This month we have revamped our Image Library for Elewana Sand River Masai Mara to showcase the new areas that have been beautifully landscaped, the lovely infinity pool that looks down the Sand River and the amazing rain showers on the decks of the luxury tents.
We invite you to view a selection of stunning new Images taken by Andrew Morgan, who has been a photographer for over ten years working across many different genres with a focus on commercial and travel.
Elewana Sand River Masai Mara is a luxury tented camp lying on the northerly route of the spectacular annual migration. Guests can sink back in time and savour the same glamorous ambience, unspoilt scenery and spectacular game viewing as the Hollywood stars, royalty and celebrities of that classic era of African adventure.
It started as a simple idea around a campfire. 20 years later, the Lewa marathon has grown to become an internationally recognised, 'must-do' race, attracting over 1,400 runners from across the globe. This year's running slots were filled in two hours!
The Lewa Marathon will be on the 29th June and runners from near and far will be arriving to compete in this phenomenal race through the wild. There are three race categories; The Full Marathon, Half Marathon and Children’s 5km Race. The course is set on dirt roads that take the runners on a route through the conservancy – across savannah plains, along river banks and through acacia woodland. Half Marathon runners complete one loop of the course (21.1km / 13 miles), Full Marathon runners, two loops (42.2km / 26 miles).
To mark the 20-year milestone, they have an ambitious target to raise $1 million; 20 times the amount that was raised in 2000. This will enable them to scale the impact of the race on Lewa and beyond. Over the years the event has grown consistently. To date, the annual marathon, which is organised by Lewa and partner Tusk Trust and supported by Safaricom, have raised over Ksh 650,000,000. Proceeds from the marathon have enabled the provision of education to thousands of children; equipped eight medical facilities and supported community development projects which benefited over 50,000 people in the region.
Registration is now closed for 2019 marathon entries but spectators are welcome. Elewana Collection have two properties in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Elewana Kifaru House and Elewana Lewa Safari Camp, where guests can monitor the progress of the marathon.
See you at the start line.
Since our first announcement in February, all four nests recently hatched with nearly 400 tiny turtles making their way to the sea. It was an exciting time for the guests who had never seen Turtle babies before. In years to come, once the female turtles have matured, they will make their way back to this beach to nest and we can look forward to the next generation.
We are delighted to report that we have a further three nests still to hatch as below;
That is over 800 baby turtles so far this year …
We have a live camera facing our watering hole where you can look at live images and watch time lapse videos that capture moments throughout the day. We have a multitude of wildlife visiting day and night.
Watch the video and see how many animals you can spot, including our resident Elephant Johan up close and personal…
Go on a safari from wherever you are in the world now, using the link below;
https://www.elewanacollection.com/tarangire-treetops/livecam
Situated in a community led Wildlife Management areas, known as Randilen, guests of Elewana Tarangire Treetops enjoy a secluded and private safari experience. The luxury tree-top rooms, elevated above the ground afford incredible views over the tops of surrounding marula and baobab trees. With a wide private balconies, each are lavishly furnished using natural materials that are blended with contemporary Africana décor, to provide guests with a unique and most memorable safari experience.
Encasing an impressive baobab tree, the spacious and tranquil reception, lounge and dining room overlook the swimming pool and a waterhole that sees a steady flow of wild animal visitors. As the camp is located in the WMA, activities such as bush walks and night game drives are possible, which are not permitted in many other areas. Bush walks allow guests to get “up close and personal” with nature, and experience the bush to a more intimate degree. Alternatively, a night game drive with the option to go off road, in the African bush affords the opportunity to see an array of creatures who prefer the cover of darkness, the African bush hosts a different assortment of creatures after the sun goes down.
Riaan and Winifred Van Der Watt have extensive management experience in Africa being associated with top hospitality brands in Uganda, Botswana and South Africa. They combine operational abilities with the vision to grow team members, whilst ensuring quality and service is maintained to the highest standard. We would like to welcome them to the Elewana family.
