Angola small group tour

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
All hotels on the tour provide a variety of food, including vegetarian and vegan options which are readily available. When we include meals, we use local restaurants which source ingredients locally from the area.

Where possible, we do the tours and excursions by foot rather than drive from place to place in order to reduce unnecessary use of vehicles and reducing our carbon footprint and negative environmental impacts. For example, in Luanda we have ample time to explore the waterfront by foot, a beautiful area to walk around and explore.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
Our guides will brief travellers on appropriate behaviour, both cultural and environmental throughout the tour of Angola, which is important in a country which is now more accessible to tourists.

We use accommodation that are locally owned and fits in with the natural surrounds. We make a point of ensuring that we leave no permanent traces of our stay behind, taking all rubbish with us. We work with our local suppliers to highlight best practice in terms of environmental issues, an important effort in a country where the environment is often taken for granted and green thinking is only just emerging as tourist numbers grow.

Our visits to areas of natural beauty, such as Calandula Falls and Tchitundu Hulo help to support local projects to conserve the areas cultural and geographical heritage. Clients and guides are briefed on local customs and general courtesy (such as asking permission before taking photographs/dress-codes/conduct in places of worship etc) and behave appropriately.

We believe that tourism is a double edged sword that needs to be wielded very carefully. Our philosophy is to have a limited amount of departures – usually between one and three a year - for each of our itineraries. By limiting our presence in areas where local culture can be quite fragile, we hope to avoid as much as possible the phenomenon whereby an area changes in character due to repeated and prolonged exposure to tourism. We want to visit an area as friends, not intruders and to ensure that what we see will also be there for others to enjoy for many years to come.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY
We visit a number of important historical sites on this tour as well as areas of natural beauty. The entrance fees that we pay at these sites helps fund their preservation and ensure that this aspect of the region’s cultural heritage remains for others to enjoy in years to come – particularly important in a country where finding resources for this can be difficult.

We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit. This may include giving a percentage of the profits from each tour to a foundation to help street children or local conservation projects. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.


EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY, DIVERSITY
We employ local guides and drivers from Angola, providing employment and income. Our leaders and local guides will carefully explain the customs and cultures of the communities visited to ensure that our travellers are able to behave sensitively towards fragile communities, and help them gain from tourism while not being affected by some of its more negative aspects. By visiting these communities, many of whom live outside the cash based economy, you are able to contribute to their ability to trade with mainstream society and gain some of the associated benefits.

Our philosophy is to only use small and locally owned suppliers, meaning that the income remains within the country and creates a real economic contribution. We also feel that the passion inherent within such suppliers means that your experience will be enhanced. We also try to engage with our suppliers on an equal basis – getting the lowest possible price usually isn’t the best outcome for local communities and is ultimately unsustainable. We aim to always treat our suppliers fairly and with respect; they are after all part of the key to our success and to us working together is much more than just a business arrangement, but an ongoing relationship that we aim to ensure truly benefits everyone involved.