Amritsar to Ladakh holiday

Planet

Heading deep in to the Ladakh region of northern India, we explore the mountains and visit the local towns, villages and monasteries of the area. We place a large emphasis on travelling in a manner that respects the environment as much as possible such as taking large water bottles on our vehicles to reduce single use plastics. All the accommodation that we stay in are small ventures, often family-run. They employ, train and develop local people and source all the supplies from the nearby community, often markets and small stores, offering vital financial support. Many have water saving practices in place, including raising awareness of the need to preserve water. There are several multi-night stays and in these cases the towels and sheets are not changed each day unless specifically requested, saving water and reducing the use of detergents.

The hotels we use in Mandi and Manali have fruit orchards serving seasonal fruits to guests in many of the dishes prepared by the hotels' restaurants. This reduces the travel miles of the supplies required to cater to customers.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

Much of the route in the mountains is best traversed using 4 wheel-drive vehicles and we use local drivers and vehicles for this purpose, this providing an important source of income. In addition, our local tour leaders in India have a deep passion for their country and a desire to help travellers experience all it has to offer. They attend our annual training course, which has a strong focus on responsible tourism practices, ensuring that our trips run in accordance with our code of practice.

At the start of each trip they provide guidance concerning local customs and culture to ensure that local sensibilities are understood and respected. Throughout the trip they encourage our groups to eat in small local restaurants along with the locals, try regional food, and support community shops and businesses. We also employ local guides in several parts of the trip, which helps to provide locations specific information for travellers, while offering a source of income for the guides themselves. On some of the departures we attend local festivals, our interest in which encourages the local community to keep these old traditions alive.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.