Bangladesh small group tour

Planet

Though a minimal amount of time is spent within truly natural landscapes over the course of this trip, we have worked hard to ensure it is as environmentally-responsible as possible. This trip does feature visits to a number of rural destinations, and we ensure our guides are mindful about protecting the environment in which you travel, whether in rural or urban areas – they do a fantastic job of promoting having a minimum impact whilst travelling, too.

One significant aspect of this trip that has been designed to be as eco-friendly as possible is transport. This trip features journeys by boat and by shared vehicle, with much of the day-to-day explorations and tours of sites being done on foot. Though this trip does contain one internal flight, it is necessary in order to reach distant locations on this trip – locations in which we strongly believe the benefits of our responsible tourism outweigh the impact of the flight needed to get there.

This trip supports the Lawachara National Park. In addition to the significant natural area protected under the park’s status, the park is home to the endangered western Hoolock gibbon. Parks such as this rely on the support of visitors in their continued running, and ultimately, their ability to continue to protect the important flora, fauna and natural spaces found here.

Finally, to you, our travellers, we ask you to be vigilant about disposing of your waste and recycle where possible. During your trip you will be asked if you have any waste to dispose of when it is a suitable time in the itinerary. This ensures we make it as easy as possible for our travellers to be eco-friendly whilst traveling. We strongly advise all travellers to bring a reusable water bottle - this is an easy way to save plastic waste and is detailed in our ‘What to bring’ trip notes for all trips to all destinations. Your guide will remind you where and when you can fill up your re-usable water bottle. We also encourage general sustainability whenever possible – limited use of air-conditioning and electricity for instance. This is something we care about strongly as an organisation, and something we try to pass on to our travellers.

People

This trip includes stops in a number of rural locations, including weaving and fishing villages in Tangail and the Sunderbans, the hill tribes of Rangamati, the Khasi and Tripura tribes and the indigenous people of the Marma tribe. Responsible tourism can be a powerful tool, particularly within small communities such as these, and we do our best to ensure that the benefits of our tours reach as widely as possible into these communities. As first preference in these and all other locations visited on this trip, we use local guides and drivers offered fair wages and working conditions, use locally-sourced supplies, and visit locally-owned accommodations, shops and eateries in order to benefit the people of these communities as directly as possible.

We are aware that the often ancient ways of life of these groups differs greatly from our own, and we are sensitive to the unique cultures of others. On visits such as these, we rely on knowledgeable local guides to ensure these people endure no negative effects that may occur due to cultural differences, misunderstandings or lack of knowledge. It is important to us that our presence is wholly positive in these and all other communities we visit.

This trip also supports many of Bangladesh’s countless cultural and historical sites. From the Mahasthangarh ruins and the Puthia temple complex to the largest Buddhist monastery in Paharpur and Bagerhat’s Muslim city, a UNESCO world heritage site, the economic support that visitors provide is essential. Ultimately, the support of these locations goes towards the vital preservation and proud exhibition of Bangladesh’s rich culture and history, benefitting not only those who visit, but the country itself.