Vietnam small group holiday

Environment

Using public transport whenever practical and staying at simple, locally owned hotels and guesthouses, these tours really get off the beaten tourist track.

Accompanied by an expert tour leader, we travel and mix with local people every day and seek out the most authentic local places, truly getting under the skin of the destination. The itinerary and activities are planned to be as flexible as possible, so you have the freedom to do your own thing: join in as much or as little as you want – it’s a very un-packaged experience!

In order to give you the best insight into the local culture we employ local tour leaders on this trip who can offer a true insight into local life, as well as explain the history and culture of the region. Using local leaders is consistent with our policy to generate local employment and deliver direct economic benefits to the areas we are travelling in. It is important that the people who work for us are treated fairly and confident in their work. This is why we take care to train all our local tour leaders and give them all the support they need to do their job well.

Most journeys on this tour are made by rail. Travelling by public transport is not only a great way to get a flavour of the country and mix with local people; it’s better for the environment as it reduces our reliance on specially chartered vehicles.

In addition to the above, 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. As well as this, 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 UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators. We acknowledge that air travel has a negative impact on our environment, so we work together with Cool Earth to offset carbon and protect our important rainforests.

Community

On our way to Halong Bay, we may be able to stop at the Hong Ngoc Humanity Centre, a Vietnamese run NGO, which enables disabled children and adults from the local area to receive vocational training in the manufacturing and marketing of handicrafts.