Bolivia highlights small group holiday

Planet

Carbon reduction

Our tours visit important sites dedicated to the conservation of nature and indigenous territories. Boat transportation to visit Lake Titicaca is shared with other agencies and independent tourists who arrive to spend the night on the Isla del Sol, and in the case of Madidi National Park, we use medium-sized motorized boats to reduce or even better avoid any disturbance that might affect the wildlife that inhabit pristine beaches in the Beni and Tuichi rivers.

To avoid further impacts, the visit to the Isla del Sol is entirely on foot, so visitors enjoy the splendid Andean rural landscape and the living culture that still inhabits this beautiful island, one of the most inspiring destinations in Bolivia. Similarly, in the Amazon, inside Madidi National Park, tourist routines also include different hikes through an extensive trail system to access intact rainforests, and these hikes are complemented with rides paddling small canoes in Lake Chalalan to also avoid impacts with the resident fauna that inhabits the lake and its surrounding forest.

Environment and wildlife

Our hostels use solar panels to pump water and generate electricity, and natural gas is used for kitchen and hot showers. Solid waste is collected and subsequently removed from Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Lake Chalalan, and Salar de Uyuni to be disposed in dedicated collection centers in large cities.

In our tours, wildlife and wilderness come first. Fishing routines are not permitted neither feeding wild animals to facilitate photography. Additionally, cutting lianas and marking trees are also not allowed during any tour. The fundamental concept of tourism services is that visitors should observe wildlife in its element, which results in a true genuine experience when visiting pristine nature in a more respectful manner and respecting the fragile ecology.

Our tours do not visit sites that are still refuges for species highly threatened by extinction like in some locations in Lake Titicaca. Similarly, our tours to Lake Chalalan are careful not to impact wildlife. This lake is one of the best places to observe monkeys, mammals and birds that are no longer possible to see in other places due to selective hunting and habitat destruction. To ensure any negative impact of visitation, our groups are usually less than 10 people, and no more than 15.

In the Uyuni Salt Flat, for transportation, we use vehicles for 4 to 5 people to avoid impacting in the incredibly beautiful landscape of this unique nature attraction.

People

Local economy

Our tours take travelers to three of the top and most iconic destinations in Bolivia like Lake Titicaca, Madidi National Park and the Uyuni Salt Flat, where tourism is the most important and sustainable economy all year round. As tour operators we are committed with the sound touristic development of these regions.

Employment, inclusivity and diversity

Our guides and drivers are natives who live in the destinations we visit, such as Lake Titicaca, the Bolivian Amazon or the Salar de Uyuni. Supporting local families is our business commitment towards economic and social sustainability, made possible through responsible tourism. The female workforce is important in operations in lodges and services in all destinations we travel, therefore, we are also committed to fully support this.

In Madidi National Park, for more than two decades we have been generating employment opportunities for 50 heads of households, including men and women, and young people from the Community of San José de Uchupiamonas, a Quechua-Tacana etnia, which has approximately 600 inhabitants. The impact of employment benefits a minimum of 150 people or 25% of the community. Our tours that involve this community members include routines that promote education and cultural exchange. This community, small in Bolivia, has unique traditions and is threatened by cultural extinction and we consider that tourism is perhaps the best alternative for the long-term cultural and economic survival of this ethnic group.