Balkans vacation, two week explorer

Environment

This tour is fortunate to visit four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sarajevo, Tirana, Kotor and Dubrovnik. Our entrance fees contribute to the maintenance and restoration of these unique places. We have a published responsible travel policy available on our website which among other things, asks that all travelers respect signage at these sites, take nothing but photographs and do not litter or deface monuments or buildings. We also do not endorse the taking of rocks or stones as souvenirs or purchasing items of this nature from local vendors. This stance is reaffirmed by our tour leader during our pre departure meeting on day one of the tour and reiterated throughout the duration of the trip.

We use a combination of public buses and private vans to get from A to B on this tour. This helps to keep our Carbon footprint low and these modes of travel are often the most practical and efficient available.

Community

We stay at locally owned hotels and our small group policy allows us the luxury of staying in quaint, small hotels, homestays and guesthouses which has the dual benefit of supporting the local economy and providing our travelers with a genuine travel experience with lots of contact with local people. We encourage our travelers to learn about the culture, rather than just photographing it, and become familiar with the recent and ancient history of the area. We encourage communication and attempting to learn phrases in the local languages and familiarising ourselves with the local customs.

The tour leader will introduce the group to local cuisines and encourage them to eat in small, locally owned restaurants for the most authentic experience. Dining at these restaurants allows money to go back into small communities rather than larger restaurant chains and clients are encouraged to tip restaurant staff for good service where appropriate.

Culture - We employ local guides throughout the journey to assist our tour leader with their specialised local knowledge. This is a valuable source of employment to the local communities as well as positive reinforcement to local to preserve and be proud of their culture. This also benefits our travelers who gain greater insight into the area by their contact with these guides.