Dalmation Coast cycling holiday, Croatia

Environment

On cycling trips, it is easy to use plastic excessively, especially in hot climates or during the summer months. Rather than use single-use plastic bottles we refill our water bottles from a large water drum kept on our support vehicle. We also encourage people to snack on fresh, seasonal fruits rather than processed fruits in plastic wrappers. As well as keeping a large water drum on our support vehicle we also take advantage of the Croatian tradition of having a drinking water fountain in each village and refill our water bottles directly from the source.

Our greatest contribution to minimising our transportation's impact on the environment is to travel by bike, avoiding the use of any energy or fuel. When we do use a vehicle we are committed to providing local experiences and as part of this philosophy during this trip we use local forms of transport wherever possible. Where we use private transport we stick to the small back roads which minimises the impact on locals using the main roads for daily routines. Where we do use a support vehicle, we will always ensure that it is an appropriate size to suit the cyclists it supports – no using a 16-seater minivan if we only have five people travelling.

On this trip we have joined up with a local Europe-based supplier who shares our commitment to responsible business, from waste and water management to ensuring we are leaving as minimal a foot (or rather tyre) print as possible. We ensure they are educated on all aspects of responsible business and supported in making any changes they need to improve in this regard.

As a company we are strongly committed to carbon offsetting. The main sources of carbon emission from our trips (transport, accommodation and waste) are assessed and offset into renewable energy projects. We’ve offset over 250,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from our trips and offices worldwide, including over 40,000 tonnes of carbon in 2016. Part of the cost of your trip is dedicated to carbon offsetting.

Community

An important part of travel is mixing with the locals and experiencing “real life” in your destination. On this trip, along with staying in locally-owned hotels/guesthouses, we visit small cafes and restaurants and buy locally produced crafts and locally grown fresh produce. This gives locals the opportunity to earn money directly and our travellers the chance to interact with local people in their everyday environment.
We also use only European cycling guides and support staff, as well as local guides in many destinations.

We source local activities which we believe are sustainable to the economy in that they allow the flow of income from visitors to be distributed to a greater audience, rather than remain concentrated with tourism providers. This could be as simple as spending time in a local café, to cooking classes in a local home and shopping at small local stores. On this trip you have the opportunity to enjoy a visit to the “ethno-eco village” of Dol, and eat dinner at a local farm in Pupnat, sampling some of the family wines and enjoying a meal made entirely from ingredients found on the farm.

The role of females in cycling has often been that of support staff. To help combat this we try and ensure as many of our cycling trips as possible have a head female cycling guide.

All aspects of this trip (on the ground) are operated by Europeans (most of whom live locally) including all our cycling guides, support vehicle drivers, local site guides, and accommodation providers. We provide our cycling leaders with a formal 4-day cycling training course so that they are up to speed with the needs of our travellers as well as building their skills.

Locals know where the best food, souvenirs, local crafts and entertainment can be found. This trip is operated by local Europeans and we ensure any shopping opportunities, from the larger centres like Split and Dubrovnik to the tiny villages we stop off at, offer authentic experiences that showcase Croatia's rich and unique culture and crafts.

Food and drink in Croatia is often a highlight and we offer a variety of opportunities to sample the full range. From the local wines such as Plavac Mali (the 'King of Dalmatian red wines') on Brac Island to deliciously fresh seafood on Hvar or the traditional yet tasty Janjetina (roasted lamb garnished with Mediterranean herbs) in Dubrovnik.

As part of our commitment to responsible travel a portion of your trip cost will be donated to Bicycles for Humanity – a not-for-profit, volunteer run, grass roots charity focused on the alleviation of poverty through sustainable transport – in the form of a bicycle. In the developing world a bicycle is life changing, allowing access to health care, education, economic opportunity and wider community. A bicycle means you can travel twice as far, twice as fast and carry four times the load, providing a profound and lasting positive effect for the individual as well as their community. Bicycles for Humanity collect donated (used or new) bicycles, repair them if needed and send them to Africa. Along with donated bicycles each of the 40ft shipping containers that Bicycles for Humanity sends becomes a bike workshop, providing employment, skills, training, business, opportunity and economic development for the community in which it's placed, helping the community to move away from aid dependence.