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Community
Local community: We deliberately keep our groups small (no more than 6) in order to provide an authentic cultural exchange and maximize the opportunities for meaningful contact between visitors and locals alike. We choose to visit local small owner operated restaurants and accommodation providers (wherever possible) ensuring the benefits remain within the local communities. Visitors are kindly asked to respect the culture of the Kurdish people in Turkey and Iraq, and details of our guidelines will be provided on booking.
In Turkey
the trip starts and finishes in the small Kurdish village of Yuvacali where pre-tour and post-tour accommodation can be provided upon request in a home stay. The home stay scheme directly benefits the families involved. Visitors to the village are encouraged to contribute to the local preschool unit, a health scheme or an environmental scheme. The food in the village is organic and home grown.
Meals en-route to Iraq are provided as a combination of packed lunches prepared by home stay scheme families, and the use of a restaurant which is run by women in order to help other women suffering from domestic violence in the area. The restaurant exists as a business to fund a shelter for women.Turcoman nomads who are visited are paid in kind with essential goods such as sugar, oil, or tea. Drivers are local drivers who have especially been trained to work in tourism
In Iraqi Kurdistan
We employ local guides and drivers. Money from the trip directly benefits them and their families who reside in the cities we visit. Additionally, we fund English language training for our guides and safe driving courses for our drivers.
All food for the picnic at Lalish is sourced from local suppliers (home grown or locally bought) and the food is prepared by a Kurdish family.
We aim to keep the unique culture of the Kurdish Yazidi people with whom we meet intact while at the same time, visitors are encouraged to interact with the locals at Lalish - do not be surprised if you are invited to join them for tea or food. All seating such as carpets and cushions we use, are produced or provided by local Kurdish families. Visitors are required to remove their footwear while at Lalish, thus further preserving the local site.
Environment
We maintain a low environmental impact by electing to use smaller vehicles (large enough for the tour) only; and by not leaving any rubbish at any sites visited (we take this with us). Cooking (on site) takes place over a small fire at Lalish. In Turkey, the use of dung is encouraged as cooking fuel wherever possible. There is abundant wildlife in the area including foxes, birds, reptiles, and occasional wolves.
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