Nepal photography tour, magical Mustang

Planet

Mustang is environmentally sensitive because it relatively recently opened up to limited tourism. In many ways, it could be considered pristine, and we want to keep it that way. Here are a few ways in which we support the environment:

Hotels
We use locally owned and run accommodation throughout the tour. In all cases, we use hotels made from local materials but blend comfort with eco-friendly sensitivity. For example, many of our hotels rely at least partly on solar energy so we encourage participants to dress appropriately for temperature changes rather than depending on a/c or heating. We also encourage the use of single-source clean water in the hotel rather than small individual plastic bottles.

Restaurants
We always eat in local restaurants that incorporate locally sourced produce.

Waste
Waste is potentially a huge issue in the Himalayas, where it is not always easy to dispose of rubbish in an environmentally-friendly way, so first of all, we try to encourage only bio-degradable potential waste. Any non-bio-degradable generated waste is kept in the cars or on the person until it can be disposed of effectively.

People

As this is a tour specialising in photographing local (mostly Tibetan) cultures and specifically the people who embody it, we think it critically important to treat the culture and the people we meet with the utmost respect.

Photograph with respect
On this tour, we visit many religious sites. It is often the case that we visit the main monasteries or temples in each village. We know from experience that the central temple in any town is often the architectural highlight and Kingpin of culture. In such a regard, we also see it as the fulcrum of cultural preservation. Hence we need to help the legacy of this culture, and we pledge a $100 donation per photographer to be shared across the main temples we visit. On this tour, we promise to the main Buddhist monasteries in Kegbeni, Ghami, Tsarang, Lo- Mathangand and the Hindu temple Muktinath.

We keep our tour sizes small, never more than eight photographers plus the leader, so we do not overwhelm those we photograph. All of our tour guides have an in-depth knowledge of local culture, and we talk to our clients at length about customs and practices and how to respect them. We encourage our guests to learn a few basic phrases of the local language and some specific to photography, as we believe a few words can go a long way in communicating and breaking down barriers. As we run the tour annually, we bring photos of the local people back to local communities the following year.

We support the community
We encourage our clients to buy appropriate small gifts (books, pens, paper, food) locally and give back locally as we believe this supports the economy and the community. We think it is better to give these via donation boxes or religious/village leaders as we do not want people, especially children, to see our clients as merely a source of ‘goodies’. We also advise on when it is appropriate to tip people who have given us good service as, for many, this is a significant addition to their income. We encourage clients to act responsibly and with an insight and understanding of the host destination.

Travel with respect
We instruct on etiquette and dress, especially in the local gompas or in people’s homes. We advise that bargaining can be expected, but it should be respected that this is how it is done, and the aim is to end up paying a reasonable price for something that often entails much labour and skill to produce.