Siting and design

Pretty much all the non-specialist building materials (wood, bamboo, reed, tyre-thread ties, stone, sand, poles etc) are from the local area. They reckon they put $4k/yr into the local villages just by buying thatching materials. Stones from lake shore used in bathroom constructions and decoration.

Broken glass pieces used to scrape wooden poles for construction, giving almost varnish-like sheen; binding threads - used everywhere to lash things together - taken from defunt tyres; fallen wood for lots of the contructions - some cut down; natural fibre insulation; but concrete IS used in construction, so the structures are permanent.

The entire place is built to disappear from view. Each chalet is different, with baths squeezed in between huge rocks and steps up to beds following whatever route they can find, and vegetation has been left largely as it is. It has a slightly scruffy feel as a result, but you don't mind this given where it is and what a feat it is to have created anything so far from the rest of the world. Other than concrete, there's little here that wouldn't rot down or be relaimed by the armies of ants within a season or two.

Architecture is a pimped up, touristified version of local the local thatch and reed, with a bit of stone and mortar in places.

Room service

Locally bought towels and linen - FairTrade are just not available. Everything washed by hand, so less water used that if it was a washing machine. Iron is filled with embers from the fire - no electricity. Everything air dried

Energy conservation

Solar photovoltaic panels generate far more than they need. It powers lights in all chalets, fridges, freezers, ice-makers ('ice cream from the sun'), the office and more besides. A solar hot-water (thermal) system is part of the next round of investment. All the chalets' water is heated by 'Rhodesian' stoves, mud-clad, wood-fired stoves that store the heat all day.

Solar oven used for cooking breads, stews etc - plan to have a bank of them. Also have three energy efficient stoves (made at the demonstration farm) used in the kitchen (rest of cooking done on propane, brought in).

Reducing waste

Almost everything is recycled where possible: bottles cut in half and turned into glasses used by guests. Bottles also used as borders for raised vegetable beds in the demonstration farm. Bottles have covers woven for them by villagers, and are then used as water bottles in the lodge (also sold to guests in gift shop).

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