Mt. Muztagh Ata Base Camp trekking tour, China

Planet

This tour will transport you to an eclectic and culturally significant range of heritage sites that date back to ancient times and it will also take you to unique places of natural beauty, including Karakuli Lake, Subash Village, Qaotumak Village, glacial lake at the foot of Mount Muztagata.... It is therefore exceptionally important that we fully understand and appreciate the importance of developing tours that are sustainable and reduce the impacts of tourism on the human and natural environment wherever possible. Indeed, all of our tours maintain a great respect for the cultural and natural surroundings in which we visit and travel, and we have opted to use only essential methods of public or private transport for this itinerary.

Conservation:
To help us protect and preserve what remains of both China’s wonderful cultural and natural heritage, we ask that all of our travel participants help care for the environments they visit by being respectfully aware of the unique locations we take them to. The importance of sustainable travel, particularly in sensitive natural environments and ecosystems, is something we also value highly. As a bonus of our unique approach, you will also discover that our tour groups are small in size so that are impacts are minimised, and of course, so that we can afford you the attention you deserve!

Activities:
This being a trekking trip, which is one of the best activities in tourism field, becasue it havs little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents. You will walk into the mountains, minority villages full of folk culture and tranquil rurality. You will also have chance to visit the Kyrkiz primary school and visit one of the Kyrkiz families and have a friendly chat with them during this trekking tour. We always encourage our guests to chat with local people, visit local famies, purchase local souvenirs/handcrafts and discover what life is really like in where we take them to.

Water bottles - We encourage our passengers to refill a water bottle from water 'bubblers' where available to avoid unnecessary purchasing of bottled water and the subsequent waste disposal issues.

People

Our itineraries have been designed to fully incorporate the local communities of the regions we visit. We value their unique insights, knowledge, and hospitality, and believe that they too should benefit from tourism too. We respect their traditions and beliefs, and are acutely aware of the need to respect indigenous people and religious sites in particular.

Wherever possible, we use locally-owned guesthouses, hotels, restaurants, and services to ensure that local communities and business prosper in a highly competitive market. An added bonus of using locally-owned services and people is that they will often be highly enthusiastic, generous and proud to welcome you into the places where many have been born and raised.

We are also exceptionally aware of the need to use local ‘green’ tourism services and businesses to ensure that the natural and social environments that host tourism are protected and well-managed. This includes the use of locally-sourced produce such as food and crafts, for example. However, perhaps one of the greatest reasons for using locally-owned accommodation is that you will see the ‘real’ China in its various guises. You will sample traditional villages, entertainment shows, cuisines and ways of life that can be significantly different to anything you may have experienced before. We will also take you to incredible places away from the tourist crowds to ensure that your experiences are genuinely unique. We fully believe that this is a wonderful way to learn about this spectacular country and have no doubt that you will agree!

Accommodation:
Where feasible we stay in locally owned and simpler styles of accommodation. in this tour, we will spend 2 nights in Kashgar and Urumqi, with 6 camping nights along the trekking route. The hotels we use are always from our specially chosen list which are run by local people.

Meals:
We endeavor to include and strongly encourage our travelers to eat locally produced food and goods. This reduces energy resources consumed through production and transport of the food and goods purchased by our travelers. We will buy foods, fruits for packed lunches, as well as other necessary goods and materials in local markets and shops . In Kashgar, we will have meals in family-run restaurant. In this way, our guests will provide income to these area that does not usually benefit from tourism.

Locals:
We use all local guides and drivers so that we learn about the culture and way of life directly from those who live it and put money into local hands and economies. All receive fair wages and are provided with training opportunities both direct from us and from the local tourism bureau.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 12 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people.