Planning an Eco-Friendly Vacation, Visit East Rennell’s Motumahi Ecolodge

BY ENDER RENCE – WIMSI FREELANCER

HAVE you heard about the Motumahi Eco Lodge? It is one of the premier Eco Lodge situated in the heart of Lake Tengano, Solomon Islands World’s Heritage Site.

Meet Mr. Kevin Saueha, one of the few East Rennell Island tourism operators in Rennell and Bellona province. Youngest of Five brothers.

Mr. Kevin hailed from the beautiful village named Hutuna where most of the villagers are Seventh-Day Adventist goers.

Kevin’s desire to build and operate his eco-lodge all started when his family accommodation at Hutuna village was regularly used by visitors from works of life (overseas and local visitors) who toured East Rennell and had no place to be accommodated, that’s when he decided to make a proper facility for guests (that’s when Motumahi’s idea come about and was born).

Money is not a huge winner but Kevin is proud to provide such services and promote the paradise that he and other locals call home, and at the same time to provide a small income and job opportunities for his family and community.

Kevin said the name of his eco-lodge ‘Motumahi’ represents the idea of service and care (Hospitality) in their traditional dialect. It also reflects and showcases the true Rennell way of life (Motumahi simply means ‘happy isles’ where you will forget about the worries of the world).

Challenges…

With no experience in the hospitality industry, managing Motumahi eco-lodge can be very challenging at times for Mr. Kevin.

Some of the most pressing challenges for Motumahi is the access from West Rennell to East Rennell (as it is on the tip of Rennell Island and so it is very remote). Access to the unique East Rennell products is very challenging and frustrating at times. So Kevin is working on providing the best possible means to have road access that is affordable, reliable, and cost-effective to reach the accommodation in east Rennell.

Operating accommodation deals with people, and is not an easy task as said and done, there is no phone system available (no tower, no network), and the means of communication is a two-way wireless radio.

In terms of business, there are things Motumahi needs to put in place to avoid disappointment. Such as last-minute booking cancellations and refusal to compensate for the lodge preparation. Guests are reminded to at-least pay upfront 50% of the booking and activity prices to avoid disappointments.

Motumahi is not so much a business but pride in showing off the pristine place we call home and always promoting eco and environmentally-friendly undertakings. Our culture is so rich and intact says Kevin.

In terms of financial assistance, I started with very little I could afford, was hard to the point of using tarpaulin to cover the bungalow structures for months as I try to source proper roofing.

Even though East Rennell is a very isolated place and often the lodge easily runs out of ingredients for meals, fuel for guest activities, and other important items that need to be sourced outside of East Rennell, however, there are many rewarding unique experiences that Motumahi eco-lodge has achieved such as seeing guests enjoy and appreciating the place, seeing community participation and the beauty and the unique such as the lake itself has to offer. The culture, the food, the sites, and the flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world but only at East Rennell is the best thing that we can offer to the world.

Motumahi offers you the best experience you will ever encounter anywhere in the world. Motumahi is very different or I can say it is the best among the best in the world in terms of the natural environment/ it is a world heritage site. Meaning the air is very clean, as the purity is derived from the last untouched forest from the world’s heritage lake that will change your life. 

The quietness to recharge and rejuvenate is unimaginable. The tranquillity and friendly people on earth are a must-experience. Not to mention the cost suits one’s pocket. Papua Guinea singer puts it perfectly well in PNG Tok Pisin and English, ‘u yet come na lukim’ Come visit Motumahi and East Rennell for it is an experience that will change your life forever.

Motumahi as the catalyst for change has been helping families and communities engaged in promoting the protection and preservation of the East Rennell environment, and culture and uniting the people.

Like many other tourism operators in and around the country, Motumahi has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But the COVID-19 pandemic also gave them time to rethink how to do things and do the groundwork, (especially when international borders reopen).

Kevin says he does not give up, as he is looking forward to his plan to attain our minimum standards accreditation first and foremost. He wants to provide effective transport and logistics for his guests.

Find Ways to Attract More Tourists…

He is passionate to see more community engagements through his small income-generating initiative.

Kevin said he is a proud Rennellese, especially engaged in the tourism development of Rennell and the Solomon Islands

“I’m Very proud to be part of this industry, it’s very natural to be accommodative and hospitable to people you never met before.

“If tourism is your interest, start small but provide complete and good service,” he said.

Kevin would like to thank the ministry of tourism for assisting them financially in recent times. 

“Thank you for recognizing our effort and our genuine interest to advance tourism in the country from our little corner in East Rennell.

“Tourism is not just about people touring our places but also about us who are receiving them,” he said.

Motumahi has two bungalows one with three beds (double and two single) and the other bungalow with two rooms. They also offer the following outdoor social and recreational activities to their visitors. It includes lake tours, Octopus Cave tours, village tours, bush and garden tours, food preparation lessons, weaving lessons, and many more.