South Africa safari vacation, 9 days

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION:
This luxury itinerary has been designed to ensure that it has a positive impact on the planet. We encourage travelers to plan a longer trip farther away and stay longer in one place instead of taking multiple short trips each year. For example The Palm River Hotel is powered by a hybrid system combining hydroelectricity with solar power as well as guests being encourages to use the hotels water refill stations by filling resuseable bottles.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE:
When in conservation areas, it is vital that we hand-pick lodges that have a positive impact on the environment and actively preserve this for future generations. Pondoro Game Lodge became a sponsor of the Black Mamba anti-poaching, a famous all women team. The Black Mambas is the first of its kind in that most of the teams are women and they operate in an area which is directly connected to the Kruger National Park. They protect the boundary fence of the Greater Kruger National Park which is a significant barrier between human-wildlife conflict and poachers entering the wildlife area. Anti-poaching is incredibly important in the area with constant issues with Rhino and bush-meat poachers.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY:
It is very important that we promote small boutique lodges that have a positive impact on their surroundings and give back to the local community by supporting local small businesses and employing from the local area. We make a special effort to recommend lodges that support local businesses by supplying local produce and selling local handicrafts and artwork. Pondoro Camp offers a waitress training school by experts with a diploma required upon completion which sets a very high bar and acts as a career launching tool. Guests are also encouraged to visit local villages with revenue from the village visits and from the sale of souvenirs have contributed to educating the village children.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY:
All the guides referred to in this itinerary are employed locally and offer incredible knowledge about the history and communities of South Africa. We believe it is essential to have local guides as this provides a more authentic and cultural experience for travelers. Employing local guides ensures money goes back into the local community. We also ensure that the accommodation used in this itineraries also have strong inclusive policies and strict equal opportunities policy.