Story by Alan Teh Leam SengSustainable Green Hotel
We have barely walked 100m from the raw sewage discharge point when he, to my utter surprise and horror, suddenly kneels down to scoop the water in his hands and then proceeds to drink a hearty portion. After that, without batting an eyelid, he turns to me and says, "Sweet and nice!".
Sensing my distress and concern over his seemingly life threatening act, he quickly takes me to a nearby signboard and proudly shows me the latest laboratory test results conducted by a local university that proves that the water is of A grade quality and definitely safe for human consumption.
Meet Anthony Wong, Langkawi's very own eco warrior who truly believes that going green is the only way to save planet Earth. Among his many sustainable projects on this northern Kedah island, Anthony is especially fond of his waste water treatment system which has become the highlight of his resort's eco-walk.
Conducted daily at around 10 am, the Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa Environmental Officers, or Anthony himself when he is around, bring in-house guests and also walk in visitors on a 3 hour sojourn around the property to showcase how simple sustainable practices can help change the way we do things.We have just been less than an hour into the eco-walk and I already see him happily drinking the water that had once originated from the resort's 117 guest rooms. So, I mindfully tell myself to brace for surely more surprises ahead.
After giving me several minutes to get over my shock, Anthony proceeds to let me in on his secret waste water treatment formula. "It took me more than three years to finally come up with the correct combination of floating and semi-aquatic plants that can completely absorb all the pollutants. My greatest challenge was to remove the heavy metals which are especially harmful. Today, my 'winning team' of water mimosa, water hyacinth, hydrilla, sedges, water convolulus and water lily has proven to be the most effective," he says with a smile.
Then we move on to the nearby Zero Waste Eco Farm when free range chickens and ducks roam happily among organically grown vegetables. Leftover food from the resort are placed in troughs and fed to the poultry while dropping from the birds are used to fertilize the vegetable garden. The brinjals, sweet potatoes, chilies and even a wide variety of 'ulam' are harvested regularly and supplied back to the staff kitchen as well as Mentari Restaurant, thus completing the natural food cycle. Looks like nothing goes to waste here.
Even the old bath tubs, casualties from the previous renovation exercise, are not thrown away. These heavy duty cast iron containers are used in the farm to create compost from leaf litter. Anthony tells me that the trees around the resort produce a lot of dried leaves and it would not be environmentally friendly to burn them. As a result, there plant by-products are turned into free natural fertilizers instead. "We bury the compost all around our compound and our fruit trees are really doing well. Now you can see lots of cashew nut fruits and mangoes all over the place," as he points to a heavily laden mango tree near to us.On the way back to the lobby, I notice solar panels on the chalet roofs. Anthony then tells me the hot water system in all the guest rooms is powered by solar energy. "Resorts run up huge electricity bills so using solar heaters is a very sensible solution. We generally incur a slightly higher cost at the beginning but in the long run, we save quite a lot. Keeping expenses down is another incentive for people to adopt good and efficient 'green' practices."
The resort's rain water collection system is being run so efficiently that tap water is not used to water the plants in the resort. In fact there is even surplus that is then used to flush toilets. While on the topic of washrooms, Anthony asks me to take a peek into one of his newly built public toilets but reminds me not to switch on the lights. Despite the absence of the customary exhaust fans, I find the cubicle airy and devoid of any 'toilet' odour. I guess the open spaces near the ceiling act as natural ventilating panels that encourage convection currents to bring in cool fresh air from the doorway gap. The room is also surprisingly bright. I notice sunlight filtering in through colorful recycled glass bottles set into the walls. This novel idea is Anthony's 'green' solution to solve his resort's growing mountain of used bottles. I must also add that the walls also look like works of art adding character to an otherwise dull surroundings.
Towards the end of our walk, we come across trays of dried frangipani flowers which Anthony tells me are used to make the resort’s signature Frangipani tea. Although white frangipani flowers are usually used, the resort's self concocted recipe allows for the use of the other three varieties - orange, red and yellow. The blooms are harvested from trees found all over the resort and then naturally dried in the sun for several days until they acquire a deep brown hue. Then they are kept in air tight containers at the Mentari Restaurant. A few petals steeped in hot water is enough for a cup. Some honey can be added for sweetness.
Thankfully my walk ends at the Mentari Restaurant. Sinking happily into a wooden chair that was once part of a bullock cart wheel, I quickly order a glass of Frangipani tea while leaving the task of ordering lunch once I have soothed my parched throat.
While waiting for my drink, I mentally run through the things I have learnt that morning. Anthony has indeed shown me that it is the little things that we do every day that matters the most when it comes to sustainable living. Turning off the tap while brushing teeth, not turning on the lights when it is still bright enough and switching of electrical appliances when not in use can actually contribute immensely to helping Mother Earth.
The Frangipani tea turns out to be very refreshing. Soon I am sufficiently reinvogourated to start ordering my noon meal. Anthony tips me to order from the organic section of the menu. "They come straight from our Zero Waste Eco Farm and will be good for you," he suggested.
As I begin to tuck in to the delicious green organic covolulus soup, I notice Anthony smiling widely from the corner of my eye. I look at him and he asks if I knew what I was eating. "No idea but it tastes like mushroom soup except that this is green in colour and equally as delicious," I reply. It is only then that he tells me the meal I am enjoying is made from the floating kang kong plants from the waste water treatment system. Surprisingly, I do not feel perturbed even after knowing where my food came from and subsequent mouthfuls were just as delicious. I even unabashedly asked for second helpings. It is indeed good to be green! 
For more information and reservations contact Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa, Jalan Teluk Baru Pantai Tengah, Mukim Kedawang, 07100 Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia. Tel: (604) 952 0000 / +6013 496 1754 Fax: (604) 952 0001 Website: www.frangipanilangkawi.com Email: rsvn@frangipanilangkawi.com
No comments:
Post a Comment