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Rising from the plains, Mt Kilimanjaro dominates the surrounding countryside. It provides exciting physical and mental challenges for those who trek to the summit - and a vital source of income for many of the local communities within its shadows. In assisting almost 500 of our customers in the last year on their Kilimanjaro treks, the local porters and mountain guides employed have secured a stable income.
Their job is undoubtedly tough and so we work to ensure that the conditions that they work in are as fair as possible. As a company we support the International Porters Protection Group - which safeguards the interests and welfare of porters against unscrupulous companies, and follow Tourism Concerns guidelines on porter welfare. Packs are carefully weighed before the mountain ascent to ensure that the porters are carrying a fair weight - a weight within the guidelines set by the national park.
A sleeping tent and sleeping bags are provided for all our staff on the mountain and clients are actively encouraged to interact with all staff generating a real feeling of teamwork and friendship as we strive towards the summit.
As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost.
This small group operator is just celebrating its 30th year and its activity vacations are very popular. Arriving at a village by bike or on foot immediately fascinates the locals and offers you an opportunity to interact as well as being great exercise and allowing you to reach far flung areas. Activity vacations are a great way to escape, get some fresh air and take life at a slower pace, allowing time for thought and reflection. In completing an active vacation, there is an element of personal development and improvement which can really help travelers focus on doing things differently or better.
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We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
