Maasai Giraffe Eco Lodge's vision of tourism
Coming to the Maasai Giraffe Eco Lodge means choosing responsible tourism.
Our vision is based on 6 pillars.
PRESERVING
WILD
AREAS
The Maasais live in perfect harmony with nature, they preserve it and respect the fauna and flora. They do not hunt, do not fish, they eat only their own cattle (cow, goat and sheep). Their animals share their meager pastures with large herbivores such as zebra, wildebeest etc ... Wildlife has always been preserved by their presence. It is also the case of the wild animals of the large animal parks of Tanzania and Kenya where the Maasais previously lived (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Massai mara etc ...). This is why we attach particular importance to limiting our ecological footprint in order to continue to preserve this wilderness and rich biodiversity.
DEVELOPING PROJECTS FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
A part of the benefits of the lodge is reinvested in solidarity projects for the local community (see all the projects). We include the local population in each project. We do not seek to impose our western way of life, but rather to make life easier for them while preserving their culture and traditions.
SUPPORTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY THROUGH FAIR TOURISM
The foundation of our approach in this region is to concretely and positively involve the Maasai population. So that the Maasai community can benefit from the profits generated by tourism, we have created the Native Maasai project with them. It consists of welcoming visitors into a family for a few days to share their daily life and discover their culture and traditions. The stays proposed by Native Maasai are all managed in collaboration with the native families of the region. The families are chosen in turn so that each clan can participate. This participatory approach contributes, through the earnings, to support their traditional way of life.
PROMOTING
ETHICAL TOURISM
We promote responsible tourism through intercultural encounters that are authentic, enriching and respectful for both the traveller and the local community.
ENHANCING THE AUTHENTICITY OF MAASAI CULTURE
The interest that tourists bring to the Maasai population encourages them to conserve their cultural heritage, traditions and customs. Very committed to preserving their culture, they have so far resisted globalization. This resistance has helped to create among Westerners, a romantic vision of the Maasai model of life, considered as an example of harmony with nature. Their ancestral values and the perpetuation of their traditions are part of the heritage of humanity and today constitute their greatest wealth. Respectful tourism can help them concretely to face the many threats to their way of life such as sedentarisation, expropriation or global warming.
MAKING
ECOTOURISM
Global warming is real. Even more in Africa, where it is materialized in long droughts and intense rainfall that impact the living conditions of the inhabitants.
Making eco-tourism a priority to offset the carbon emissions we generate and thus limit our ecological footprint? Yes, it is possible!
How can we do it? By adapting our daily practices. The camp is 100% solar powered and we provide water filters to reduce the consumption of plastic bottles. We produce our food locally to reduce the number of journeys and use no chemicals. The water of the pool is also chemical free to allow the birds to come drinking. The water is changed every 3 days and is used to water the vegetation in the camp. We are replanting trees all around the camp, mainly moringas known for their nutritional richness. Indeed, the Maasai and other local populations use a lot of wood for cooking, building their houses and constructing fences. Planting trees in our region is essential.
Compensating for our ecological footprint also means fair tourism. Maasai Giraffe gives back a part of its profits to develop projects for the local Maasai community. We also invite you to contribute by making small donations on our support page.