How do you choose a responsible, truly eco-friendly safari property?

With increased choices for up-market safari camps and lodges around Kenya - how can you really differentiate between the truly responsible camps, and those that just have enticing pictures, websites, and "blurb"!?

Ecotourism Kenya:

Is an internationally recognized committee of environmental professionals that inspect and "eco-rate" camps and lodges for their environmental, economic and social practices.  Under the scheme, emphasis is given to protection of the enviroment, sustainable use of resources and support to local communities.  The criteria of best practice includes:

• Protecting and investing in the environment
• Reducing and recycling waste
• Prevention of pollution
• Promoting sustainable resources
• Investment in and empowerment of communities including local recruitment of staff
• Ethical workplace and business practices, including support for local trade
• Promoting and education of responsible tourism to local communities and staff

Levels of Certification:

After stringent assessments and on site inspections by officers from Ecotourism Kenya, there are three levels of certification which can be awarded to a property - bronze, silver & gold.

• Bronze Eco-Rating demonstrates a property's awareness and committment to socio-economic investment, responsible resource use and environmental conservation.
• Silver Eco-Rating shows a move towards excellence, and is awarded to properties that have demonstrated innovation in acheiving higher levels of socio-economic investment, responsible resouce use and environmental conservation.
• Gold Eco-rating indicates that a propery has acheived outstanding levels of excellence in socio-economic investment, responsible resource use and environmental conservation.

Ecotourism Kenya provides a credible independant and professional assessment of a property's environmental calibre.  A useful guide when choosing the right property for you!

Did you Know? Ecotourism Kenya began their eco-rating scheme in 2002 - with Elsa's Kopje receiving the first ever eco-rating certificate!