I wouldn’t tell people to avoid an establishment at any cost just because of some rumour that could come from a competitor, but this is a case of a resort than on its website makes a show of its eco-friendliness and the information comes from the Wildlife Direct blog of the extremely trustworthy Colobus Trust. To expand its facilities the Baobab Beach Resort in Diani has destroyed a forest with ancient endemic trees and displaced colobus monkeys and other animal into other areas at a time of the year when food is scarce. All this has been done against Kenyan law.

Here you can read about what’s happened:
http://colobus.wildlifedirect.org/2008/04/04/destruction-of-the-diani-forest-update/

Here you’ll find the latest updates:
http://colobus.wildlifedirect.org/

At the bottom of this page Baobab Beach Resort is bragging about its eco-friendliness:
http://www.baobab-beach-resort.com/en/about.html

If you have a trip to the Kenyan coast coming up, please email Baobab Beach Resort to tell them why you aren’t staying there.
http://www.baobab-beach-resort.com/en/contacts.html

.

.

Carsten, that’s an excellent choice of smiley!

Sounds like what the government needs to do is issue a cease and desist order to prevent them from doing any or all construction or demolition from this point on to prevent even more damage. Then the Kenyan government should go after them for going against KWS wildlife protection rules, fine them for each and every animal found dead, injured or ill, and the local government should go after them for demolition and construction without permission. If the government and KWS fined them heavily enough, they might just give it up. Unfortunately, for many people it only hurts when they have to dig deep enough in their pockets.

Jan, you should be appointed as head of environmental police or something. Meanwhile, I hope as many people as possible email Baobab Beach Resort to tell them why they’re choosing another hotel.

In addition to writing Baobab you might also want to contact your Kenyan tour operator and ask them to put pressure on Baobab or else they too will boycott them. I have already done so.