Self guided canoeing holiday in Ireland
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.
How Self guided canoeing holiday in Ireland makes a difference
Environment
You could not have less impact on this planet if you took any other type of adventure holiday. This trip will make virtually no difference at all to the environment. When we paddle through the Barrow valley it will be as we were never there. You will leave nothing behind you, no trail and no trace except a brief ripple along an enchanting journey. You will not be disturbing the wildlife, you will not damage the flora and the river environment will not be altered in any way. We operate a leave no trace policy on our river trips.
The start and finish of our self-guide canoe holidays are within walking distance of mainline rail stations. The start and finish of our guided canoe holidays are within walking distance of mainline bus routes and a short transfer of mainline rail stations. We never use any form of transport involving fossil fuel on the river.
Our canoes are made from recyclable plastic. They do not cause any form of air or water pollution and they do not produce noise that could be disturbing for wildlife. We never use any form of transport involving fossil fuel on the river. We are very conscious of not disturbing wildlife habitats (eg. Otterholts, swans nests) along the river.
Our home is our office. At home we harvest rainwater for use in heating, washing and cooking. We only use energy saving bulbs and we recycle as much waste, paper, tin and glass locally as we can. Our accommodation providers use only energy saving bulbs and advise guests as to how save on water usage. Our group size is normally between 6 and 16 persons. This allows us to give a better and more inclusive service. We offset our CO2 emissions for our vehicles with ClimateCare.
Community
You will make a big difference to the community. The canoeing is family owned and run and the survival of this small business depends on responsible travelers like yourself. For our part all the recyclable plastic canoes are now assembled by us in Ireland. We operate from home so we don’t waste resources on an un-necessary office. At home we harvest rainwater as our only supply of water.
We are involved in four tourism development groups to attract further responsible travelers and we are constantly encouraging our government to act in a responsible manner with special regard to all its activities in the Barrow valley. We have also offset all our carbon emissions in relation to our business.
The accommodation provider is also family owned (3rd generation) and have also offset their carbon emissions. As a family owned and operated business they are very careful that there is as little waste as possible. They also use low energy bulbs and advise clients as to how they can help in water conservation and how they can have a more positive impact on the environment during their stay.
The local community also benefits because the hotel and ourselves hire local people to guide, cook, serve, clean, transport and entertain. The local shops, bars and restaurants will also benefit from your visit and these benefits are what helps to keep our little area thriving.
Quite often independent travelers are channeled towards the bigger or more renowned destinations while smaller operators who offer a much more authentic and rewarding experience are left struggling for a piece of the pie. The same is true of Ireland. Even for such a small island as ours much of the resources for promoting tourism are directed at established centres. If you want to experience the real Ireland, meet the locals, taste the food, smell the air, see the sights and bring home the memories of a true Celtic adventure, then our Canoe adventures are the perfect way to do all this and more.
Self guided canoeing holiday in Ireland
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