THE ANANTARA GOLDEN
TRIANGLE ELEPHANT CAMP
& RESORT IS A STUNNING
PROPERTY IN A UNIQUE
LOCATION. WHAT LED YOU TO
THIS PROPERTY? AND WHAT
HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGES AND/OR
HIGHLIGHTS OF OVERSEEING
A LUXURY RESORT ON THE
BORDER OF MYANMAR AND
LAOS?
Anantara Golden Triangle is one of
the iconic properties in the brand’s
portfolio and one of the few hotels in
the world with views of three countries.
When the opportunity arose to
relocate from Africa to Asia I jumped
on it and, having lived in Africa, Asia’s
jungles and elephants were pleasantly
familiar to me and I adjusted to my new
home easily.
One of the highlights for me are still
the opportunity to get up close and
personal with these elephants in their
natural habitat and the important
work that the Golden Triangle Asian
Elephant Foundation does.
In terms of challenges, Thailand’s
most northern area is still somewhat
off the beaten track for travelers and
therefore not necessarily their first
choice destination, but in that lies the
mystique and uniqueness of the Golden
Triangle and it challenges my team
and I to think out of the box when we
promote and sell it.
YOU USED TO RUN THE
ANANTARA MEDJUMBE
ON A PRIVATE ISLAND OFF
MOZAMBIQUE. CAN YOU
WALK US THROUGH SOME OF
THE LOGISTICAL ASPECTS OF
OPERATING IN SUCH A REMOTE
AREA? HOW WOULD YOU
ENSURE ALL MENU ITEMS ARE
IN STOCK?
All in all, it takes very good planning!
Anantara Medjumbe is located on an
island off the coast of the northern
region of Mozambique that is less
developed with infrastructure than
68 ILHA
the Southern part, and logistics can
be challenging. Dry supplies and
drinking water are brought in on a
dhow (traditional Arabian boat powered
by wind) and, whereas the island has
an airstrip, airlift is limited to guests’
arrivals and departures. And with an
average stay of seven nights, that was
what we had to plan for.
Like in the Maldives and elsewhere,
inhabited islands in the Quirimbas
Archipelago are self-sustained in some
ways with a generator, solar plant, and
a desalination plant for the biggest
logistical challenge – drinking water.
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
IS HOME TO THE GOLDEN
ELEPHANT ASIAN ELEPHANT
FOUNDATION (GTAEF) WHICH
CURRENTLY HAS OVER 20 FULL-
TIME ELEPHANT RESIDENTS.
DOES PART OF YOUR JOB
DESCRIPTION INVOLVE
OVERSEEING THE ELEPHANTS?
YOU SHARE THE CAMP WITH
THE NEIGHBOURING FOUR
SEASONS RESORT. HOW DO
YOU ENSURE ANANTARA
GUESTS ARE ALWAYS
SATISFIED?
The renowned Dara Elephant Camp
is one of the highlights of Anantara
Golden Triangle Elephant Camp &
Resort, which offers unforgettable
adventures and unique experiences
with a cast of gentle giants. Set up in
2003 as a traditional mahout village,
Dara Camp works alongside Anantara’s
Golden Triangle Asian Elephant
Foundation to perform street rescues,
provide ongoing employment, offer a
comfortable lifestyle for the elephant
and its whole mahout family, as well as
participating in bigger picture projects
that create better conditions for all of
Thailand’s elephants.
Whereas we do not own any elephants,
the elephants and their mahout families
are on our payroll, so to speak – today
the Dara Camp supports 24 elephants
and more than fifty people, and is
proudly fully funded by our resort, as
well as donations from our guests and
further afield.
All of the elephants are given ample
food, shelter, twenty four hours
veterinary support and the utmost
care. The mahout and his family receive
food, housing, medical insurance,
schooling for their children, and one
hundred percent of the profits from a
traditional weaving business.
The wider community also benefits –
groups of students and disadvantaged
children enjoy memorable experiences;
local farmers receive a monthly income
for the sale of elephant fodder.
THE ANANTARA IS KNOWN FOR
FRIENDLY AND WELCOMING
STAFF. CAN YOU WALK US
THROUGH THE STAFF HIRING
POLICY AND TRAINING
INITIATIVES?
For us, each and every guest is an
individual with different expectations
and we believe that the anticipation of
these individual needs is the difference
between a good and a great experience.
As a team we nurture a culture of
service excellence, heartfelt hospitality,
and the aspiration to not only meet but
indeed exceed our guests’ needs.
Consistent service excellence is
achieved by strict quality control
and continuous reassessment and we
must of course understand our guests’
expectations as well as keep up with
new trends and advances in the various
disciplines of hospitality. For me, our
guests’ feedback and constructive
criticism are our gauge to measure if
we consistently meet the very high
service delivery standards that we have
set for ourselves.
To this end training is extremely
important for us and we do so for
fifteen minutes each and every day for
all our associates, over and above our
ongoing training schedule in specific
disciplines and our continuous program
of cross training and exposure both
in hotel and at our properties in the
greater Asia Pacific region.