Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan tour

Planet

• We appreciate that making absolutely no negative impact on the environment when travelling to Asia is simply not possible, however, we strive to minimise it. Within our website, apps and documentation, our clients can find information and ideas to let them travel in a responsible and low-impact manner. We also send our guests a wooden toothbrush to help avoid using hotels’ disposable plastic brushes and educate clients about the limited recycling facilities in Asia and best-practice regarding waste-reduction.

• At the beginning of 2018 we launched our ‘One Bottle At A Time’ initiative to replace disposable plastic water bottles with refillable canisters across our destinations. We aim to provide refillable water canisters in our vehicles, meaning our travellers are not generating plastic waste through the daily use of water bottles (which on a full day of touring can be numerable).

• Bhutan is the only country in the world that can lay claim to being carbon negative. According to recent figures Bhutan actually absorbs three times the carbon it produces. This is primarily due to the fact that just over 70% of the nation is covered in forest and the constitution states that this figure should never drop below 60%. To assist with the country’s pledge to remain carbon negative there are plans to introduce electric cars, and an emphasis on hydroelectric power over the use of fossil fuels.

People

• One of our core values is to collaborate with local, responsible companies and partners who share our focus, beliefs and passions. In Nepal. Tibet & Bhutan we work with a locally owned travel partner who employs only local guides and drivers. This ensures that, as much as possible, the income our guests bring to the country goes directly back into the community.

• This itinerary includes an overnight stay in the village of Panauti in Nepal. Several Panauti families have joined forces to establish a home-stay program and your accommodation for the night will be in the home of a local family. Also included is a traditional lunch with a Bhutanese farming family. These experiences are an excellent opportunity for clients to immerse themselves in authentic local life, but we are conscious that this does not have a negative impact on the local people and the income generated from these visits directly benefits the whole community.

• In 2015 an earthquake ravaged parts of Nepal, destroying whole villages in some areas and reducing ancient temples to mournful piles of bricks. Repairs are underway and visiting Nepal now is a great way to bring much-needed income to the country.

• This tailor-made itinerary is based on private travel throughout Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, not in a large group. By travelling in this way we have minimal disruptive impact on the communities visited and are able to stay in small, locally run accommodation that is not suitable for larger coach tours.