Vietnam and Cambodia tour, 24 days

Planet

Group sizes: By offering genuinely small group tours, with a maximum of 12 persons per group, we believe we significantly reduce the impact of tourism on both local communities and the environment. This also allows us to stay at smaller, independently run accommodation and eco-style resorts as well as using authentic local cafes and restaurants. Additionally, this increases genuine interaction with said communities as well as spreading tourist revenue to local enterprises which wouldn't usually benefit.

Examples of hotels and resorts featuring on the tour include a family-run homestay in Tam Coc and eco-resorts in Pu Luong and Phong Nha. We also encourage all hotels featured on our tour to adopt genuinely environmentally friendly practices and, for example, our Siem Reap hotel has an active policy of training and employing staff from underprivileged, local families.

Hotels are also encouraged to provide free drinking water refills as do all our Cambodian vans and buses. (Reusable water flasks can be provided to guests on request.)

Information: Small group sizes also result in a higher guide/customer ratio thus improving supervision, individual assistance and provision of relevant information. This facilitates the explanation of sustainable tourism practices to help guests gain a wider understanding of our style of tourism that focuses on learning, genuine interaction with the local communities, reciprocity and cultural exchange processes. We feel it is essential for guests to be aware of the potential impact of tourism on the local society, culture and environment, as well as behaving and dressing appropriately with respect and appreciation of the varying local customs, mores and traditions of both Vietnam and Cambodia plus an understanding of the ecology of areas visited.

Destinations: We combine the well-known tourist sites with many off-the-beaten-track, rarely visited destinations thus diverting tourist revenue and contact with responsible tourism into areas not usually benefiting as well as providing a more authentic view of the region visited.
The tour features visits to protected areas such as Pu Luong, Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Tram Chim all of which provide employment opportunities for local guides, drivers, boatmen etc as well as revenue from entrance fees and locally purchased products.

Domestic and regional flights are limited to an absolute minimum (a single flight from Danang to Ho Chi Minh) with public rail and river transport used wherever possible such as the train from Ninh Binh to Dong Hoi and boat service from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh.

People

Local products: As much as possible we aim to employ local personnel (guides, drivers, boatmen, local agents etc), use local restaurants and cafes and stay at smaller, privately owned accommodation. Customers are also encouraged to buy and use local products and services as much as possible in order to support and stimulate the local economy as well as encouraging traditional crafts and cottage industries.

Instruction: By explaining our methods and the reasons behind them local agents, guides and hotels are encouraged by us to adopt further responsible tourism practices themselves, and guides and drivers are provided with additional training in this respect.

Community tourism projects: Wherever possible, locally run and organised, community tourism schemes are included in our itinerary while guests are encouraged to visit – and thus contribute financially – to such donation-reliant projects as the Apopo, mine-detecting, organization in Siem Reap. Examples of the former include cycling tours at Mai Chau, rowing boat tours and cottage industries visits in Ben Tre, rowing boat tours at Xe Quit and guided boat and walking tours of Tra Su Bird Sanctuary.