Buenos Aires to Rio via Iguazu Falls holiday

Planet

As a global operator, we take our role in the tourism industry very seriously. We recognise the impact that tourism has on local communities and the environment, and we plan and operate all our tours with this front of our minds. We believe that every tour operator must be responsible in the way they conduct their business, to ensure the welfare of all people and the conservation of the environment.

We are committed to operating in a responsible manner, incorporating the principles of sustainable development in the way we provide our travellers with real life experiences. These values are more than just words on a page; they are ingrained in our culture and the daily operations of every office and every trip. In addition, we expect our staff and travellers to demonstrate the principles of responsible travel - respecting people, cultures and local environments; in the distribution of wealth; in good will and cross-cultural sharing; and in contributing to sustainable development.

We believe that responsible travel is about the attitude you take with you and the choices you make when travelling - to respect and benefit local people, their cultures, economy and the environment. Dress standards are conservative, and we recommend loose, lightweight clothing so as not to offend, particularly outside of the major cities.

As company our responsibilities don’t stop when our tours end. Our own in house foundation has been in operation for over 10 years; a not-for-profit fund that has distributed over AU$3 million to more than 70 non-government organisations since 2002, from health care, education, human rights, child welfare, sustainable development and in environmental and wildlife protection. Donations come from our travellers and are then matched by us dollar for dollar.

People

On this tour you will visit the town of Paraty. This is one of the world's best preserved Portuguese colonial towns and is now World Heritage listed. Here you will get to support the local community by staying in a locally run hotel, you will get the opportunity to learn about the town’s trade of sugar cane liquor and its history in the world of slavery. Another experience of Brazilian community on this tour is through the optional tour of the Favelas in Rio de Janero. These stark contrasting communities of shanty towns are the real Rio ,you can wander through the community, meeting the people who live and work in the poorest areas of this vibrant city.

We take care to use local transport throughout, and stay in small, locally owned hotels and guesthouses. We source produce locally throughout the trip, eat at local restaurants and encourage our travellers to purchase souvenirs from local artisans and recruit our on the ground team from the local community. This not only gives a fantastic insight into the country and a snap shot of day to day life, but it also puts valuable financial resources back into the local economy, creating jobs and supporting local businesses.

A project supported in Brazil is the Roupa Suja Project (UMPMRS) which aims to improve the lives of the families living in the Favela in the Roupa Suja neighbourhood through education.