Cultural and rural tour of Rajasthan

Planet

1. Our environmental responsibility starts from the office. All our communication within and outside the office is paperless. We also encourage remote work and work from home in our team to avoid them from traveling every day.

2. One person uses 3-4 bottles of packaged mineral water/day on a tour. On a 10-day tour of a family of four, that accumulates to 160 bottles. We have removed single-use plastic bottles from all our tours and replaced them with a reusable, 2-stage filter, and BPA free water bottles. It filters 99.9% bacteria, parasites, and microplastics. The activated carbon filter reduces bad odor and taste, chlorine, and organic chemical matter from the water.

3. Our village accommodations use organic composting to process the waste produced. The farming that you will be participating in is transformed into organic over the last couple of years. Previously pesticides were used which had rendered the land useless. But slowly the land has now revived due to organic plantations.

4. We do not use any unethical practices to lure Leopards or other animals in a safari. Any interactions you have with animals on a camel safari and in village life experience ensure that they are not harmed or exploited.

5. The raw material for meals is sourced locally. Not only it is fresh but it also reduces the fuel emissions caused by transportation from long distances.

6. The transportation provided to you is compliant with current emission standards in India.

7. The rural accommodations in Rajasthan are made of eco-friendly materials like mud, brick, and stone. This makes the building more breathable. The climate in Rajasthan is usually hotter than other parts of India. By making the accommodations eco-friendly, there is no need to use air conditioners which reduces the environmental impact.

People

1. Earnings through this tour are partly invested in supporting a co-ed school in Rani. The school provides primary and secondary education for children from nearby villages at an affordable cost for the parents. The school is community-owned and is in the same village thereby reducing the time required for children to travel.

2. Your visits to tribal villages are on a rotational basis. We do not visit the same village every time in order to reduce the impact of over-tourism. Our group size is also small. Therefore, you can be easily absorbed in the village.

3. The activities designed for you involve local families as much as possible to utilize their skill in hand and wheel pottery, rug making, clay toy making, and carpet making. Women are involved in handicrafts like carpets and local dresses. We regularly advocate for women empowerment through our social media channels and conferences. 100% of earnings from any handicrafts that you choose to buy are directly given to the artisan.

4. Drivers and guides are from the local community and are given fair wages which are decided on per day basis so that you are not overcharged at any point. The drivers and guides are trained in hygiene, communicating, hosting, and other factors necessary to give you an extraordinary experience. Your tour may partially be run by women drivers and guides also.

5. Rather than painting only a rosy picture, we share the social and economic issues of the tribes with you. These issues could be about rural to urban migration for employment, women and children, education, environment, and more.

6. The storytelling element in our trips is introduced to help you form deeper connections with the community thus enriching both the traveler and the host. Storytelling also helps in creating mutual respect.

7. In Rajasthan, women have traditionally not taken decision making roles in families because of a patriarchal society. On your trips, you will notice the active involvement of both men and women in decision making roles. Women also interact with guests regularly. Thus they make a significant contribution to responsible tourism.