Kenya & Tanzania classic safari

Environment

Having travelled extensively ourselves and witnessed first-hand how tourism can have either positive or negative effects on local communities and the environment, we always endeavour to leave a positive mark on all places we send clients and promote awareness of the local environment.

Our Kenya and Tanzania tour is a spectacular journey for whoever loves nature and would like to walk into the wild to experience the real spirit of Africa. Plenty of natural spots full of flora and fauna in this itinerary will take through some of the most astonishing and unspoiled places between these two countries. Lake Manyora National Park, Tarangire Nationla Park, the Serengeti, Lake Victoria, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Reserve and the list goes on.

While we aim to give travellers the most amazing experience, we work with local guides and staff who ensure safe observation of the animals to ensure as little interference as possible in the natural way they behave. They also ensure sustainability of the surrounding environment by guiding the game drives themselves and sticking to designated paths so as not to ruin the habitat. At the same time they offer advice and information to travellers in order to educate on the importance of animals in the wild. It is due to the value of these natural settings that we ensure our trips to be guided by professionals who are concerned about the environment and active in terms of sustainable tourism.

Nowadays, both Kenya and Tanzania have to face environmental issues due to tourism exploitation. As a small travel company, we want to guarantee unforgettable travel experiences at the same time as ensuring that minimal impact is caused to the local environment.

• As a company: We strive to operate as a paperless company as far as possible, and recycle wherever facilities are available. We use toxic-free fair trade products whenever we can.

• Where we stay: As a boutique travel company we strive to offer unique and authentic travel experiences in line with sustainable accommodation. Many of the resorts and operators we work with are eco-friendly and run their businesses in a more environmentally friendly manner. For instance, guests are offered free drinking water refills to minimise wastage of plastic bottles. While in remote areas, we carry rubbish with us and ensure we do not disturb anything in the natural environment.

• While we are there: We ensure that our clients are given the correct guidance while visiting protected areas and/or heritage sites in order to minimise impacts on the environment and respect the natural wonders of the area. We collaborate with guides who are local to the area and have been trained, bettering their communities. Typically these areas also ask for a fee to appreciate the protected area. These fees go to conservation and infrastructure efforts directly supporting the reserve.

Community

Our tours are designed with the intention of maximising the benefits that our guests can have on the host community. This is the reason why we endeavour to follow responsible guidelines and teach guests about responsible tourism in order to encourage them to be mindful of the environment and respectful of local people and culture. With all our tailor-made trips we enjoy offering new routes and encourage travel to areas that are not on the main tourist trails and which further support smaller, local communities.

Kenya and Tanzania are the home lands of the Maasai community. Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people. Although the numerous threats that might put the existence of Maasai at risk, this community represents an important cultural and traditional aspect of East Africa. Known for their hospitality, Maasai are quite open to tourists and they do not mind having them visiting their villages and houses, in fact thy are willing to educate and be educated and welcome visitors, however we do stress the mportance of acceptance and tolerance among people travelling to Maasai communities.

We believe that this is a critical aspect for travellers since they have the chance to get involved with locals and understand differences. In fact, in places such as the Maasai Mara National Reserve or the Mto-Wa-Mbu Village, we promote engagement with locals and our itinerary is designed to establish a contact between you and the Maasai community. Not only this but we encourage visits to local schools and other communities to better understand the way of life in other countries.

• As A Company: We believe in the importance of showing respect for local people and their customs and try to emphasis this in the way our tours are arranged. Where possible we aim to create a bond between staff and traveller so our clients gain insight into the real life of local communities. We endeavour to keep our groups small, minimising the environmental and social impact that the participants have on the destination. Through travel with us, we aim to help meet an important local need by contributing to the area’s economy, creating jobs and by eating locally sourced food and using locally sourced products.

• Where we stay: As a boutique travel company we search for authenticity and uniqueness from the local suppliers and whenever possible, encourage our travellers to stay in privately owned accommodation. We believe that working with hotel/accommodation owners who source staff, products, services and produce from within the community gives the local people an opportunity to gain from the increase in tourism to the area.

• While we are there: As previously mentioned, we work in partnership with locally employed guides who having been professionally trained, better their communities and provide insight into the local culture. We encourage interaction with local communities, however we keep our group sizes small and provide advice during the trip to ensure our impact on the indigenous way of life is minimised. Typically these areas also ask for a fee to appreciate the protected area, which go to aid conservation, employment and infrastructure efforts directly supporting the community and surroundings. We also encourage our clients to support the livelihood of the local community by purchasing locally produced crafts wherever possible.