Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
We provide all travellers with reusable bags in order to avoid waste and encourage use of “tea flasks” for drinking water (or tea, like the locals do!) so as not to purchase multiple plastic bottles. Safe drinking water available in all our accommodation and transport. Any bottles that are purchased are given to the community of waste collectors who rely on this for an income.
All suppliers issued with RT recommendations in their local language and leaders and groups act as “ambassadors” for spreading the RT message beyond just our travellers but also trying to involve the local tourism industry.
Wherever possible we take local transport in Russia. This can mean anything from public bus, trolley bus, tram or subway. We also have the opportunity to explore on bikes and on foot and travel overland on all our basix trips. When taking trains we travel 2nd or 3rd class (kupe or platzkart) which is the way the majority of locals travel - this gives us maximum chance to meet and share stories, food, games and the journey with local travellers.
Food left over after group meals is collected and boxed up to be left where homeless/street people might easily find it and take it without them having to go through garbage for a meal.
We include informal local language lessons to give our travellers a head start into understanding the culture and communicating with the people we meet along the way.
At the end of out journey we encourage our travellers to donate unwanted clothes, toiletries or other goods which we then distribute to local organisations.
Our tour leaders are all Russian locals.
This trip may only be short (8 days) but definitely manages to fit in as many local experiences as possible as you travel some of the highlights of the North West of this extensive country.
You are accompanied by a leader for the duration of the tour who will be able to help you understand more about the realities of living and travelling in Russia and help to facilitate your interaction with locals along the way. The local guides who take you on excursions and walking tours in each of the places we visit are passionate about their country and allow you to get a real insight into places significant to the history, culture and development of the nation.
During the journey there are numerous opportunities for local interaction and getting to know people. Wandering the back streets of Suzdal you'll no doubt encounter local residents tending their gardens, chickens and livestock or perhaps even come across monks, nuns and priests on their way to the many monasteries and churches in the town. In Novgorod in the summer months you can relax with locals as they soak up the sun along the river bank beaches or in winter join them for a steam at the public banya (sauna/bathhouse).
Along the way you'll have the opportunity to support local industries by shopping for food at local farmers markets, buying direct from the babushka's who sell their home produce on the streets or visiting local handicraft stalls.
Getting from place to place is done mainly by utilising public transport. In Moscow this means the ornate, bustling but superbly efficient metro system. From Novgorod to St Petersburg it's one of the frequent public buses, while to get to Novgorod you'll get a taste of Russian train travel on an overnight sleeper where the dining car is definitely the hub for chatting and drinking with local travellers. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn from a friendly local who strikes up a conversation on the train or as you explore on by foot or travel on local transport.
At the completion of your journey travellers are encouraged to donate any unwanted clothing and toiletries, which are distributed to a St Petersburg local charity (Nochlezhka) supported by us which provides support for the city's homeless.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
