Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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All our staff are Southern African residents. All our guides undergo a full training program. Our guides and assistants are the best paid in the overland industry. All our perishables are purchased in local villages and towns enroute in Southern Africa. All our excursions are done with local communities.
We encourage our guests not buy wooden products. They usually purchase souvenirs in the local craft markets thus supporting the local artisans. We also brief our guests to respect local culture when taking photos etc.
Our guides cook and camp on a sustainable basis being careful of what produce they use. All litter etc is removed form campsites. Game drives are done in a manner respecting the habitats. By paying park fees we are also contributing to conservation.
Accommodation on this overland tour is in 2* and 3* privately/community owned lodges and guesthouses.
We have a policy of re-using paper where possible, and all magazines etc which we cannot re-use is sent for recycling. Our staff also support the Responsible Tourism ideals. Air-conditioning is only used on very hot days (we use fans instead when this is possible), and staff bring second-hand clothing and toys on a regular basis which is donated to Zulufadder/Zulusponsor, which is the project we support on an active and ongoing basis.
Zulufadder/Zulusponsor:
Zulufadder is Norwegian, meaning "Zulu Godparent" or "Zulu Sponsor" and is an organization established by Mari Maurstad (Norwegian actress & author) and our Norwegian-born Director - Ragnhild (Rung) Button.
Our aim is to help as many children as possible in Eshowe, a district in Zululand, South Africa. Many of these children are orphans; in most cases, AIDS claimed the lives of their parents. It is not uncommon to find as many as 15 children living together with their grandmother or aunt in the same hut. They do not have enough money for food or school fees, which again means no education.
This project is unique in that each sponsor is connected to a specific child. This is an organisation without a large bureaucratic structure, but is instead a "hands-on" project where the sponsored amount is used for the benefit of the children who are in need. Therefore your donation will be used for the benefit of 'your' child. So far we have several hundred sponsors in Norway, each sponsor pays the equivalent of US $40 (GBP 20) per month. For this, each child receives school fees, a food parcel each month, as well as help with other needs such as a blanket, clothes, medicines if they are ill, etc. Each sponsor receives a profile of 'their' child with photo, brief history and also information of the child's hopes and dreams.
A key figure in this project is Aurelia Mhlongo - a "female Nelson Mandela". Aurelia is herself a 'granny', she is also a retired nurse and a pillar of strength for the local community. It is Aurelia who is told of children in need; children living alone and with pressing needs. Aurelia visits the children, interviews them, investigates their situation and make recommendations as to which children to include in the project. We currently look after close to 700 children, and due to your help perhaps more children could also be enrolled in this project.
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!
