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Egypt
Adrere Amellal,
Siwa Oasis - http://www.adrereamellal.net
Beautiful desert eco lodge offering luxury accommodation set
amongst the stunning desert landscapes at Siwa Oasis. For a luxury
resort it is extremely rustic, with the buildings made out of
local clay, no air conditioning and no reception. There is a
pool and the extremely helpful owner can organise many of the
local activities including quad biking, sand boarding or Berber
experiences. The buildings were made from locally sourced and
sustainable materials, the employees are all locals, the food
is all locally sourced and organic and there is no electricity
at nights, all contributing to the lodges status as one of the
world's foremost luxury eco lodges.
Desert
Lodge, Dahkala -
http://www.desertlodge.net
The Desert Lodge is built in the traditional style of the local
architecture and situated on top of a nearby cliff overlooking
the world heritage Al Qasr Oasis. The owners are extremely knowledgeable
about the local area and can organise a huge number of excursions
including mountain biking, local homestays, desert 4x4 trips,
camel treks and even multi-day excursions to Luxor and Aswan.
The owners are extremely eco-conscious and use a wide range of
measures to help the environment including, hydroelectric and
solar power, re-harvested water, local and sustainable building
materials and even a small organic patch for vegetables.
Gabon
 Africa's
Eden, Various Locations
- http://www.africas-eden.com
A collection of incredible eco lodges around Gabon. Including
bush camps in the stunning Loango National Park, a fantastic
place to see wildlife in situ, including gorillas, chimps and
elephants, Port St. Katherines, where solitude and humpback whale
watching are kings, and Evengue lodge, on an island with an adjoining
gorilla sanctuary. All the lodges are fairly eco-friendly, with
measures including water harvesting, recycling and local education
programs, and they run a wide reaching conservation project in
tandem with the Gabonese government and a range of NGOs. Picture
copyright Africa's Eden.
Gambia
Bintang Bolong Lodge, Bintang - http://www.bintang-bolong.com
A beautiful complex of wooden huts built on stilts along side
the River Gambia, the stilts are necessary because at high tide
large swathes of the camp are under water. The stunning location
amongst the mangroves provides guests with lots of peace and
tranquility, which can be forsaken in favour of scuba diving,
quad biking, canoeing and excursions to visit the local community.
Eco-friendly measures are important to the lodge and they run
education programs in the local community as well as using wind
power, composting, recycling and sustainable materials as part
of their environmental policy.
Footsteps Eco Lodge, Gunjur - http://www.footstepsgambia.com
A much publicised, award winning eco-lodge on the coast of the
Gambia. Accommodation is in locally sourced and designed wooden
huts that are surprisingly comfortable, while the knowledgeable
and extremely helpful staff are on hand to help with every aspect
of your stay and can organise a range of activities including
fishing, cycling, buggy safaris, beach trips, nighlife trips
and many other local experiences. The lodge is also very eco-conscious
using solar and wind power for all of the buildings, they also
use recycling, composting, water re-harvesting and local education
programs to help maintain the environment and limit their impact.
Kenya
 Camp Ya Kanzi, Maasi Mara - http://www.maasai.com
Campi ya Kanzi (Camp of the hidden treasure) is a community project
with the local Maasai on their Group Ranch. They offer walking
safaris based out of a native styled and aesthetically pleasing
lodge. The land around the lodge varies greatly in altitude,
giving guests the opportunity to hike in different environments
and therefore to encounter different wildlife. The Maasi also
offer local experiences to engage with the community in addition
to a large range of safari options. The camp uses solar power,
sustainable materials and building practices and water reharvesting
and other measures aimed at reducing its impact on the environment.
Loisaba
Wilderness, Laikipia
- http://www.loisaba.com
Constructed from stone, local timber and thatch, the lodge is
perched high on the edge of the plateau looking south towards
Mount Kenya. The lodge offers quite a high level of luxury including
tennis courts, swimming pool and a spa, or there are a wide range
of activities available including balloon safaris, mountain biking,
river rafting and hiking. There is also a water hole underneath
the lodge which attracts wildlife every day, affording guests
spectacular views.
