Dining outdoors in a boma under the canopy of the great African sky is a wonderful nightly ritual that forms part of the 5-star Sabi Sabi experience. Enjoying a convivial meal around the warm fire with lanterns providing ambient lighting, meeting new friends and sharing the adventures of the day’s safaris always makes the meal more memorable.

During dinner this Saturday, Sabi Sabi will join millions of people across the world in celebrating Earth Hour. We have switched off every year, yet for Sabi Sabi this is pretty much ‘business as usual’. Yes, we will certainly be turning off lights in all our lodges for 60 minutes in solidarity with the annual event, but at Sabi Sabi every night has “Earth Hour” and more. Each of our 4 lodges – Selati Camp, Bush Lodge, Little Bush Camp and Earth Lodge, has a handful of fantastic dining locations, where ‘lights out’ is part of the experience.

The Earth Hour initiative – now in its 10^th year – aims to highlight the many devastating environmental issues facing our planet, and is organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). People on all continents support the drive, which is as much about the interconnectedness of the world as it is about saving it – the idea being that only a connected movement can make any lasting impact on climate change and a sustainable future.

The one night ‘lights out’ campaign on the reserve is an easy-to-achieve initiative, a talking point for guests and something a bit light-hearted. However, at Sabi Sabi we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. Our overall environmental management programme is neither short-lived nor taken lightly. It is an integrated, carefully planned system, which although tough to implement on an ongoing basis, is aimed at lasting sustainability. And it is an award-winning programme.

The strategy is multi-pronged and includes crucial water management issues, waste handling, habitat management, community engagement, anti-poaching campaigns and disaster planning. Of prime importance is the preservation of our enormous biodiversity, making sure that Sabi Sabi’s varied range of habitats is protected and remains able to support the myriad species of animals, birds, insects, reptiles and plants that live in our Lowveld wilderness.

Sabi Sabi’s all-encompassing environmental plan is as important to the running of our world class lodges as is our 5-Star rating. These much lauded practices are part of the reason that we have maintained our Fair Trade accreditation for more than 10 years and more recently, has seen us included as one of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World.

We are the guardians of this pristine, unspoilt part of the African continent, and are committed to protecting our precious resources and irreplaceable ecosystem. For decades to come our guests will be able to arrive, “switch off” and enjoy an incomparable, unforgettable Sabi Sabi experience.

(Join Sabi Sabi and others around the world on Saturday 19 March from 20h30 – 21h30 and switch off the lights. Learn more at www.earthhour.org)

P.S. In an earlier newsletter, we advised the start of a new trend where we will share some familiar faces at the lodge – those members of our family that are well known....this is the first of these highlights and we introduce you to one of the gracious ladies at Earth Lodge – Goodness Makhubela.