India tour, mountains, temples & hillstations

As a part of our continued commitment to responsible tourism, we operate this trip in a way that aims to reduce impacts and to give as much back as possible to the local communities The operators support the work of Nishtha, a charitable trust based in Sidbhari near Dharamsala. The main objective of Nishtha is to work with local communities to improve health, education and environmental awareness primarily through interaction with local women and children. See www.nishtha-hp.org for more information.

We also visit Andretta Pottery, a locally run business that trains unskilled villagers in the art of traditional as well as ceramic studio pottery. Clients can visit the pottery and the showroom (where products are often on sale) and all profits is ploughed into further training opportunities.

All profit from the walking part of the trip is used to preserve the woodland around Dharamkot, probably the last uncut forest in the region. Local staff are employed to prevent unauthorised cutting and to undertake management and conservation projects. The woodland is home to leopard, langur monkey, brown bear, civet cats and porcupine as well as many species of butterflies and insects.

Our local operator Kim’s family has had links with India for over 7 generations. For over 20 years Kim has worked with the Gaddi villagers from Dharamsala training them to become cooks, guides and porters. The income generated from trekking work has enabled the villagers to live a more sustainable lifestyle and enjoy the benefits of education for their children and to pay for better health care. Philippa Russell has lived in and around Dharamsala for nearly 20 years. She now works closely with the Tibetan refugee community and with the health, education and environmental projects of Nishtha (see www.Nishtha-hp.org).

Local leaders have had training... we brief clients on these matters with a seasonal newsletter on arrival and as appropriate during the trip. All hotels and other accommodation is locally owned, staffed and managed except in Delhi. We stay at two private houses during our trip and also visit other village houses. These are staffed and managed by local people therefore directly supporting the neighbouring communities. In Andretta we employ a married couple to “live-in” thereby providing full-time employment in a region with critical levels of unemployment.

Water is a very precious commodity in India and is often limited by default – ie there is none in the pipes! Where possible we encourage clients to used boiled water instead of plastic bottled water. We encourage all recycling of plastic bottles locally. Whilst staying at Dharamkot we use local spring water and use wood from a sustainable managed source for heating. At Andretta the situation is similar and we encourage water conservation for all forms of washing. We use eco-compost toilets at both properties. All recyclable materials are traded locally (eg plastics, metals, glass and paper) in return for local produce (eg potatoes/onions etc). Group size is limited to 16 clients and two train journeys are included instead of travelling by road.

We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism.

Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit!