Shangri-La Country Hotel & Spa outside Bela Bela and Modimolle recently took another step towards becoming an even “greener” hotel. The initiative to plant 50 indigenous trees on site has been met favourably by both the community and environmentalists.
With Shangri-La’s superb tropical gardens receiving acclaim from guests and visitors alike, the hotel has been expanding its gardens to offer an even wider variety of greenery. The new pond at the lower gardens and addition of a brand new outdoor wedding facility (think vintage ruin!) has brought much of the attention to the actual scope of the property. The arrival of several antelope species has also received some of the spotlight.
Says Shangri-La’s mother, Mrs Anndeline Jansen van Vuuren, “It’s extremely important to plant these trees, not just for the value it brings to the environment, but also to the booming animal life. We need to protect our planet and what a better way than to plant these 50 indigenous trees.”
The tree species include, amongst others, Celtis Africana (White Stinkwood), Ziziphus mucronata (Buffalo Thorn) and Schotia brachypetala (African Walnut).