Environment

Charity:
We support the Save Our Sausage Trees initiative in Botswana, which aims to address the issue of depleting forests in the area. The Mekoro is a boat used by the people of the Okavango Delta and it is crafted traditionally out of a single mature Kigelia Africana tree (or sausage tree). Although increased tourism has had some obvious benefits to the area, this has also brought a higher demand for Mekoro boats and therefore more trees are being cut down. As a wooden Mekoro only lasts about 5 years, there are hundreds of these trees being felled per year and not enough to sustain this. We have consulted with the Okovango community, and we have agreed to pay half the price of a fibreglass Mekoro if a poler wants to purchase the other half, in order to save the trees.

UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

Community

Accommodation & Meals:
You will spend most nights in chalets, 2 nights in a hotel and 2 in comfortable, full service camping. We predominantly use small businesses for accommodation in order to keep investment local and benefit the communities we visit directly. Campsites and lodges used are locally owned and a percentage of their income goes towards, schooling, or nature conservation & community projects. We strive to always leave a campsite in a better condition than when we arrived and to use gas whilst cooking instead of using limited firewood resources. Almost all meals are provided and your local tour leader will endeavour to source fresh produce wherever possible. Meals might include fresh fruit, cold meats and cheese, potjies (stew) or braais (barbecue) etc.

Community:
We spend two day and nights with the polers from the Poler’s Trust in the Okavango Delta. This is a community based project, which was formed with the aim of creating an eco-tourism business which would benefit all of the people in the area. By using these facilities and going on boat tours with the Poler’s Trust, we ensure that we are helping the local community by providing employment and supporting environmental initiatives. At this camp, you can also explore the many facets of traditional African life, which promotes cultural exchange: participate in BaYei and Hambukushu music and dancing, see how delicious local food is made and buy handmade souvenirs like woven baskets.

A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that all of our guides are local and that in exchange for their expertise on the wildlife, environment and culture that they are paid and treated fairly. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from your visit. By supporting and employing these people we are helping to ensure that their wildlife areas, scenic beauty and historical significance generate value for the community and are therefore appreciated and protected from development and exploitation. For example, we employ local site guides in Chobe National Park and several other conservation areas.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 12 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.