Kyaw Swar, the owner of A Little Eco Lodge, is also the principal and co-founder of Inle Heritage, a non-for-profit organisation aiming at protecting the culture and the natural environment of the Inle region. In this way, various activities are being conducted such as conservation projects, education, hospitality training, and environmental awareness.

Last year, along with his family he opened his own Eco Lodge. The lodge, composed of five rooms, is built on stilts in the traditional Inthar style, using natural and sustainable materials such as teak and bamboo. They successfully created a homelike and cosy atmosphere and are happy to share the lifestyle of local people with their guests.

All team members are recruited from the surrounding communities. Most of them are trained at the Eco Lodge where they can learn the basics of hospitality and service, and are encouraged to always learn from each other.

The lodge features a spacious and organic garden where the family grows seasonal vegetables, that guarantee the guests fresh and delicious food. Kyaw Swar’s sister, the head Chef, is an amazing cook and is always happy to share her recipes with the guests. From time to time, family meals with the guests are held. It is a great opportunity to gather and discover the specialities of the region like the famous curries and Shan noodles.

Guests are invited to participle in both cooking and gardening activities at the lodge. They are also encouraged to attend seasonal festivals and to visit local attractions besides Inle lake, such as the local markets, the nearby winery and the many monasteries and pagodas of the area. They also offer trekking services to visit ethnic villages and mountains with an expert guide from the region.

Earlier this year a weaving centre has been created within the lodge. The project, called “A Little Loom weaving project” has been implemented in order to preserve the weaving art in its traditional way, confectioning handicrafts made of natural fibres such as cotton and silk, and using mainly natural dyes. It is a social project that provides employment to local women and aims at passing on their knowledge to the younger generations.

Mingalarbar and welcome at A Little Eco Lodge!

12 good practices:

Name		Tags	Category
	Bamboo construction and furniture	bamboo, bambou, furniture, mobilier	Construction and Lay out
	Bicycle availability for cleaner transport	bicycle, eco-mobility, slow tourism	Transport and Green mobilities, Travellers Awareness
	Building with Sustainable Wood	bois, construction responsable, wood	Construction and Lay out
	Collection and treatment of rainwater	eau de pluie, rainwater	Construction and Lay out, Water Management
	Do our own compost	compost, do it yourself	Agriculture and catering, Waste Management
	Family Style Meals	cooking, food, menu	Agriculture and catering, Waste Management
	Local recruitment	employé, employee, human ressources, management, staff	Local Development, Social Responsibility, Transport and Green mobilities
	Organic garden	food, garden, honey, local, meal, miel, potager	Agriculture and catering
	Prefer plants to cut flowers	plantes, plants	Heritage and Biodiversity, Travellers Awareness
	Napkin	lunch, napkin, recycle, table	Waste Management
	Soap dispensers	bath, bathroom, wash	Construction and Lay out, Waste Management
	Solar water heater	chauffage, eau, énergie solaire, heating, solar, water	Construction and Lay out, Energy