The Elewana Collection has appointed new General Managers at Elewana The Manor at Ngorongoro. Stuart Scott-King is South African and Sarah Jack is British, having worked in South Africa, United Kingdom and East Africa for a number of years. They have a combined strength managing and running high end establishments in the wild and we look forward to welcoming them to the team.
In February Lewa Wildlife Conservancy held their “Annual Conservation Conversations” at the Royal Geographical Society in London. This year's lecture was on the impacts of social media on conservation, featuring Senior Communications Officer Wanjiku Kinuthia, Rhino Scientist Ian Lemaiyan, IFAW's Project Lead - Global Wildlife Cybercrime Tania McCrea-Steele and Rakuten's EVP Global Development & Sustainability Mark Haviland.
The evening was a huge success with key learnings from the speakers, who gave various insights into how social media is being used and directly affecting conservation, both positively and negatively. Click here to watch the lecture.
Lewa was previously a cattle ranch owned by David and Delia Craig. In 1995 they decided to dedicate their entire ranch to the conservation of wildlife, especially the critically endangered rhino. The Conservancy covers 65,000 acres of pristine African wilderness, with dramatic views of snow-capped Mt Kenya to the south, and the arid lands of Tassia and Il Ngwesi to the north, Lewa showcases a range of wild habitats from highland forests, wide open grasslands, melt-water mountain springs and acacia woodland and supports over 440 bird species with more than 70 different animal species roaming the vast landscape..
Through the protection and management of wildlife species, the initiation and support of community conservation and development programmes, and by educating the local youth in the value of wildlife, Lewa has reversed a decline in several endangered species, most famously rhino and Grevy’s zebra. Since 1984 its rhino population has grown steadily, not only restoring local numbers but enabling the reintroduction of black rhinos into other regions of East Africa - where they had long been extinct. The Conservancy currently holds over 10% of Kenya’s black and 15% of Kenya’s white rhino population as well as the largest single population of the critically-endangered Grevy’s zebra in the world.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was included in the prestigious IUCN Green List of Protected areas, one of only 3 Kenyan organisations to feature! The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
Elewana Collection has two properties located in the Conservancy, Elewana Lewa Safari Camp and Elewana Kifaru House, which are the only two tourism properties owned by the Conservancy itself, with the aim of boosting the conservancy’s revenue through camp occupancy. All camp profits and conservancy fees generated by the camps are reinvested directly into the conservation and community efforts of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
When we think about lions, we need to think big: big habitat needs, big appetites, and big declines in their populations. So when it comes to protecting lions, we have to take big actions — and we can’t do it alone. While our partners - The Nature Conservancy can bring expertise on protecting large swaths of prime lion habitat, we’re supporting other partners who have big ideas on how people and lions can live together more successfully in this increasingly shared landscape.
A new project with Lion Landscapes and other partners on the Loisaba Conservancy is using technology to prevent livestock attacks before they happen. By reducing the number of livestock that are killed by lions, we can reduce the number of lions who are killed in return and create a cycle of peaceful coexistence.
Large, wide-ranging carnivores like lions are normally one of the first mammal species to be lost in areas shared with people and livestock. Their presence in a human-dominated landscape like northern Kenya is a symbol of successful coexistence. As apex predators, lions play a vital role in maintaining a healthy, balanced ecosystem, impacting everything below them, from soil nutrients and disease, to plant, prey, and scavenger populations. If lions are doing well, the entire ecosystem is likely doing well. In the long term, that means the ecosystem will be better able to support the people that also rely on it.
Loisaba Conservancy rangers, trained and equipped by Lion Landscapes to become Lion Rangers provide boots on the ground, monitoring lion movements closely, pre-empting human-carnivore conflict by warning livestock owners of the lions’ whereabouts and shadowing lions when they move into areas with high risk of conflict. They also serve as ambassadors for wildlife, educating and supporting local livestock owners on conservation initiatives.
In Laikipia, livestock owners are finding new ways to live peacefully with lions, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs. Lion Landscapes works to support these livestock owners wherever possible. For example, the Lion Rangers are trained to visit bomas, spot issues that could make livestock vulnerable to lion attacks, and help herders better guard their livestock.
