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On this trip we stay at small, locally run campsites or hostels, and, where possible, buy our food in local markets, thereby directly supporting local communities. When we eat out we use local restaurants, not international chains and we encourage our clients to try food from street vendors and local beer!
We use local companies to run all our excursions and local guides at sites of historical interest. For example, in Egypt we use local Egyptologist guides to visit the Pyramids and Sphinx. In Luxor, our local rep Tayeb, sources the donkeys for the trip to the Valley of the Kings from his own family and neighbours and has been doing so for the past five years. This allows village families to gain extra income beyond their subsistence farming. In Aswan clients undertake a 2 day felucca trip. The feluccas are owned and run by Ahmed Fauzi and his extended family –we have been supporting their tiny felucca business from its start. They have recently managed to expand to 3 small sail boats which completely support their large extended village family.
In Turkey we have Turkish guides when we visit Gallipoli and Cappadocia. In Jordan, we use Bedouin guides for 4WD treks into the more inaccessible areas of Wadi Rum. We have our vehicles maintained and serviced locally. In Turkey, Hamdi and Ali Deger have a workshop in Istanbul that we use regularly for maintenance and spares. We limit our group size to 24 thereby reducing their cultural and environmental impact on the region.
Before commencing the tour all our clients are provided with detailed pre-departure info which includes information on Responsible Travel. This information is re-emphasised by our Tour Leader at the start of the trip-clients are, for example, advised about respecting local customs particularly in terms of dress and behaviour; water conservation; animal welfare-a salient feature of this trip as we use carefully selected donkey and horse transport in Luxor-again supporting local communities.
Charities supported on this trip:
We support two charities on this trip. In Cairo we have donated computers, teaching materials and provide regular financial assistance to the Sudanese Community Development Program-a school for Sudanese refugee children. We have also helped the school set up a Sponsor-a Child scheme and arranged a letter exchange scheme between the children there and a school local to our UK office. This promotes opportunities for inter-cultural understanding and provides the Sudanese children with great encouragement. We can arrange pre or post-tour visits to the school, and many of our clients regularly donate old clothes and shoes to the Sudanese Refugees via our collection system at our Cairo Hotel. Most recently, in autumn 2008, we funded installation of an air conditioning system in the schools computer room as this room was unusable in the heat of summer.
In Luxor we sponsor the Sunshine Project International, a home for abandoned and orphaned children. Apart from a regular financial commitment we have also donated bedding and play equipment to the school and even delivered a sandpit from the UK. Luckily there was no need to deliver any sand! Clients on the Egypt trip are given the opportunity to visit the home in Luxor and regularly donate baby toiletries and toys directly there themselves.
South African Chris travelled extensively as a school-leaver. He then got a job with an overland operator where he met Steve, truck driver, builder and tour leader. They clubbed together and set up their own business from Chris’s spare room, renting the corner of a farmer’s barn to build a single truck. They were the first overland company to go from Nairobi to Cape Town and now have a streamlined UK office where all staff have previously worked on the road. Their truck crews are the eyes and ears of the company and ensure they maintain mutually beneficial long-standing relationships with local suppliers.
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