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5 Ways to Make Your Maldives Holiday More Sustainable
The beautiful environment of the Maldives is one of the world’s most fragile with the low-lying islands and stunning reef systems being particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. At Innahura sustainability lies at the core of our values and as such are always looking for ways to minimise our impact on our environment to help ensure a greener tomorrow. solar huts that generate hot water for all the rooms, an in-house desalination and water bottling plant, minimising the use of plastics, ocean-friendly bathroom amenities, sustainable diving and snorkelling practices and supporting local communities.
If you will be spending your holiday at Innahura, or even elsewhere in the Maldives, there are many small actions you can take to reduce the impact of your stay and make your holiday more sustainable:
- Reduce use of plastics: Holiday toiletries can be a major source of plastic coming into the Maldives, find out if the resort you are visiting provides toiletries, and if these are in reusable bottles. At Innahura we provide shower gel and shampoo by Healing Earth, market leaders in holistic African beauty and wellness care. The products come in refillable glass bottles and are ocean and coral reef friendly. If you choose to bring your own toiletries, ensure you take any empty plastic bottles home with you.
- Use ‘reef-friendly’ sun protection: Many sun creams contain chemicals that can cause damage to the marine life and delicate coral reefs, so look out for sun protection that is classed as ‘reef-friendly’ or ‘reef safe’. Rash tops with an SPF 50 rating provide a good alternative to using sun cream to protect some areas of your body when snorkeling and diving.
- Take only photos: The sprinkling of beautiful shells on the white sandy beaches make very tempting momentoes of your time in paradise but please take only photos – leave the actual shells for others to enjoy and for hermit crabs to use as their homes! If you’re lucky you will be able to observe these fascinating little creatures trying out a new shell for size when it grows too big for its current home.
- Don’t touch marine life: Avoid treading on the corals or kicking them with fins when snorkelling or scuba diving. Marine life such as turtles may come close but please never touch them or chase them as this can cause stress and damage. Our team at Prodivers can show you many of the wonderful underwater sites on the reefs surrounding Innahura and they are experts in sustainable practises and work closely with the Olive Ridley Project and Manta Trust.
- Save energy: The high temperatures of the Maldives mean that air-conditioning is often essential for comfort, but please ensure that when you leave the room you turn it off, along with fans and lights.
If every visitor to the Maldives considers these 5 simple steps, then we can all make a big difference, together.