It takes the efforts of many different organizations working together to protect lions in northern Kenya. Kenyan tech company Savannah Tracking is developing an alarm that will blast sound and flash lights when a lion collared by Lion Landscapes approaches. Livestock owners like Issak Kosgei are also armed with a mobile phone app created by Save the Elephants and Vulcan Inc. that gives them access to real-time collared lion movements. This same app helps Lion Rangers keep track of the collared lions and prevent conflict. Knowledge of lion movements and non-violent methods to redirect them means fewer cows are lost and more lions are saved.
Tracking collars are carefully fitted to maximize the lion’s comfort. With more than 200 collars placed and 20 years of research in Laikipia, there has been no sign of injury or negative impact from the collars. On the contrary, a collar can save a lion’s life and with less human-wildlife conflict, all species benefit.
Learning about lion ecology, research and management, and how to better protect livestock from lion attacks will help local students become champions for lions within the community and encourage them to seek the means to coexist.
Staying at Elewana Collection’s Loisaba Tented Camp and Loisaba Star Beds helps ensure Loisaba Conservancy remains a catalyst for conservation, wildlife research and community development. Loisaba’s mission is to protect and enhance critical wildlife diversity, abundance and habitat in the landscape, which sits on the western edge of one of Kenya’s most important elephant movement corridors. The profit from Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp and Elewana Loisaba Star Beds, along with revenue from livestock, brings us closer to achieving our ultimate aim of creating a sustainable conservancy providing protection of endangered species and their habitat, as well as over 300 jobs to the local community.
We are pleased to confirm that the Wildlife hide in the Randilen Wildlife Management Area is now complete and ready for visitors. It has a great viewing area under ground for close encounters with the animals visiting the water hole, giving guests opportunities for some great low angle photographers of elephants, plains game or a number of other animals that seek refreshment.
Alternatively for avid birders, this is a chance to enjoy some of northern Tanzania’s finest birding. The acacia woodland habitat and plains with fever-tree groves support a variety of species, including three Tanzanian endemics and near-endemics: Ashy Starling, Yellow-collared Lovebird, and Rufous-tailed Weaver. The lush grasses are full of ground birds like Northern White-bellied Bustard and both Red-necked and Yellow-necked Francolins.
Randilen is a community Wildlife Management Area (WMA) managed and governed by the Maasai community. It is land that they have set aside, to improve their lives and ensure their children’s futures. We protect this unique area so that it continues to support the people and wildlife that depend on it. Your stay contributes to the sustainability of the wildlife and Tarangire Ecosystem as a whole.
When staying at Elewana Tarangire Treetops, guests enjoy a secluded and private safari experience, as the camp is located in the WMA, activities such as bush walks and night game drives are possible, which are not permitted in many other areas. Bush walks allow guests to get “up close and personal” with nature, and experience the bush to a more intimate degree. Alternatively, a night game drive with the option to go off road, in the African bush affords the opportunity to see an array of creatures who prefer the cover of darkness, the African bush hosts a different assortment of creatures after the sun goes down.
Encasing an impressive baobab tree, the spacious and tranquil reception, lounge and dining room overlook the swimming pool and a waterhole that sees a steady flow of wild animal visitors. The luxury tree-top rooms, elevated above the ground afford incredible views over the tops of surrounding marula and baobab trees. With a wide private balconies, each are lavishly furnished using natural materials that are blended with contemporary Africana décor, to provide guests with a unique and most memorable safari experience.
7th of April marks World Health Day 2019 and we are proud to highlight the amazing work done by our charitable arm, the Land & Life Foundation in the medical support provided over the last seven years.
Since 2012, we have been partnering with the Aitong Health Centre in the Maasai Mara. Our support includes providing much-needed supplies and equipment, capacity building for staff and holding free annual medical camps open to the Maasai population in the area. Since this program started, we have treated over 3,000 people, thanks to our highly acclaimed volunteers from Kenya’s top hospitals.
The focus for the most recent camp was cervical and prostate cancer, diabetes and HIV/ AIDS screening. The volunteer doctors came from our partner Oasis Health, Kenya-wide private health facility, and were flown to the Mara courtesy of Safarilink who once again supported our efforts with provision of free or reduced rate flights.
