a drink.
Nature tours into the jungle, overnight camping and tribal heritage visits can be arranged through hotels or the new information centre – each carefully created to have minimum environmental impact.
Walking at dawn through the forest is the perfect way to feel the pulse of the land as life awakens for a new day – it’s incredible listening to the chatter of monkeys, the cry of a fish eagle or the oddly hollow sound of elephants on the march.
My favourite excursion at Periyar was an unforgettable bullock cart ride. The driver and guide were actually poachers turned wardens, grinning they recounted their former exploits shooting elephants and harvesting forbidden sandalwood.
For generations their caste had been labelled as bandits, or dacoits; a sub class with no honour, continually targeted by the authorities if anything was stolen.
Then, one day, their leader decided he wanted respect – and so the remarkable story began of their rehabilitation back into society.
The bullock cart rides are part of the effort to generate more income for families who have suffered quite a drop in revenue to regain their respectability: ivory smuggling was a good money spinner!
The state provides basic support for the group but they want to become self-financing and started the bullock cart project with the aid of the Spice Village Hotel.
I have never felt such admiration as I did for these men – trading an ancient way of life for ‘respect’, so their children could go to school and their families could walk with heads held high. This is a true eco story with a happy ending for all – especially the elephants.
The Spice Village itself is also very much part the eco theme. The hotel belongs to the CGH Earth group headed by George Dominic, one of a band of brothers determined to build optimum eco-hotels in Kerala.
They are committed to sensitive landscaping and exploring all possible eco options for waste disposal.
All waste paper is collected and sent to a small hut perched on a hillside overlooking the organic farm garden, where local ladies turn the paper into gifts such as pendants, writing paper and so on.
It was discovered that pineapple tops gave the paper extra strength and texture, so all pineapple tops from the hotel are sent along.
I also loved the innovative project at another hotel – the delightful Coconut Lagoon – where they were building walls from plastic bottles.
This means less paper waste (and those spiky pineapple tops), plus it gives work to women who would otherwise have no chance of employment in such a poor area. With dedicated communities ac-tively trying to maintain the balance of nature, many of the ideas used by the hotel group can easily be applied worldwide. It just requires a little thought, less greed and a love for life.