Green triangle holiday, India

One of the most unique programs in Eco Tourism in India - this holiday support local forest communities as trackers, guides and interpreters. Due to several "social re-engineering" and political decisions, many of the tribal people have been forced to leave the forest and relocated elsewhere. They have lost touch with their roots and day to day activities. This particular trip focuses on their role as caretakers of forest, its resources and wildlife and by doing so also assures them a dignified livelihood. Sustainable income through responsible tourism ensures increasing interest amongst local community members, which in turn supports conservation of wildlife and forest resources.

We are also in the process of building a network of accommodation providers who manage their properties in a responsible way so that it doesn't create any negative impacts to the local area and environment. The focus is on bringing in such benefits through tourism.

Tour leaders and interpreters are all from the local community. By giving them an opportunity to share their tradition and stories with travellers, we have noticed the increased ownership in many initiatives associated with Responsible tourism in all these areas. Instead of migrating to bigger cities like Bangalore, these rural boys and girls now have an option to stay back in their village and still earn a decent living. Since our holiday involves visit to local communities and villages, we ensure that our guests are briefed thoroughly on the cultural background, for eg. Certain Do's and Don'ts like Practicing Responsible Photography are made available before they are go on our holidays. Our activity partners are not show pieces for tourists, but hosts who work with us with dignity. Most rural area visits lead you to optional visits to local schools and interaction with villagers. For most guests, these visits are eye openers to understand the resilience of local communities who live with minimal resources.

Our company was set up to help raise funds for a river foundation. This doesn't restrict our support to any other organisations in destinations where we offer holidays. This is not necessarily in the form of donations, but by being part of the wealth creation and providing social benefits (Quantifiable, visible for our travellers) that we have carefully incorporated into the Responsible travel itinerary.

Being one of the pioneers of Responsible Tourism in India, our company works closely with government authorities, industry stake holders and communities to promote Responsible Tourism in the state.

Most of the properties we recommend in this holiday are locally owned, but as in many cases the final call is with the guests on where they choose to stay. However, we are working with many owners to maintain their properties responsibly. Since this trip takes you through a green triangle across different states in South India, the social dynamics and policies are different from state to state. Along this journey, one can clearly observe the pros and cons of human intervention on various levels. For those interested in ethnography and anthropology we can ensure your interaction with policy makers, local government officials, NGOs and the communities throughout your stay.