A total of 865 patients, 588 of whom were women or girls, were given free consultation, treatment and medication including but not limited to counselling on family planning, how to protect themselves from common ailments and lifestyle illnesses, voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and diabetes, and screening for prostate cancer. Those who had wounds, skin, chest and ear infections, stomach ulcers, arthritis, cold and coughs also received free consultations and treatment.
We donated over $1,900 worth of medical supplies that included antibiotics, analgesics, antifungal, antihistamines, hormonal contraceptives, and antacids, multivitamins such as iron supplements, dewormers, as well as random blood sugar testing kit, safety boxes, syringes, examination gloves, blood pressure machines, weighing scales and many others.
In Loisaba Conservancy, the Community Liaison Officer has been visiting Ewaso Dispensary every Monday with the Clinical Heath Officer who attend to patients, as well as restocking the dispensary with medication provided by the government from Doldol. Continued support to the 15 Community Health Workers at Ewaso with funding stipends and regular training.
Ewaso dispensary Community Health Worker refresher training took place from 9th – 13th November 2018. The objectives of the refresher training was to:
Anti-FGM training was also carried out from the 8th – 11th December 2018, with an Alternate Right of Passage Ceremony conducted on the 11th where 67 girls graduated. The training included parents, youths and local leaders, and 22 boys attended the Ceremony in support.
Through The Nature Conservancy, Loisaba has also been supporting Community Health Africa Trust, which conducts monthly outreach services to our neighbouring community conservancies. CHAT services includes: intensive health education encompassing on family planning, with a major component of ecological sensitization by CORPs using Population Health and Environment, family planning, basic curatives, immunization, ANC, CWC and HTC services.
They may not have won but as finalists, Shanga are certainly winners in our eyes.
We are so proud of the work that Shanga do, and of the commitment they continue to show towards the upliftment of our communities. Shanga by Elewana Collection was one of 3 finalists for the ‘Investing in People’ Tourism for Tomorrow Awards from the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Hannah Wood and Ruth Willatt attended the 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Award Ceremony in Seville, Spain at the beginning of April to receive the Finalist Certificate for Shanga. They also had the honour of meeting First Lady Margaret Kenyatta at the Summit.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced the 2019 leaders in sustainable tourism at the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ceremony. The Awards, now in their 15th year, took place on April 3-4 at a special ceremony during the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain, to celebrate inspirational, world-changing tourism initiatives from around the globe.
Climate Action Award, for organisations undertaking significant and measurable work to reduce the scale and impact of climate change:
Investing in People Award, for organisations demonstrating leadership in becoming an exciting, attractive, and equitable employer in the sector:
Destination Stewardship Award, for organisations helping a place to thrive and bring forward its unique identity for the benefit of its residents and tourists:
Social Impact Award, for organisations working to improve the people and places where they operate:
Changemakers Award, this year focused on organisations fighting the illegal wildlife trade through sustainable tourism:
Shanga is a social enterprise based in Arusha that trains and employs people with disabilities to produce high quality handmade craft items - glass blowing, beading and other activities. The interactive workshop is located in the grounds of Elewana Arusha Coffee lodge.
What a month we’ve had! We are very excited to announce that we are finally giving Ololomei Primary near Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp a brand new permanent kitchen with an inbuilt store where the school will safely and hygienically keep their foodstuff. We are also constructing a classroom at Embiti Primary near Elewana Sand River Mara fully funded by Mike Scopa and his wonderful family! Work on both sites is currently going on seamlessly and we hope to have the two buildings ready for use in mid-July this year. Watch this space for more updates!
The Esiteti Primary boys’ dormitory is complete and ready for use! We have ordered 40 bunk beds, which will accommodate 80 youngsters and we plan to have them delivered to the school by the end of April. The parents have been very supportive and have pledged to purchase mattresses and bedding for their children. It is indeed very exciting that the first ever group of boys will start boarding when they open for the second school term! We plan to have a special ceremony in the next couple of weeks to officially hand the dorm over to the community. We take this opportunity to give our heartfelt gratitude to Rupert De Vink and his wonderful family for their remarkable support in funding this project.
Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp with the help of our dedicated supporters made it all the way to the 'Elite Eight' of Luxury Travel Advisors World's Most Instagrammable Hotel Award. The competition was intense with leading hotels from around the world seeded so we feel privileged to be listed amongst the very best.
A huge thank you to all those that took the time to vote for Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp and kept us in the running all the way to the final eight hotels (Round Four). We were so close and even though we didn't become the Most Instagrammable in the World, it does make us the Most Instagrammable in AFRICA. It is a huge achievement and we would like to celebrate this so a huge thank you to all those that voted for us.
LuxuryTravelAdvisor.com covers the latest news and trends in luxury travel. It is the top travel website for travel agents seeking the very latest in luxury cruise news, luxury destination news, luxury hotels news, luxury airline news and luxury tour news.
Perched on the edge of an escarpment, Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp enjoys a breath-taking vantage point over an expansive panorama. Sophisticated and stylish, the capacious custom-built luxury tents offer a relaxing vantage point to appreciate the splendour of the Laikipia Plateau. Experience an array of activities, from games drives to camel-trekking, guided bush walks to Cultural visits. The spacious main areas include a large dining area, separate open lounge and bar, a large wooden decking area, in addition to one of Africa’s most picturesque infinity pools.
Condé Nast Traveler is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards. Every year they ask their readers to vote for their favourite hotels, resorts, islands and so much more. …
The Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2019 is in its 32nd year and voting has officially began and will end on the 30th June. Elewana Collection are delighted to announce that the below camps, lodges and hotels have been selected in this prestigious travel awards program;
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We would like to ask those of you who have stayed with us and our Partners that support us for a few minutes of your time to vote. Please go to cntraveler.com/vote and register then click on 'Hotels & Resorts' and type the property name into the search bar to start your rating. You can invite your friends and the more you vote, and the more you share, the more chances you'll have to win a dream getaway for two! (Terms & Conditions apply*)
*OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AS OF THE DATE OF ENTRY.
Open to UK and Eire residents only. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and proof of age will be required before the prize is dispatched. Terms & Conditions Apply.
National Carrier, Kenya Airways has activated its codeshare agreement with Delta Airline that opens seamless travel in the US and Canada. The arrangement will enable both the business and leisure travelers enjoy greater connectivity and efficiency in 11 US cities and 4* Canadian cities.
The arrangement is an opportunity for travelers to connect from New York, using the direct flight from Nairobi, to other cities within the US and Canada opening many more opportunities at more competitive fares.
Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Sebastian Mikosz said, “As part of our commitment to the New York route, we are proud to be a part of this partnership that will open up opportunities for our customers to access more destinations in North America through the John F. Kennedy Airport.”
The CEO said the New York route continues to be a strategic route for Kenya Airways and as an Airline are firmly committed to it as we gear up for Summer 2019 season which is a high flying season. Beginning June, Kenya Airways will increase its frequency to New York from 5 days a week to 7 days a week. This is expected to open more opportunities for travelers to take advantage of this route during this high season.
The codeshare agreement is also in line with Kenya Airways’ broader strategy to assert its presence and expand connectivity across Africa while opening opportunities for tourism, trade and investment. Besides the new codeshare services and more convenient flight connections, guests will have the opportunity to earn and redeem miles on the entire network operated by both airlines.
Find below the codeshare destinations:
United States of America | Canada | ||
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In October 2018, Kenya Airways launched direct flight from Nairobi to New York, a route which has opened opportunities for both business and leisure travelers, a first of its kind in the region.
From June, Kenya Airways (KQ) will increase its flight frequency from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport NBO to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from five to seven days a week.
The airline’s CEO Sebastian Mikosz says KQ seeks to cash in on the US summer high season. “The New York route continues to be a strategic one for Kenya Airways, and we are firmly committed to it as we gear up for the summer season.”
KQ was granted a permit to operate direct flights to the US in September 2017. A year later, it made its maiden flight on October 28, making it the first airline to offer direct flights between the US and East Africa.
