LUANG PRABANG, Laos (21 March 2012) – Pitched in the heart of the Lao jungle, Kamu Lodge may be off the map, but to eco-friendly travelers it’s a very bright blip on the radar screen.
Tourism officials singled out the tented eco-lodge for its first ASEAN Green Hotel Award at the 2012 ASEAN Tourism Forum, held recently in Manado, Indonesia.
Given every two years to the region’s most environmentally active properties, criteria for the recognition include environmental operations, the use of green and locally made products, collaboration with the community, energy and water efficiency and waste management.
One of 81 winning properties handpicked from among thousands of hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia, Kamu Lodge offers some of the most sustainable stays and low-impact holidays available in the emerging destination of Luang Prabang.
Nestled between verdant rice paddies and the banks of the Mekong River, the compound’s 20 private, tented lodges feature solar power electricity, thatched roofs, and all-natural furniture. Activities for guests draw from and are interwoven with the surrounding natural attractions and nearby Kamu community.
Kamu Lodge supports the quality of life and preservation of the Kamu traditions through the use of locally sourced products and the education of guests. “Enjoyable, sustainable living in unspoiled surroundings has always been the essence of the Kamu Lodge experience,” said Kurt Walter, group general manager of Apple Tree Group’s Hospitality Division.
“The lodge owes a great deal to its stunning location, and we’ll be working to keep this part of the world pristine for as long as possible.” Aimed at promoting ecological awareness and lifting the environmental standards of the hotel industry, the ASEAN Green Hotel Award is given to outstanding properties in each of ASEAN’s 10 member states.
ABOUT KAMU LODGE
Kamu Lodge is owned and operated by the Apple Tree Group, a French-owned, Ho Chi Minh City-based company with interests in tourism and hospitality, real estate and construction and import and distribution all over Southeast Asia. Its hospitality properties also include La Residence Hotel & Spa in Hue, Emeraude Classic Cruises on Halong Bay and the Press Club in Hanoi, as well as the Villa Maly in Luang Prabang.
