How sustainable boutique hotels are revamping the environment and local communities in India
Across India, boutique retreats are working in harmony with the environment while providing support to local communities to ensure all parties prosper
Our jeep rolls down a dusty road in Tehla village, flanked by expanses of dry earth peppered with boulders, in clusters, and green shrubs, the cascading blue shadows of northwestern India’s Aravalli mountains in the distance.
Women in bright orange and green dupattas herd goats across the rocky terrain. A group of children scamper by, waving and shouting, their words carried off by the wind.
Sitting up front in the jeep, Franklin Dolder waves back. “They know me from my visits to their school”, he explains.
A young man on a bike stops and Dolder and Chouhan introduce him as a wildlife tracker. They chat animatedly about a recent leopard spotting.
The Utsav Camp team is well entrenched in the local community through outreach initiatives that have included the dousing of forest fires with their water tankers; the training of the park’s guides to make the safari experience more engaging for visitors; and the documenting of wildlife movements.
Resort staff also teach surrounding communities how to build enclosures to protect livestock; contact forest officials to safely usher wildlife away from villages; identify venomous snakes; and administer first aid in case of snake bites and other emergencies.