The airline reduced flights from seven to five times a week following the launch, citing a decline in demand due to low travel in winter.
KQ has deployed a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to service the route.
Air France plans to start daily flights to Nairobi from Paris. Arthur Dieffenthaler, the airline’s Eastern Africa General Manager, was quoted speaking at Air France’s first anniversary of the Kenyan route. “We will be increasing our flights on the Paris-Nairobi route to five flights a week. We further plan to launch daily flights in 2020,”
The airline recently increased frequencies between Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) and Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) from three to five times a week. The additional flights commenced in March. The route is serviced by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 30 seats in business class, 21 in premium economy, and 225 in economy.
Air France resumed flights to Nairobi last year after an 18-year hiatus.
June 9 is the start date for Ethiopian’s new nonstop flight from Washington’s Dulles International (IAD) to Abidjan, with continuing service to Addis Ababa. The new route will be the airline’s second service from the U.S. to Côte d’Ivoire‘s largest city. Ethiopian will operate this route three times a week, on board Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The overnight flights will depart IAD at 9:05pm on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays arriving in ABJ at 11:25am the following morning. Overall service from Washington Dulles will increase from 7 to 10 weekly with this new service addition.
Ethiopia’s national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) plans to add three more Chinese flight destinations, an Ethiopian official said on Tuesday.
Speaking to Xinhua, Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, said Ethiopian Airlines is waiting for flight permits from Chinese authorities to fly to the Chinese destinations of Chongqing, Shenzhen and Zhengzhou. “In addition to planning three new Chinese destinations, ET is also planning to increase its flight frequencies to the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai,” said Gebremariam. “Ethiopia’s cargo and passenger flight frequencies and destinations need to increase to keep up with the fast-rising ties between African countries and China,” he further said.
ET currently operates daily passenger flights from Addis Ababa to Guangzhou and Beijing, and three-times-a-week passenger flights to Chengdu, as well as daily passenger and cargo flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai. ET was the first African airline to start flight services to China, back in 1973.
Gebremariam also recently said Ethiopian Airlines has started facilitating visa hub service for Chinese traveling to 35 African countries.
“Most African countries’ embassies are located in Beijing, but China is a big country and some Chinese may not be able to come to Beijing to apply for visas in countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia or Nigeria,” Gebremariam said.
“The visa scheme will facilitate easier air travel for Chinese experts and business people and reduces their financial cost. We believe the visa scheme will significantly boost China-Africa trade ties and we are very excited about it,” he further said.
He further said the carrier has the largest air network for an African airline in China, currently traveling to five Chinese destinations, helping Chinese and foreign nationals living in various corners of China to directly travel to Ethiopia and beyond without the need to transit through the Chinese capital city Beijing.
Source: CGTN Africa
We would like to notify our partners and those who have booked to travel to Tanzania that the country has announced that it will ban single-use polythene bags from June in the war against plastic pollution.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told parliament in Dodoma this week that polythene bags will no longer be used for commercial purposes or household packaging, and warned producers and suppliers to dispose of their stocks. “It is possible that July 1 will mark the end of the use of plastics in the country,” he said. The Office of the Vice President will ensure the enforcement of the ban through regulations to be introduced under the environment law. Deputy Minister in the Vice President’s Office Mussa Sima said the regulations have been prepared and are only awaiting publication in the official gazette.
In East Africa, Rwanda led the way in enforcing a ban on plastics. In 2017, Kenya passed a law imposing hefty fines on offenders, and South Sudan recently followed suit. Burundi adopted a ban in 2018.
In the last couple of years Elewana Collection have made great strides in reducing single use plastic. Elewana is proud to have taken such a stand and joined the many organisations around the world to eliminate its plastic waste. In addition to complying with banning single-use polythene bags in Kenya, we introduced the Ban the Bottle initiative, eliminating our use of plastic water bottles in the properties and providing guests with aluminium branded water bottles. Then at the beginning of 2018, we were the first property group in East Africa to eliminate the use of plastic straws across all our properties. We offer biodegradable paper straws and encourage guests to go to War with the Straw.