Special Achievements:
- 2007 shortlisted by Wild Asia for responsible tourism award
- Accredited by Responsibletravel.com
- Accredited by Ecoclub.com
- Featured in Green Places To Stay (Alastair Sawdale Special Places series)
- The Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award 2008.

ISO standards will probably never be relevant for Tree Tops Jungle Lodge.
We are too alternative. Nothing really to minimize due to the basic and simple concept.
We are focused on maximizing the positive impact of ecotourism in our local comunity.

Energy Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Staff Comment - Tree Tops Jungle Lodge is constructed to be functional and a great experience for guests - without electricity. Light in the night from oil lamps and candles.

Without electricity the lodge needs to be run as a very small scale operation to ensure safety. Absence of electricity is a choice. Why? Because this is the best and only way to co-exist in piece and harmony with wild elephants. They are aware about our presence but are moving around as if they are completely undisturbed by the lodge.

Water Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Staff Comment - We have constructed two freshwater wells for the lodge, both wells supported by dams and tanks to store water for the dry season. This has made us self sufficient with plenty water. Much more than enough for drinking and bathing. No need to minimize water usage. Our horticultural practice and landscaping is 100% natural.

Our 9 acres plot of land has been reforested the wild way. We are waiting to see which kind of plants are growing on this land which was slash and burn farming land until 2003. The plants growing this way are very strong, adapted to the local climate and conditions. No watering at all. Furthermore this kind of new bush land is a favorite habitat for wild elephants. The vegetation is manicured by the local staff who are used to clear bushland.

Disposal Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Staff Comment - The main way waste is minimized at Tree Tops is not to produce it in the first place. The lodge is small. Facilities are minimal. Very little waste is produced.

Drinking water comes from our own wells. Served in Clay jugs. There are no polythelene bottle waste. Organic and other waste separated and disposed in different ways. There is only little organic waste. All food is freshmade before the meals.

Raw materials are now expensive in Asia - we are careful not just to throw it out. Solid waste can either be buried and burned or sent away to the town council waste disposal unit (they dump it some place in nature) We have prevented our area being used for waste dumping. It was identified for this in 2002. And some garbage dumped near the lodge. We made a road block and were fighting against this destruction the the surrounding nature. It would have created problems for the wild elephants who will definately come and eat from the garbage, then gradually they will search for garbage in local communities and the human-elephant will worsen.

Eco-Active Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Staff Comment - The lodge was born as a tool to help protect the nature around us. We began as 'eco-warriors' / environmental activists. We are taking the struggles on behalf of the environment. Our dream and vision is to save the remaining plot of wilderness and forest as well as working for the area as a future habitat for wild elephants. Many powers have the opposite vision.

We are try to stop negative developments. We hope to create awareness about the human-elephant conflict and find solutions to this problem for people and animals sharing the same land. As there is no funding from any source, we see tourism with a purpose as the best and only solution. At the same time being open for taking conservation project initiatives if we find organisations to work with.

Protection Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Staff Comment - 100% of the staff are recruited from the local community and trained by the owner. The philosophy is to do everything the local way so that no outsiders are necessary.

This still means that continual training is necessary. So that the local skills and knowledge is converted into interesting information for tourists. By employing the people of the local community whose background are as tree cutters and hunters, the aim is to change traditional local lifestyle into positive action for the environment. That means using existing lifestyle in an innovative way - change their struggle for survival from destructive to constructive use of natural resources with nature based tourism as a new source of income.

Contact Details

Name:
Tree Tops Jungle Lodge
Address:
Weliara Road
Buttala
Sri Lanka
Telephone:
+94 7770 036 554
Website:
www.treetopsjunglelodge.com
E-mail:
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