Northern Pakistan holiday

Planet

This tour travels through some very remote regions, many of which have barely been touched by the presence of humans, and we strongly believe in maintaining their pristine nature. We strive to ensure that we leave these areas as we find them and our team have been trained in strict no litter policies, meaning that we take all refuse to either be recycled or properly disposed of in nearby towns. Many people in Pakistan do not have the same approach to the environment as we would in western Europe, therefore it is not uncommon for local people to dispose of rubbish simply by throwing it out of the window. We work to educate our drivers and other service providers so as to avoid contributing to this problem.

When exploring the landscape on foot we make sure that we stick to whatever tracks there may be, and when driving we stick to the dirt roads so as not to degrade the landscape.

In conjunction with our local team we work with hotels and guesthouses to implement best practices when it comes to environmental matters – in some places this is far behind what we might be used to in other parts of the world. This includes basic things like not replacing towels each day, as well as saving electricity and turning lights off – small things but as the northern regions of Pakistan are not as developed as the southern part of the country we hope that through gentle and sensitive advice we can have an impact upon this.

People

On all of tours we strive to include a strong focus on local communities and we are firm believers that tourism should have a positive impact on the places visited. On this tour we spend most of the time in Pakistan’s more traditional areas. Where possible we employ the services of local people in order not only to gain a greater insight into the complex traditions here but to ensure that they gain financial benefit from our visit, rather than just being ‘exhibits’. When visiting the Kalash people we brief our travellers on appropriate behaviour and ask that no matter how photogenic the people are, to be sensitive with regards to photography, always asking people if they mind and respecting their wishes if they prefer not to be photographed.

These are very traditional areas with certain codes of behaviour, and the people here are not that accustomed to outsiders. We ensure that our travellers are appropriately briefed in order so as not to offend local sensibilities.

We visit a number of sites and monuments on this tour that do not necessarily receive much funding from other sources; the entrance fees that we include help to maintain the heritage of this country for future generations – not just western travellers but more importantly to local people to whom they have far more cultural and historical significance. We use locally owned suppliers and our partners here are deeply involved with the preservation of the culture and heritage of the country.

Where possible we encourage our travellers to spend their money with local businesses; for example when visiting villages we usually make a point of stopping at a tea shop or buying supplies from shops, which helps to spread the economic benefits of tourism. It is not always practical to eat outside of the hotels and guesthouses but where possible we try to do this, again to make sure that a variety of businesses and people gain from our visit.

We employ drivers and local guides from within the areas that we visit, helping to provide income to a region that has traditionally been rather neglected from an economic point of view.