Conscious Living & Sustainable Mindset

Conscious Living & Sustainable Mindset are at the core of Art Mile's existence. The mountain landscape of the property poses constraints for some best practices that we had explored and requirements for Green Certifications. Nevertheless, a lot of thought has gone into every step of the land, infrastructure & operational development to ensure that Art Mile is as close to the eco-friendly living village practices and one with nature and culture as possible. 

Preservation of Nature: After emerging from the short forest path from the road, at the first glance, one can see the preservation of the natural landscape - the rice terraces, the bamboo groves and wild vegetation - the resort is built around these with ample outdoor spaces to walk around and use for Yoga, Meditation, Retreats, Workshops or looking at the hills and the sunsets.

Promotion of Local Culture: The local culture finds its way into our property beautifully - the cottages are all named in the local Lepcha language about natural elements closeby. The dining menu reflects the local Kalimpong cuisine with specialities of the various communities like the Nepalis, Lepchas, Limbus, Tibetans and Bhutanese. Bonfire experiences are perfect to sing and dance to local cultural folk music. The exploration opportunities whether in the town or in the villages help guests experience the heritage, economic, social & political aspects of the local community.

Natural Building: The traditional natural architecture of the cottages built with timber, bamboo, mud and thatch with low reliance on concrete seeks to stand as an example for the community to preserve & adapt our heritage.

Local Sourcing: All bamboo, mud, thatch and most of the timber was locally sourced. Almost all our food is sourced from the community or local vendors. All firewood used is from pruning our trees, tress that have fallen due to bad weather or from the stocks with the local community.

Farm to Table: The Kitchen gardens are where we grow most vegetables used in our menu, using manure, without chemicals. Meats and other vegetables are sourced from local small farms that are organic. 

Waste Reduction: We reduce the use of plastic and as far as possible reuse all plastic bags multiple times. Packaged water is provided only on request and at a cost. We have invested in robust/ long-lasting/ rechargeable/ refillable equipment and materials like Premium linen, Lamp Fixtures, Glass water bottles, Soap Dispensers, Rechargeable batteries as well as reducing printing through digitised Information & Invoices. Disposable/ single-use amenities are not provided. Dry waste is either sold off to scrap dealers and recyclers or burnt in our incinerator. All our food waste is used to feeds pigs and organic waste is used to prepare compost. 

Energy Efficiency: Renewable energy from the sun is harnessed for hot water through the solar water heaters, for power back up through the solar panels and for outdoor lighting through standalone solar lights. Energy is also saved through LED bulbs throughout the property. All hotel linen is air dried. Our appliances are Energy Star rated. Thankfully, Kalimpong does not need Air Conditioners and the Thatched roofs reduce the heat during summers. We do not use fuel generator back up. 

Water Conservation: We use low-flow fixtures, dual flush cisterns and rely on gravity for water pressure. Linen is changed only after 2 nights. We have in-house laundry. We also ensure daily checks to prevent leaks. Our water comes from a natural spring and has to flow constantly, excess is collected in our underground reserve tanks for future use.

Low-Impact Supplies: We use industry standard non-toxic maintenance and cleaning agents and eco-friendly supplied for shampoo, bodywash, hand wash and dishwashing as well as reduce the amount of oil used in cooking to reduce the negative impact of our grey water in the nearby streams and soil. We also use naturally sourced supplies like bamboo keychains, bamboo fibre tissues, eco-friendly garbage bags.

Local Employment & Fair Wages: Through the construction phase and the operations, almost all workers and staff were locals and we believe in fair wages to support the community. This extends to Staff Policies and Leaves, where we understand the needs of the staff to be there for their families and participate in their community.

Guest & Staff Engagement: Staff are regularly trained in the Systems and Policies designed to ensure that they uphold Art Mile's commitment to nature & culture as well as share their experiences and invite guests to do the same. Property rules on our website and signages in cottages and across the property go a long way in communicating our stand to guests. Every hike through our villages is an eco-cultural tour and the chance to participate in rice transplantation or harvesting is how memories are truly made - one with nature & culture.

Stay with us to experience the Art Mile version of socio-ecological tourism and together brighten our shared future.