 Offbeat
Meru Camp, Nanyuki
- http://www.offbeatsafaris.com/meru.html
Extremely comfortable and well known tented lodge in the spectacular
Meru National Park, which provides tourists with an opportunity
to encounter the "big 5" first hand. There are also
only two lodges in the entire Meru, giving the safari experience
a more personal feel. Obviously the main activities are game
drives or guided walks around the park, but the lodge also offers
a beautiful infinity pool where guests can cool off and watch
the animals arrive at a nearby watering hole. The lodge uses
solar power, recycling, water conservation and also encourages
their guests to use greener practices after their stay is completed.
 Ol Seki Mara Camp, Koiyaki Conservancy - http://www.olseki.com
Beautiful tented community set on a high plateau overlooking
the Isupukiai River, north of the Mara, in the Koiyaki Conservancy.
The camp comprises six tents with panoramic views, which are
designed to blend into the surrounding bush. The area is teeming
with game and the owners offer game drives, as well as cultural
experiences with the Masai or the opportunity to simply relax
with a massage or dinner overlooking the Savannah. Ol Seki is
rated Silver by the Ecotourism Kenya board -sustainable efforts
include recycling and composting as well as giving $10 to charity
for every guest -future plans include powering the camp from
solar energy.
Malawi
Kaya
Mawa, Likoma Island
-http://www.kayamawa.com
Remote lodge situated on 6 hectares of sunset facing beach on
the south-west corner of Likoma Island. The bar and restaurant
are perched on top of a rocky promontory with 360 degree views
and surrounded by water on three sides, Accommodation is scattered
around in ten iindividual cottages at varying distances from
the central area, and the honeymoon cottage boasts the longest
suspension bridge in Malawi. Do read the amazing history of the
lodge and take a look at the photos -they are stunning.
Njaya
Lodge, Nkhata Bay,
50km east of Mzuzu -http://www.njayalodge.com
In a beautiful setting overlooking Lake Malawi Njaya Lodge is
Nkhata Bay's first responsible travel retreat. They work really
hard to integrate with the local community including helping
to build a new school block for the blind school. Njaya is built
entirely from local materials and they have planted over 4000
trees to offset their carbon omissions. Activities include scuba
diving, kayaking, horse riding, hill walking and trekking to
remote mountain villages. Game viewing trips can also be arranged
to Vwaza Marsh and the spectacular Nyika Plateau.
Morocco
Dar
Itane Eco Lodge,
Azilal - http://www.dar-itrane.com
Absolutely stunning traditional Berber Kasbah, that has now been
converted into an eco lodge high in the Atlas mountains. The
lodge provides guests with tailor made trips around the mountains,
visits to local villages or simply a base from which to enjoy
the spectacular scenery of the region. The owners are big on
sustainable development and use ¤2 from every guest to
fund development projects within the local community. The also
used sustainable methods for the redevelopment of the Kasbah
and also try to be environmentally friendly through recycling,
water conservation and green "lessons" for the staff.
Mozambique
 Guludo
Beach Lodge, Pemba
- http://www.guludo.com
Beautiful rustic hideaway on the beach paradise of Pemba. The
lodge offers guests the chance to relax on beautiful white beaches
lapped by aquamarine sea, observe humback whales in their natural
environment, canoeing or enjoy world class scuba diving. The
lodge can also organise local homestays and cultural trips or
onward travel in Mozambique. They also take their protection
of Pemba's environment very seriously using solar panels, water
reharvesting, recycling and local education programs as part
of this commitment.
 Ibo Island, Quirimbas Archipelago, Northern Mozambique
-http://www.iboisland.com
Located right on the waterfront
on this undeveloped island, you can watch Dhows setting out to
see on the high tide. This is a great base from which you can
explore the beaches, scuba dive, fish and go on excursions to
the mangrove swamps. The owners , Kevin and Fiona Record, are
big on responsible tourism, and the hotel supports a number of
local conservation projects.
