Short break to Iceland, tailor made

Planet

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.

Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland is full of the unexpected. Defined by its stunning volcanic landscape of geysers, hot springs, waterfalls, glaciers and black-sand beaches, Iceland is a country of magic where nature meets an eccentric culture full of myth and legend. In order to protect this unique land, we ensure that our visit to places such as the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier and Solheimajökull ice formations are undertaken with experienced and professional guides who are from the area and care about their environment.

Also when visiting attractions like the Blue Lagoon, we issue our travellers with specific rules that exist to safeguard the natural environment and at the same time show respect towards locals that might perceive a foreigner’s behaviour impolite and disrespectful. Last but not least, this tour also offers a diving experience which is provided by a recognised and certified local dive centre who ensure that the marine environment remains pristine.

• 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.

• 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.

People

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.

Iceland was hit hard by the economic downturn which started in 2008. Many families, especially those living far from the central hub of Reykjavik, had to reinvent themselves and rely on traditional ways of making money. In fact, in the last few years, many activities such as fishing, farming and/or local hand crafting have gained a vital importance as a way of restoring economic stability. In this scenario, tourism plays a key role and is an important aspect in boosting local economy.

In the light of this, our tour aims to show you the less known and touristic areas of Iceland and discover different aspects of this wonderful country. Furthermore, we encourage travellers to bear in mind that their visit can have a more positive impact if products and/or souvenirs are purchased locally. Similarly, we as a company collaborate with small and local suppliers in order to establish a long-lasting and sustainable legacy with Iceland.

• 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.