Sikkim trekking vacation, India

Planet

We try not to run whistle-stop tours. Tourist haunts and large hotels are usually avoided. You are never packaged. And remember our maximum size of group is 12 and less for some expedition grade trips.

On all our Treks utmost care is taken to ensure minimal harm to the Environment. We strongly are against use of bonfires in the woods, all the trash is collected after the camp is wound-up and taken back. Any bio-degradable item is buried under the ground. We advise the clients not to use plastic mineral bottles and instead use refillable mineral water bottle, during treks we provide boiled water to the clients.

Responsible office practices
We also try to minimise the impact on the environment in our UK office. For instance:

Our brochure and stationary is printed on recycled paper
We re-use or recycle office waste paper
We make sure office equipment is turned off overnight

People

We support the IPPG (International Porter Protection Group)
The IPPG works to improve the conditions of mountain porters in the tourism industry worldwide. This means porters carrying for individual trekkers, organized groups, climbing expeditions and those who supply lodges. We support the work of IPPG and endorses its five recommended guidelines.

We are aware that every trip has an impact and we do all we can to ensure that this is sensitive to the local environment and benefits the local community. We want our clients to appreciate and respect other countries, their institutions, traditions, religions and heritage and we are committed to creating positive long-term relationships with the communities and places we visit.

To ensure we meet these aims, we work with local people, using local staff and supporting locally owned accommodation. Treks and group logistics are organised to have minimal impact on the environment: groups are limited (max 12); wood is only used for fuel when other resources are not available; cleanliness of water sources is protected at all times; trek leaders are rigorous in ensuring that all litter is removed from campsites and properly disposed of.

We are a member of of Tourism Concern
Tourism Concern's mission is to ensure tourism always benefits the local communities they do this through a wide range of exciting and innovative projects. From working with communities in destination countries to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism, to working with the out-going UK tourism industry to find ways of improving tourism so that local benefits are increased.