 Manda
Wilderness Lodge,
Lake Niaasa (Lake Malawi) - http://www.mandawilderness.org
Made using local materials and craftsmen in Manda National Park,
the lodge offers a combination of luxury and adventure for travelers
to experience. The shoreline of the lake features white sanded
beaches and some spectacular snorkeling, as well as some beautiful
hiking and canoeing. The lodge itself is perfect for relaxation
and has some spectacular views over the lake. The lodge also
uses eco-friendly measures to help protect the local environment
including solar panels, water re-harvesting, locally sourced
organic food and sustainable building materials. Winners of best
small accommodation category at the Virgin Holidays Responsible
Tourism Awards.
Namibia
 Nhoma
Camp, Tsumeb - http://www.tsumkwel.iway.na/NhomaCamp.htm
Nhoma Camp is a tented camp situated in the north east of Namibia
on the communal land of the Ju/'hoan Bushmen. The main activities
centre around cultural experiences with the locals or tours of
the national park to encounter the wildlife. There is also the
opportunity to help out in community projects such as schooling
and healthcare. The camp uses solar panels for its limited power
resources and also uses sustainable materials to build and maintain
the buildings and tents.
South Africa
 Bulungula Lodge, Wild Coast - http://www.bulungula.com
An eco-friendly paradise in a remote traditional Xhosa community
on the beach. The lodge is jointly owned by the local village
and is actively involved in a range of community development
projects. The lodge offers a range of community experiences along
with the usual cannoeing, hiking, fishing and some fantastic
surf beaches close by. It is also extremely eco conscious with
solar and wind power for the buildings, heat and water conservation,
low energy lighting and recycling programs. (picture by Mike
Cohen)
Otter's
Den River Lodge, Limpopo
- http://www.ottersden.co.za
Set on a forested island in the Blyde River at the foot of the
Drakensberg Escarpment, the camp accommodates up to ten guests
comfortably in five canvas chalets overlooking the river. The
central lodge area is where the meals are served and it has a
dining room, timber deck, bar, braai, TV lounge and plunge pool.
They provide an experienced field guide for hiking through indigenous
forest and woodland -there are 111 tree species along with 220
species of bird, including Fish Eagle, and a variety of small
game. It is an ideal base from which to visit the Kruger National
Park,, the Blyde Canyon Nature Reserve, the Cheetah Breeding
Project and the Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre, and
they also offer hot air ballooning from first thing in the morning.
Tanzania
 Chumbe Island Coral
Park, Zanzibar -
http://www.chumbeisland.com
Explore the Chumbe Island Nature Reserve with their park rangers
or snorkel in the pristine shallow water Reef Sanctuary. If the
tide is low you can walk around the island or alternatively relax
in one of their eco-bungalows watching traditional dhows sail
by. The eco-lodge uses state of the art eco-technologies with
rainwater being collected from the roofs and heated by solar
power for the showers; used water being filtered through plant
beds to avoid contaminating the environment and toilets of the
composting type, along with many other features forming part
of their eco operation to protect the local environment. Picture
copyright Craig Zendel.
 Saadani Safari Lodge, Saadani National Park - http://www.saadanilodge.com
Beautiful location for an extremely comfortable lodge, in the
heart of the national park, close to the Indian Ocean. The lodge
offers a range of wildlife and cultural experiences including
canoeing, snorkeling, wildlife walks, fishing, local homestays
and even a turtle sanctuary. The local wildlife includes hippos,
dolphins, turtles, crocodiles and flamingos. The owners use a
range of eco-friendly measures including, solar panels, wind
power, water conservation, recycling and composting amongst other
methods. Picture copyright Saadani lodge.
Zambia
- Croc Valley Camp, Mfuwe - http://www.crocvalleycamp.com
Croc Valley Camp is a small boutique lodge situated in a great
location on the banks of the Luangwa River. The river is perfect
for guests to encounter hippos and crocodiles, while venturing
into the nearby national park means a high possibility of encountering
lions, leopards, giraffes and elephants. The knowledgeable staff
offer activities such as quad biking, night safaris and walking
safaris as well as having a swimming pool in which to relax.
The camp also uses a range of eco-friendly measures including
water reharvesting, recycling and the use of sustainable materials
amongst other measures.
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