Bulgaria walking vacations

Environment

Walking vacations by their very nature are kinder to the environment than other types of vacation and our Summits and Ridges of Bulgaria trip, like all our vacations, is designed with great consideration for the places we visit and for its environmental impact.

We never leave rubbish, discourage the use of plastic water bottles and our guides will collect and remove trash from the mountains. Throughout the vacation our participants will learn from their guides about the surrounding wildlife and how we can protect it and live in a symbiotic relationship with nature.

The maximum number on this vacation is 12, we feel more can have a damaging effect on the environment.

We uphold the following guidelines on Responsible Tourism:
• Protect the environment – its flora, fauna and landscapes
• Respect local cultures – traditions, religions and built heritage
• Benefit local communities – both economically and socially
• Conserve natural resources – from office to destination
• Minimise pollution – through noise, waste disposal and congestion

We are a member of Tourism Concern.

Community

Bulgaria is an upcoming destination on tourism map and it becomes all the more important that communities benefit from this growth.

For this trip, as with all our vacations, we employ local guides, use local accommodation and buy our supplies from local suppliers. Our small group size, maximum 12, allows us to stay in smaller, family owned and run hotels and guesthouses. These places will use the surrounding region to source their supplies of produce, mostly organically grown, thus supporting the local community and reducing food miles.

During their visit to the Rila Monastery and other settlements our clients will have the opportunity to buy products that have been manufactured by the local community, helping the regional economy.

More generally 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 endorse its five recommended guidelines.