Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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The network of hotels we use in this part of Bolivia are newly built, of a high standard (3/4 star) and in keeping with the local environment. They are built of local materials, salt or stone, and are designed to be as ecological as possible in this fragile environment. All rooms have a private bathroom with solar hot water and solar heating. Each hotel has a restaurant offering buffet style meals with as much local produce as possible.
This is one of the poorest parts of Bolivia where there is a problem of depopulation as local Aymara communities really struggle to survive. The hotels have been built in partnership with four local communities, which are actively involved in their construction and on-going running, and benefit from the income from tourism. The hotels are on land rented from the communities and will be passed entirely into community hands in 15 years.
Company policy
In the UK we use recyclable and recycled materials when possible. We recycle what we can and attempt to keep waste to an absolute minimum. We promote paper saving by using email as much as possible and by keeping unwanted mail to a minimum. We use low-energy light bulbs, fair-trade and biodegradable products where possible.
We are involved in on-going training of the staff we work with in the UK and in the Andes to ensure as high as possible standards of environmental care and responsible behaviour. When we introduce a new tour we always consider its environmental impact, and try to reduce this impact to a minimum.
On all our trips we aim to minimize waste by using products with minimum packaging, leaving no litter and keeping all water sources clean, leaving camp sites cleaner than we find them.
We are supporting two charities, the UK registered charity Amantani - which is very much in keeping with our ethos of small scale, targetted help which is educational & sustainable - and Huchuy Yachaq, a Cusco-based project which we support by paying a for a full time teacher. A % of all our income goes to support those projects.
The founder of this tour operator set up 14 years ago after working as a trek leader and writing guidebooks in South America. She decided to offer alternative trekking routes that no one else was doing, where you’re more likely to cross paths with local people. She maintains close personal relationships with her suppliers and is godmother to several of their children. Her small specialised team have really walked the walks and so know exactly what they’re talking about; they familiarise themselves with the hiking trails every year and believe the Andean way of life is well worth sharing.
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!
