We do as much as possible to limit our impact on the environment. We only use brand new trucks on our trips which means that our fuel emissions and therefore pollution effect are reduced as much as possible. We recycle wherever possible, both on our trips and in the office. One particular problem in Asia is the disposal of plastic drink bottles. We combat this problem by encouraging our passengers to refill drink bottles instead of throwing them away and purchasing more.
We operate a zero tolerance policy to litter and have a policy when camping of leaving the site cleaner than the way we found it! Any rubbish which cannot be recycled is disposed of in a responsible and eco-friendly manner.
Food is one of Asia’s greatest highlights and you will get many opportunities to sample the local specialities in all the areas in which we travel. These may be from small roadside food vendors or local family run restaurants. Often the prices are low but the extra business is a welcome boost to their profits. When camping we cook for ourselves and aim to use fresh, locally produced fruit, vegetables and meat whenever possible.
The unpredictable nature of our trips means that at times we may not know where we will be staying. We may encounter a small village en-route where we would seek to find lodgings or an area to camp. In situations like this we would offer a monetary donation to the chief or person whose land we are staying on. It is more than likely that we will end up camping in temple grounds as monks are generally very hospitable to travelers. The monks themselves do a lot of valuable work in the community and we donate generously to them knowing the money will go towards supporting a local charitable organization.
At other times we will stay at small family run guesthouses and hotels. There are also a number of pre-planned homestays included in this tour including the hilltribe villages in Chiang mai. Here we will hire a local guide to take us trekking into the mountains. The ethnic groups we will encounter are among Thailand’s poorest people. Indeed many are actually refugees from Burma and as such are entitled to very little in the way of support and healthcare from the Thai government. Our donations to the village chiefs will go a long way towards providing sanitation, education and much needed medical care in the region. There will also be the opportunity to utilize home-stays with various ethnic groups in Vietnam and China, possibly also in Tibet.
There is also the chance whilst in Chiang mai to visit a charity we sponsor “Support the children foundation” a charity that provides housing and support for children and families infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS. This is a big problem in Thailand and a charity that we are happy to be associated with. We are currently speaking with a charity that provides orphanages in China and we may also be able to pay a visit to one of them and observe their work in action.
The Chengdu Giant Panda breeding centre does some invaluable work. Your visits and donations provide vital resources to continue the breeding programs and hopefully bring Panda populations up to an acceptable level once again. There is also the chance to “adopt” a Giant Panda if you wish!
We visit a great number of national parks on this tour including, Taman Negara in Malaysia, Khao Yai in Thailand and Bach ma in Vietnam. This gives our passengers the chance to familiarize themselves with the flora and fauna of the region whilst contributing directly to their upkeep in the form of park fees and providing gainful employment as guides/park rangers to the local communities.
We also visit Unesco world heritage sites on this tour such as the ancient temple ruins at Ayutthaya – Thailand’s former capital and the Cham ruins at My son in Vietnam. The entry fees and donations that we make pay towards future preservation and restoration.
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