Leave only natural footprints with to Escape To

Award winning tour operator To Escape To not only finds unique places to stay within Africa and the Indian Ocean, but invests a great deal of time sourcing suppliers who work closely with local communities and are dedicated to the preservation of the immediate environment.

To help you find the perfect holiday that not only preserves the surrounding environment and communities but also your conscience, To Escape To has put together a small selection of its favourite eco properties:

Chumbe Island, Zanzibar
Chumbe Island Coral Park and Lodge is a financially self-sustaining conservation initiative. It is run by a non-profit making company, where income from visitors who stay in the award-winning, innovative eco-bungalows is re-invested into the conservation activities and education programs operating in the park. The management of Chumbe is comprised of Zanzibari's from the local fishing communities with overseas experts continuing to provide support and training.

Located just off the coast of Zanzibar, across the water from Stone Town, it is accessible only by boat. Chumbe Reef Sanctuary: the first declared Marine Protected Area of Tanzania, one of the world's most beautiful coral gardens and the best preserved shallow reef on the East African Coast. The sanctuary has more than 200 species of pristine stone corals, more than 400 species of fish and regularly visiting turtles and dolphins.

Chumbe Island lodge: As a visitor you can relax in the knowledge that every aspect of Chumbe has the surrounding environment in mind, including the roof over your head. The two-storey eco-bandas are all ecologically self-sustaining with zero impact on the environment. Each uses only rainwater stored in huge tanks beneath the floor, and all water waste is filtered and recycled. Composting toilets ensure that no sewage is directed into the sea, and electricity and hot water are solar-powered.

Chumbe Island, Zanzibar from £1145pp inc 7 nights accommodation (Full Board), flights from London Heathrow to Zanzibar (via Nairobi) on Kenya Airways & all transfers

Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge, South Africa
This is the first wholly owned, community based safari lodge to be developed in South Africa. It is an eco-tourism partnership between North-West Parks, the Balete Ba Lekgophung Community and the operator, The Nature Workshop and is situated on the Tweedepoort Ridge overlooking the plains and inselbergs of the malaria free Madikwe Game Reserve. The local Balete community, who were dispossessed during the apartheid era, has a 45 year lease to operate a commercial lodge with traversing rights across the reserve. The concept is unique in South Africa as the community owns the development, with substantial benefits accruing back to the community itself. This includes profits available for investment in the village and its people, and a vigorous training programme to ensure the Balete develop the skills to manage their own lodge.

The luxury lodge offers its guests a very private experience, with eight uniquely decorated suites, each with their own deck which provides guests with expansive views to the north. Skilfully designed by Nick Plewman - an acclaimed small lodge designer – the lodge is styled to blend with the beauty of the natural surrounds. The thatched suites have sliding doors from each room and the shower which allow guests to fully experience the concept of complete integration with the bushveld.

Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge, South Africa from £620pp inc 3 nights accommodation (Full Board) game drives, park fees and return flights from Johannesburg to Madikwe.

Quilalea, Northern Mozambique
The exquisite 34-hectare Quilálea Island, a marine sanctuary, lies in the Quirimbas Archipelago, home to nesting turtles and humpback whales sheltering their young before migrating south. The island is uninhabited except for nine private and spacious coral rock villas with palm tree thatched 'makuti' roofs, handcrafted large private teak veranda with deck chairs and panoramic sea views.

Its efforts to support local industries can be seen throughout the lodge with furniture made locally in Pemba and on Quilalea, marble table tops from Montepuez and carvings by a Maconde artist on the island. The island is authentic in every way with all materials purchased locally with the exception of crockery, cutlery, glassware, kitchen fittings and sanitary ware. The chocolates are made in Maputo, fresh mango and papaya juices in Montepuez, vegetables from the market and seafood from local fishermen. Quilalea also provides funding for the local hospital’s maternity wing.

Quilalea, Mozambique from £1,785pp inc 7 nights accommodation (Full Board), return air transfers to the lodge, return flights from Johannesburg to Pemba and the following activities: Dhow excursions within the sanctuary, Non-motorised water sports.

For reservations or further information on any of the offers above, visit Toescapeto.com.