Issue 11 | ...Celebrating the world’s richest continent | http://www.nomadafricamag.com | 89can also be hired by tourists who want to
take a community tour or would like to
explore the area in a more adventurous
way. Guests are assured that there are
never more than eight trekkers per gorilla
expedition, and are accompanied by a
Ugandan Wildlife Ranger, as well as a
porter for each guest. Over and above the
experience of encountering the gorillas,
there are many other animals guests can
view, such as giant wild hogs, the blue
monkey and the black and white colobus,
as well as rare birds, offering an alterna-
tive to Africa’s traditional safari Big Five.
Guests get the opportunity to meet the
Batwa people, the oldest inhabitants of
the Great Lakes region of Central Africa.
More than 4 000 years ago, they were
described as short-statured people living
near the ‘Mountains of the Moon’. Guests
can witness their musical performances
and demonstrations of their traditional
hunting and gathering skills.
Ecotourism and sustainability go hand-in-
hand, preserving natural habitat, aiding in
conservation and empowering local com-
munities. Wilderness Safaris integrates
the four Cs – commerce, conservation,
community and culture – into one coher-
ent sustainability framework, demon-
strating that each aspect of business is as
important as the other.
“We have to do well in order to effect
change, but we have also demonstrated
that by making a difference, we can also
create value for our shareholders,” says
the company’s Commercial Director,
Derek de la Harpe. “After nearly 35 years
in business, it is sometimes hard to re-
member why you started out and what
you originally hoped to achieve, however,
for us, our reason for being is even more
firmly entrenched and defined than ever
before. Simply put, our vision remains to
conserve and restore Africa’s wilderness
and wildlife by creating life-changing
journeys and inspiring positive action.”
DumaTau Camp in the Linyati in northern
Botswana and renowned for its luxury
ecotourism offering in addition to its sus-tainable ecotourism efforts, is a prime ex-
ample of the four Cs being integrated into
everyday practice.
It employs over 52 staff, 95% of whom are
locals from around the Delta and Chobe
areas. Training is crucial for Wilderness
Safaris employees, with ongoing courses
offered in hospitality, guiding, and man-
agement through the Wilderness Train-
ing Facility, which is accredited by the
Botswana Qualifications Authority. Online
training is also available through a system
called Lobster Inc. and trainers visit the
camp to conduct practical tests.
DumaTau is completely solar powered.
Waste water (grey water and sewerage)
is treated by a sewage treatment plant,
ensuring it is properly processed before
entering the natural environment. Sam-
pling tests are done on a regular basis to
ensure that waste water is being disposed
of within acceptable limits.
As part of its Reusable Water Bottled Pol-
icy, the lodge fills reusable bottles with
water filtered by a reverse osmosis sys-