gINKgo I RARE Newsletter | Vol 36 | Treading Softly is a Long Journey
2021
What is the use of a house, if you don’t have a decent planet to put it on?
- Henry David Thoreau
About time too, that the United Nations classified 2021 to 2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Threats to ecosystems have reached alarming levels and adequate measures of restoration can bring about massive ecological and economic benefits. The goal is an unprecedented outreach to Reimagine, Recreate and Restore.
For many of our RARE Community members, the foundation of their hotel, retreat or lodge has been about putting our Planet first; a well thought out design, planning and operations around what we have now coded as the RARE Touchstones. These are audit tools that serve to engage travelers and travel designers in conversations about parameters and best practices for sustainability. We believe each of the touchstones can contribute to the UN goal directly or indirectly. We invite you to listen to a few short stories of self awareness, thought and action of our Community’s beautiful journey towards Planet friendly practices.
Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, Pokhara, Nepal
Set away from Pokhara city, the 18 cottages of Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge offer stunning views of the valleys and peaks of this Himalayan paradise. The Lodge has set lofty standards for a sustainable hotel from the beginning and is the first hotel in South Asia to sign up for the Global Tourism Plastics Initiatives by UNWTO. This is Marcus Cotton, our enduring inspiration as he takes us through TMPL’s initiative on removing use of plastic.
Jim’s Jungle Retreat, Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
Located close to the Jhirna zone of Corbett National Park, JJR’s 18 cottages and lodges offers an experience - a combination of learning and inspiration from the forests of the Terai. To know the forest deeply through experiences, The Termite Walk is one of our personal favorites as they continue to promote and conserve biological diversity. Discover the might of the termite with Chief Naturalist and an engaging story teller Manoj Sharma.
Chapslee, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
The five suite Chapslee is a calm haven that is almost unheard of now in modern Shimla with a softness and sophistication that only comes with wisdom of ‘age’ and experience. Evocative of a bygone era, Chapslee was built in 1830 and has the distinction of being amongst the first few buildings built by the British in Shimla and among the first Heritage hotels in India. Chandrajit Singh talks about preserving Chapslee’s heritage, a legacy he is proud of.
Lchang Nang, Nubra, Ladakh
Taking advantage of the immense energy of the sun, the 17 cottages at Lchang Nang run completely on solar energy. The location and fragile environment prompted the adoption of clean and natural energy, and all other initiatives add to Rigzin’s focus towards minimizing Lchang Nang’s carbon footprint. Hear Rigzin Kalon as he explains the journey of adopting energy efficient solutions.
