Source : http://www.sustainabletrip.org
Category : Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By : Dipika Chawla
Posted By : Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
A journey to Refugio Amazonas, a Rainforest Alliance Verified™ lodge in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, is an adventure of awesome proportions. To reach the secluded lodge, guests fly into a small airport in the city of Puerto Maldonado, ride by bus over muddy, winding roads and embark on a four-hour boat ride down the Tambopata River.
The boat ride itself, which includes opportunities to spot caimans (similar to small American alligators in appearance), capybaras (pig-sized rodents) and pumas, is worthy of adventure-tour status.
After the epic journey, the hotel does not disappoint. Set on stilts at the end of a short hike from the riverfront, Refugio Amazonas merges luxury, relaxation and adventure in a beautiful package. Better yet, it does so in a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable way.
Since participating in Rainforest Alliance training, Refugio Amazonas has implemented sustainability measures across the board. "We have made many changes," explains Maria Louisa Gutierrez, senior chief of operations at Refugio Amazonas. "Now we try to avoid bringing lots of people in the kitchen. Everyone who enters here has to wear a hairnet. And we separate trash into paper, plastic and organics."
The staff, 89 percent of whom are local residents, also look to multiple large, illustrated signs in the kitchen for reminders on sustainable best management practices and menu planning. "Refugio Amazonas came up with that idea themselves," says Luz Aida Ochoa, a coordinator for the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable tourism program in Peru.
In the laundry, sheets and towels are washed with biodegradable soap -- a protocol to protect the water quality of local streams and rivers -- and air-dried. The hotel stocks guest rooms with shampoo and conditioner in reusable bottles; staff use up leftover toiletries. The internet and electricity -- which are available for only a few hours each day -- are solar-powered.
Measures like these are part of the hotel's commitment to protecting the habitat of local wildlife (including the caiman, capybaras and pumas spotted on the trip over); these best practices are beneficial to both the ecosystem and the hotel's bottom line. In a survey of 14 verified tourism businesses in five countries, including Peru, all participants reported that their conservation activities -- including the prohibition of threats to native plants and animals -- were critical to improving the quality of guests' experience.
These sustainability initiatives keep the hotel running smoothly, but it is the hotel's unique offerings that make the Refugio Amazonas experience unforgettable. For serenity-seekers, there are daily yoga sessions and massages. For thrill-seekers, hotel guides lead biking and fishing trips, as well as bird watching excursions. And those looking for a spiritual connection to this beautiful landscape can participate in traditional religious ceremonies.
It cannot be denied that electricity is on only a few hours a day, the water is lukewarm and the internet is spotty -- but the setting, accommodations and service make Refugio Amazonas feel like a luxury hotel. And since the lodge is Rainforest Alliance Verified, a trip there is practically guilt free.
Category : Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By : Dipika Chawla
Posted By : Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
A journey to Refugio Amazonas, a Rainforest Alliance Verified™ lodge in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, is an adventure of awesome proportions. To reach the secluded lodge, guests fly into a small airport in the city of Puerto Maldonado, ride by bus over muddy, winding roads and embark on a four-hour boat ride down the Tambopata River.
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| Amazon Adventure |
After the epic journey, the hotel does not disappoint. Set on stilts at the end of a short hike from the riverfront, Refugio Amazonas merges luxury, relaxation and adventure in a beautiful package. Better yet, it does so in a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable way.
Since participating in Rainforest Alliance training, Refugio Amazonas has implemented sustainability measures across the board. "We have made many changes," explains Maria Louisa Gutierrez, senior chief of operations at Refugio Amazonas. "Now we try to avoid bringing lots of people in the kitchen. Everyone who enters here has to wear a hairnet. And we separate trash into paper, plastic and organics."
The staff, 89 percent of whom are local residents, also look to multiple large, illustrated signs in the kitchen for reminders on sustainable best management practices and menu planning. "Refugio Amazonas came up with that idea themselves," says Luz Aida Ochoa, a coordinator for the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable tourism program in Peru.
In the laundry, sheets and towels are washed with biodegradable soap -- a protocol to protect the water quality of local streams and rivers -- and air-dried. The hotel stocks guest rooms with shampoo and conditioner in reusable bottles; staff use up leftover toiletries. The internet and electricity -- which are available for only a few hours each day -- are solar-powered.
Measures like these are part of the hotel's commitment to protecting the habitat of local wildlife (including the caiman, capybaras and pumas spotted on the trip over); these best practices are beneficial to both the ecosystem and the hotel's bottom line. In a survey of 14 verified tourism businesses in five countries, including Peru, all participants reported that their conservation activities -- including the prohibition of threats to native plants and animals -- were critical to improving the quality of guests' experience.
These sustainability initiatives keep the hotel running smoothly, but it is the hotel's unique offerings that make the Refugio Amazonas experience unforgettable. For serenity-seekers, there are daily yoga sessions and massages. For thrill-seekers, hotel guides lead biking and fishing trips, as well as bird watching excursions. And those looking for a spiritual connection to this beautiful landscape can participate in traditional religious ceremonies.
It cannot be denied that electricity is on only a few hours a day, the water is lukewarm and the internet is spotty -- but the setting, accommodations and service make Refugio Amazonas feel like a luxury hotel. And since the lodge is Rainforest Alliance Verified, a trip there is practically guilt free.
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