Sustainable Design

Walindi Resort is proud to support sustainable tourism practices which have been built into the resort design and operations since our inception in 1983.  We care about the environment and the local population, and are always looking at ways to help our environment, reduce our impact and deliver effective Eco-standards to our guests, while supporting our local community.

All of the structures at Walindi, are built using locally sourced materials.  This includes all the rooms, the main house building, and all staff housing.  One of the most breathtaking features of our buildings is the Sak Sak (Sago Palm) roofing. The Sago is a local palm tree that grows naturally in West New Britain, and is used in a number of ways in the buildings around Walindi.  During harvesting of the roofing material, only the leaves are cut from the palm allowing it to regenerate in time.  The leaves are dried and woven into long sheets, then treated before they are utilised as roofing material.  The Sak Sak sheets are nailed tightly one over the other to create a strong, waterproof and durable roof. This method of roofing can last up to ten years and is completed from start to finish by our local craftsmen.  The stems of the Sak Sak leaves are also used in the decorations around the resort.  The stems are flattened, stripped of all the raw ‘soft’ material inside, and the outer ‘hard’ skin is woven to make the wall sheets that decorate the inside and outer walls of the rooms. This method, of using parts of the plant while allowing it to grow back and regenerate is very environmentally friendly and also means very little waste is produced.  On top of being environmentally friendly, the roofing materials and wall sheets help to insulate the rooms from the sun and are re-usable.
All the wood used for building the resort is also locally sourced.  Our timber comes from local villagers with a portable-mill, meaning it has been selectively logged instead of timber from large-scale clearings.  All the furniture you will find in your rooms, i.e. bed frames, bed-side tables, deck chairs, luggage racks, closets, etc are made by our very talented local carpenters.
Walindi is also proud to showcase the skills and talents of local wood carvers.  A major feature of the resort main house and the dive shed is the intricate carvings on all the posts and large wood panels which depict local flora and
fauna as well as local myths, legends and traditions.  All of these carvings, which create an original PNG aesthetic, are the work of a very talented local craftsman.
All the Bungalows are positioned along the waterfront, to maximize the breeze from the ocean and their architectural design means reduced energy costs.  Given the warm and humid climate we experience most of the year, all rooms
are built on posts, which allows circulation under the buildings.  In the interior, open floor plans, cross-ventilation, ceiling vents, ample windows, use of local materials and large trees all combine to create a natural cooling effect.
All of Walindi Resort’s rooms are built to reflect traditional designs, keeping the local community and its culture in mind. As you may have noticed, construction, design, materials, and colours are chosen to blend in with the existing
landscape and environment.
Walindi has thick vegetation throughout the resort grounds.  The trees around the resort prevent erosion, nourish the soil, and provide shade to all the rooms.  Mangrove trees have also been carefully planted to provide a nursery for juvenile reef fish and to filter out silt and nutrients that run off from the Walindi creek.