Camp Jabulani Awarded Coveted Conde Nast Traveler World Savers Award

The 5-star Camp Jabulani, Hoedspruit, a proud member of the Relais & Châteaux Association has been awarded the highly coveted ‘Conde Nast Traveler World Savers Award’ due to the luxury elephant safari-camp’s exceptional commitment to the environment through its impressive sustainable energy and recycling policies, extensive educational programmes for staff, as well as local communities and implementation of its multiple pioneering conservation programmes.

Managing Director of Camp Jabulani, Adine Roode, comments, ‘We are genuinely thrilled that efforts to look after our environment and the community by Camp Jabulani have been recognised by such a prestigious award.  However, I must honour my Mother, Lente Roode, whose mission has always been about the conservation of rare, vulnerable or endangered animals.  Without her incredible commitment to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and her firm belief that ‘The Power of One is Boundless’ - or simply, one person can make a difference - Camp Jabulani and the positive ripple effects created as a result, would not exist.’

 The award will be officially presented at Conde Nast Traveler’s 4^th annual World Savers Congress on October 19 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre in .

 The Conde Nast Traveler World Savers Congress attracts some 200 leaders in the travel industry, whose revenue was valued at USD7 trillion this year alone, under one roof.  They are encouraged, via keynote speaker and discussion forums, to ways in which to address the issues of global poverty health education and environmental depredation.  Some notable figures addressing the congress in previous years have included Bill Clinton, Queen Rania of Jordan, economist Jeffrey Sachs and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof.  Celebrities with a social conscience that have also participated include Matt Damon, Ashley Judd, Marcia Gay Harden, Wyclef Jean, Ed Norton, and Mandy Moore. 

www.campjabulani.com

Telephone +27 12 460 5605 for general inquiries, reservations on +27 12 460 7348.

Editors notes:

Camp Jabulani is situated in ’s northernmost Limpopo Province within a privately-owned Big 5 game reserve near to the Kruger National Park.  In addition to the Big 5, a wide variety of indigenous and endangered species, such as the rare black-footed cat, ground hornbill, blue crane and sable thrive in the well-preserved natural habitat.  No trees were felled during the creation of the Camp, which is ecologically sound in every aspect, from waste disposal to the utilisation of natural elements in the construction.  Everything that can be recycled is: animal skins make furniture coverings; marula pips from the elephants’ favourite fruit make an unusual decorative wall feature; and elephant dung is an endless resource with many uses from making the paper used for the Camp’s promotional information to filling erosion trenches that assist in the prevention of rain damage.   Of the Camp’s 140 staff, 80% are from the local community (several in management positions).  Also of the 42-strong team taking care of the elephants, most originate from – as did the elephants, with the exception of Jabulani and the 6 babies, a sure sign of a happy herd.

Camp Jabulani works hand in hand with the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), managed by founder, Lente Roode, who set up Camp Jabulani to sustain a herd of trained elephants rescued from by HESC when their owner’s farm was requisitioned.  The herd adopted Jabulani (meaning ‘rejoice’), an orphan elephant formerly rescued by HESC, who refused to be reintroduced to the wild.   Watching and interacting with the elephants between safaris is a rare experience for visitors:  the herd roams around the camp in complete freedom and enjoys a regular group swim in the waterhole at midday.