Brazil tailor made tour

Environment

In order to ensure we protect the environment and minimise our ecological footprint we always recommend overland travel using local transportation as opposed to short domestic flights where possible, however due to the vast distances covered during this trip flying is unavoidable. To put it into perspective the bus journey from Rio to Iguazu Falls takes at least 2 days. We can offer suggestions for carbon offsetting if desired. We always recommend extending your time in one or two locations rather than flying to many destinations in Brazil, by offering suggestions for extra tours and other day trips which may be of interest.

We work with environmentally responsible hotels where possible, in particular hotels with green spaces or nature reserves, including the San Martin in Iguazu and the Village in Porto de Galinhas, both of while provide a safe environment for tourists to admire and respect the local wildlife. We also only use environmentally responsible tour operators on this trip, for example, our guides in Porto de Galinhas encourage safe exploration of the fragile natural reefs by educating tourists.

On all of our trips we include national park entrance fees in all of our holidays. This money goes directly towards protecting and sustaining the parks. We also like to keep our office green by recycling and using recycled ink cartridges. We also minimise our waste by limiting the number of holiday brochures we print. Instead, we refer potential customers to our online resources and send most of our holiday information via email.

Community

In order to ensure we have a positive impact on local economies and provide socially responsible holidays we only use local suppliers, which helps keep the money generated through tourism within local communities through employment of local guides, drivers and reps.

We always recommend locally-owned restaurants and hotels where possible, aiming to support local communities and give customers the opportunity to ‘travel like a local’. In places like Rio this is a little more difficult so we also provide our clients with a list of recommended restaurants tailor-made to their destination and dietary requirements but with a focus on family-run restaurants. This means they can still support local businesses even in big cities like Rio. And we also recommend historical hotels where possible, for example, the Pousada Quatro Cantos in Olinda is situated within a restored 18th century building.

We only use tour operators with similar ethical beliefs, for example, our guides in Recife have a passion for preserving local cultures and historical buildings, and tours here focus on these aspects. Our guides also recommend local establishments such as restaurants and water-sports hire shops in Porto de Galinhas, where resort-style hotels are putting a strain on the local economy.

As part of our ethical beliefs we are a member of Sustainable Travel International. They are a leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting awareness, appreciation and respect for local people and the environment through education and outreach programmes.