Northern Thailand small group tour

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.

During our trip, our group leader and local guides take active steps to ensure our groups behave in an environmentally responsible manner, such as not leaving anything behind and not removing any plants in rural areas. They are also always eager to share information about their country and culture, and help you break down barriers in your interactions with local people.

Projects supported in Thailand in Friends of the Asian Elephant, which aims to protect and conserve the welfare of elephants both domesticated and in the wild, and also Baan Unrak (House of Happiness) an orphanage and community relief centre to children and destitute women.

People

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. On trips like this through Asia for example, dress standards are conservative, and we recommend loose, lightweight clothing so as not to offend, particularly outside of the major cities.

We take care to use local transport throughout, including sleeper trains 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.

At the end of our journey, travellers are encouraged to donate any unwanted clothing, medicines and bandages for distribution to local villages in the north of Thailand.

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.