Indian Himalayas tour, Spiti Valley

Planet

By visiting the village of Demul (4320m), we are promoting sustainable energy use and tourism. The village is fast earning a reputation for its ground-breaking efforts at sustainability, with solar cookers, greenhouses and solar heated and electrified homes very much a part of Demul’s modern culture.

By keeping the group size to a maximum of 12 and through walking through many regions during the tour, we minimise the human and environmental impact on the fragile sites and ecosystems we visit. Along with our small group size, we will be staying in local eco lodges and organic farmstays, directly transferring profit into the local economy and creating a smaller carbon footprint than staying at bigger hotel chains.

We attempt to reduce plastic bottle use wherever possible by promoting use of reusable and filtered water bottles. Our partnership with Water-To-Go provides a discount on filtered water bottles to our clients. We do not provide water from plastic bottles to our clients in country but always ensure there is regular access to drinking water on our tours.

People

On this tour we work alongside our local partner to promote the support of local communities by staying in homestays and local guesthouses. The introduction of solar rooms and solar bathing facilities in villages, nunneries and monasteries, harnessing the power of the sun. This in turn reduces the number of trees chopped down for wood, and the expense incurred by local families in heating their homes during the harsh winters. Solar power has also been used to provide electricity in the more remote regions. Over 100 ‘greenhouses’ have been introduced to allow locals to grow vegetables and greens in this harsh territory. Local heritage is being preserved with the ability for travellers to learn how to make yak rope, local cheese and arak, and view the traditions of a Bhuchen performance. This is a fantastic example of sustainable and responsible tourism providing income to remote regions.

On each Group tour we use local ground handlers. This means that all operational costs go directly into the local economy and help improve employment opportunities in remote regions. Such support can also be seen in our incorporation of homestays, locally owned hotels, family run restaurants and the services of local guides and drivers into our itineraries, which ensures that the money you spend with us goes directly into the local economy and local community.