The area to create the Guludo Base Camp was chosen for its incredible beauty and the opportunity to make a difference to local communities, where unemployment is high. The lodge is developed and run to complement and help the local environment and people. The aim is to raise the international standards and benchmarks to which other "ethical" tourism companies are measured. The resort supports conservation and community projects and offers guests the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with local villagers on conservation and community projects; working together for a better, more sustainable future. Working on the projects is by no means obligatory. The resort provides a multitude of activities, such as diving and safaris, so you can achieve complete relaxation while knowing your holiday money is working hard in the surrounding area.
The camp has clear objectives: to provide the ultimate holiday experience while reducing poverty and promoting cultural and biological diversity.
RHINOMETER
Buildings have been built using largely local techniques and taking advantage of local skills and labour. These traditional methods have been developed and adapted as necessary to suit the particular form and requirements of the individual buildings. Structures are timber framed with masonry/mud or woven bamboo/matting infill panels. Roofs are thatched with makuti (coconut palm thatching panels). Materials are chosen to minimise embodied energy (energy used in manufacture or transport) and materials involving unsustainably harvested timber or other plant species will be avoided. Imported materials and components (piping, plumbing appliances, ironmongery, wiring, solar generators etc) are be kept to a minimum and chosen for low embodied energy and efficient energy use. Wherever possible components are chosen that are long-life and locally maintainable and reparable.
At Guludo the aim is to provide the ultimate holiday experience while reducing poverty and promoting cultural and biological diversity. To achieve this the lodge offers the opportunity for guests to work shoulder-to-shoulder with local villagers (as well as offering the usual beach and safari destination activities). Guests are by no means obliged to help with the conservation and community projects that are going on in the background, and may prefer to relax knowing that your holiday money is working hard in the surrounding area. Plenty of cultural exchange at Guludo - here guests enjoy traditional beauty masks.Community projects are based on the following: Water and sanitation - Food security, including; agriculture, hygiene & nutrition and food access - Education; vocational, academic, health and social issues.Types of conservation projects:Preventing the often tragic human/wildlife conflicts, predominantly with the elephants and lions. - Improving environmental management of local communities; reducing hunting, sustainable fishing methods... - Base line data collection including gathering information on specie diversity, density and life histories of elephants, lions, leopards, dugongs, coral etc. - Helping Park wardens set up the national park. There are also many parts of local village life that guests can experience - traditional face masks, friday night discos, football, seaweed collection to name a few.