Silk Road overland tour
An overland trip is all about sharing a great experience with like-minded people. On this tour you’ll travel in one of our purpose built expedition vehicles on an off the beaten track adventure along rugged roads, experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of the world up close. Because we're travelling overland, some long days spent driving are inevitable - but these will be interspersed with breaks of a day or two at a destination or activity.
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with a group of between 5-20 like minded travellers and you'll have 2 group leaders with you at all times. In some areas you'll also be joined by a campmaster, as well as expert local guides along the way.
On an overland adventure you're more than just a passenger, you're part of the crew. Depending on the trip itinerary, your accommodation will be a mix of hotels or local guesthouses and camping - and everyone is expected to get involved and help with setting up camp, pitching tents, shopping for food and even cooking. There are also a number of other jobs that need doing, for example collecting water and firewood, luggage loading, organising food stores etc. These tasks may be assigned to particular people or on a rota system according to group size and make-up.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We are dedicated to minimising the effects our trips have on the environment, and are committed to trying to reduce, re-use and recycle as much as is possible, both out on the road and back in our offices in the UK. All our trips follow our strict environmental guidelines that encourage the respect of natural resources, waste minimisation and recycling wherever possible. In this part of the world water conservation management is extremely important.
All of our trips follow these guidelines:
- Waste water is disposed of away from fresh water sources
- Toilet areas are always away from sources of fresh water
- Each truck carries sufficient drinking water (approx 350l) this makes the purchase of individual plastic bottles of drinking water unnecessary By travelling in overland truck we are completely self-sufficient meaning that we do not have to take water or other environmental resources away from the local populations.
Aside from water conservation we follow these environmental guidelines:
- For cooking we generally use gas instead of wood, a cleaner fuel and leaves natural resources for local people
- Local fuel sources are used but they must be from plentiful resources and not where it would encourage local people to squander resources or compete with local peoples need for precious supplies
- All our trucks conform to UK emission controls when they leave the UK
- All our trucks are regularly serviced and maintained ensuring that trucks run as efficiently as possible
- Passengers and crew are encouraged to use rechargeable batteries for items such as cameras, personal music systems etc. These can be charged from mains supplies or on our trucks as we travel
Community
On this trip we travel through remote areas and small villages, and over time we have developed partnerships with many local organisations and communities along the way, for example, at Song Kul Lake, we stay as guests of the semi-nomadic Kyrgyz people in their yurts. This is a great opportunity for community interaction where all parities benefit. The local Kyrgyz people benefit from an added income and we as travellers benefit from the genuine cultural experience. We hope to come away with an understanding of the ways of life for the semi-nomadic people.
Similarly in Kochkor we will stay for the night with a traditional family, living with them and finding out about their daily life, food and family traditions. Many communities in the area take in tour groups as an added source of income. Where possible we will stay with communities or locally run hotels rather than government run establishments. These not give travellers an authentic feel of a country but help distribute tourist revenue evenly.
By staying people in their own homes, we are able to contribute to the development of the community, providing a dependable income stream and in turn facilitating improvements in education and living standards. We also aim to benefit the communities we travel through by making sure we shop for food and other provisions in local markets and small shops along the way – and by staying in small, locally owned guesthouses and hotels.
