Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
Environment
We support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost.
Community
Festivals express the very soul of a community, rooted as they are in local history and folklore. They’ll engage all your senses, with their din, colours, scents, tastes – the sheer rawness and spontaneity of the whole experience. This is a fabulous way to learn about the local customs and traditions and get an authentic view of the country you are travelling to in an unpackaged way.
The Ice Festival and Chinese New Year are contrasting events in very different parts of China but each gives a great insight into the traditions and culture of China, both ancient and modern. The festivals are brought to life by our local guides who share with us the festivals’ history and what it means to them. It is this insider information that really is one of the most important aspects of our trip. We believe that learning about the history and culture of the places we are visiting is a vital part of the travel experience and our Chinese guides can share with us not only historic traditions but also fascinating information about life in modern day China.
As well as learning about the people, we also want to be an economic benefit to them. Rather than include all meals we try to spread our business to a variety of local restaurants. Likewise we try to support craft markets and small traders, not just the government emporia, so that our custom helps them grow their small businesses.
This small group operator is just celebrating its 30th year and was originally set up to enrich people’s lives through adventure travel. The directors have roots in overland trucking and are determined to keep a pioneering spirit alive. They believe what sets them apart is the strong relationships they’ve developed with local suppliers and tour guides over the years. A tour leader who thinks creatively can turn a good experience into a fantastic one and open up a place so that travellers gain insight into a completely different way of life. They operate in many different countries and try to avoid a blanket approach – their aim is to get customers involved in the projects they visit and to forge lifelong friendships.
Listen to the podcast below:
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!
