Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Community:
This part of Russia is little visited by western tourists so the small tourism businesses we use really benefit from our visit; be they locally owned restaurants, hotels and guesthouses, boat operators, local transport providers or simply the vendors who ply their goods at the rail stops. All get our support.
You’ll get a real and authentic insight into Siberian culture on this tour. Travel by train is, of course a great way to get a feel for a country and meet local people but there are many more opportunities on this trip as we have included visits to Russian family homes which is a rare privilege and gives you the chance to sample hearty home cooking! Naturally we only want to visit where we are welcome so such visits are planned with the consent of local people who wish to share some of their life with others, for everyone’s benefit. We use local guides, generating employment and giving you information not just on the local history but a perspective on life in modern day Russia too.
Environment:
Through all the debate over the relative environmental merits of different forms of transport, it is generally accepted that rail travel is a lower carbon option than flying. Conscious of our impact on the environment, many of our rail tours eliminate flights completely from the itinerary, whilst others minimise flying by choose to travelling one-way by rail. Furthermore, by opting to travel on public trains we are drastically reducing the reliance on privately chartered transport within our tours. All travel has impacts. We are confident this tour keeps those to a minimum.
As well as the above, 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.
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.
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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!
