Ethiopian tour, 20 days
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 it's 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 experiencing new cultures.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Most of our destination service suppliers such as hotels, lodges, parks, restaurants and others have already put in place a policy of using the local resources for development of the tourism industry in their respective areas.
Greener work place: We try as much as we can to make where we work more sustainable. We apply the three Rs; reduction, reuse and recycling to our full potential.
Leave your foot print behind campaign: is an initiative under the viva cares center. In 2009, we pledged to plant one tree by every customer’s name we serve besides our project of empowering rural farmers to restore tree cover to their lands. We provide you with this unique opportunity to leave your foot print behind in the remote corners of Ethiopia. In addition to helping decrease global warming you are leaving something especial behind that will stay long after you have gone Telling for everyone the audacious story of your presence in that unique space and time.
Global warming: is a reality and this campaign helps you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel, we offer a chance to carbon balance your travel. We provide our travelers, for free, with everything that is necessary to plant the tree form the seedlings to handy equipments.
Low CO2 emissions: On our tour programs we always make a never ending effort to reduce the local flights of the program. Besides reducing the environmental impacts this will enable our customers to get the real experience and increase the cultural exchange as we travel through the remote villages and small towns. Reducing the number of flights has no meaning if we pollute our environment by using old 4x4s that produce an enormous amount of CO2. This is why our company always invests in acquiring fuel efficient and more environments friendly vehicles. All our tours are conducted using our up-to-date low CO2 emission fleet of vehicles and all our vehicles are regularly serviced and maintained ensuring that 4x4s run as efficiently as possible.
On the road conservation: For cooking we generally use gas instead of wood, a cleaner fuel and leaves natural resources for local people. Local fuel sources are used but they must be from plentiful resources and not where it would encourage local people to misuse resources. Passengers and crew are encouraged to use rechargeable batteries for items such as cameras, personal music systems etc. These can be charged from mains supplies or on our trucks as we travel.
Community
As you buy authentic souvenirs, arts and crafts you will support households and families to improve the quality of their life. The income they will earn as a result of your booking and further shopping will enable them to provide their children with their needs and learning materials. As you visit the park you will stay in camping sites run by the park.
All the guides except one throughout the trip are locals and the scouts are hired by the park. Also outside the park you will be staying in locally owned accommodations and will be served by staffs who are members of the community. They will get most of their material and man-power needs from the local markets and resources. As we also purchase most of the necessities for the trip like food, water, coffee, soft papers etc. from locally owned shops and restaurants; they will be benefited.
We encourage our clients to bring their unwanted clothes with them so that they can wear them and then give them away on the trip - making more room for local crafts in their bags, thus supporting the local economy!
This trip includes a visit to a local pottery project near Asco in Addis Ababa to support their struggle against poverty. We also visit a local community in Konso who are working hard to reduce deforestation.
Meal card: for every customer we serve we buy three meal cards for children who are without parents. We are against giving money to kids individually since it has shown in the past to direct them into bad habits.
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