Peru highlights holiday including Inca trail trek

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

We predominantly travel by a small minibus, which allows us to access a greater amount of the country than a large coach would, and at some parts of the journey we use public boats, a public bus, and even a train. City tours are done almost entirely on foot, with longer hikes at the alternative Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca, and of course the four days on the Inca Trail are also done under our own steam. Walking is not only a low impact way to travel but it takes us into the mountains of the Sacred Valley, which would be otherwise inaccessible by vehicle.

Food throughout the trek is locally sourced, our Inca Trail cooks plan and prepare meals that are nutritious and suited to the physical exertion of the trek. The fruit and vegetables are as fresh as they can be and have all been grown locally - supporting farmers and the local economy as well as having a low carbon footprint. The food is often one of the biggest surprises for trekkers; meals are hearty and flavoursome, with three courses and even pancakes for breakfast!

As a travel company we are acutely aware of our impact on the environment. All of our tours display a carbon footprint, and we strive to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our tours and embracing low-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which offer the added benefit of getting a closer connection with the destination and local community.

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

Overtourism is becoming a big problem for the world's most iconic locations and as this trip includes three - the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, and Rainbow Mountain - we have put thought into how we visit in order to minimise our impact.

The Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain with its coloured layers has quickly become a popular attraction in the area around Cusco. Rather than adding to the crowds ascending to get that perfect picture, we trek in a alternative but no less beautiful area, Palccoyo. Located within the same mountain range, the Palccoyo trek is quieter, with far fewer crowds but with views towards three rainbow-coloured mountains.

On the trek we use look at our impacts at every level - from using eco-friendly toilets and biodegradable soap to establishing a relationship with the community of our porters. Trekkers and support teams alike are not able to bring single-use plastic onto the Inca Trail. In order to reduce the amount of waste on the trail, all rubbish is weighed at each check-point and at the end to ensure that all waste is taken away. There's no refuse collection on the trail so anything that goes with you must come back off the trail - either with you or as part of the porters' rubbish. Plastic water bottles are included in this ban, therefore water is boiled each evening and morning for our customers to re fill their bottles and throughout the day there are plenty of streams along the way and even ancient water fountains to top-up from.

We strive to support nature and biodiversity through protection and regeneration projects, and for every customer that travels with us we make a donation to Rewilding Britain and Cool Earth.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

The villages around the Sacred Valley and Cusco survive on two things - agriculture, and the Inca Trail. We work with porters from the villages of Misminay to provide a solid season of work, which helps boost their rural economy. The trek food purchased by our supplier is also, as much as possible, from the local area around Cusco.

Outside of our journey on the Inca Trail, this tour passes through a diverse range of locations in Peru, including a night in a simple village guesthouse on Taquile Island. While most tourists day trip to the islands around Lake Titicaca, the opportunity to stay overnight puts money directly into the pocket of a local family.

At every step of the way we encourage our customers to shop in local cafes and restaurants to make the most of the wonderful food that Peru has to offer, as well as visiting markets to purchase handmade crafts or regional food. For example, our city tour around Cusco includes a stop at the San Blas Market, where women sell juices from stalls piled high with fresh fruit - we include a juice as part of the trip, which is not just exciting for customers to choose from the range of items on offer (avocado and guanabana juice is a unique choice!) but also puts money directly in the pockets of these local women.
Our Tour Leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travellers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest. We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community. For example, in Cusco we use a family-run hotel in the heart of the old town instead of one of the city's international chains.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

100% of the staff on this tour, from the porters and support crew on the Inca Trail to the boat operators on Lake Titicaca, are Peruvian. The vast majority of them are directly local to the specific area in which they work (Puno or the Sacred Valley, for example). We're proud to work with a Peruvian partner who's values are aligned with ours; they not only run their own NGO operating in Peru, which aims to turn empower and develop local communities through tourism, but they also developed community-based tourism initiatives in the areas where they recruit their Inca Trail porters, ensuring that the women in those families are also able to contribute to the livelihoods and growth of the community. They pay their staff at least the minimum wage, and in many cases much more.

The Peruvian Authorities also have some strict guidelines that regulate working conditions along the Inca Trail (for example, the amount of weight that porters can carry). Of course, we abide by all of these local regulations.