Gujarat culture and textile tour, Kutch

Planet

1 We operate with small group sizes which not only maximises interaction within the group and guides and local community but also minimises the impact on environment.

2 We encourage guests to travel with a re-fillable water bottle and the majority of accommodation providers we use supply filtered drinking water.

3 We work with Frank Water a UK water charity (reg. 1121273) that works with NGO partners across India to improve access to safe water and sanitation. In Kabirdham, FRANK works with Samerth, a local NGO, to provide safe clean water to an area that has suffered much due to climate change. We have more fund raising projects in the pipeline, including a sponsored walk visiting villages that have been helped by Samerth, which we hope will raise both funds and awareness.

4 We believe wildlife tourism can be an important conservation tool if used responsibly. Travel to national parks and wildlife areas brings positive economic benefits as entrance fees contribute to the maintenance and conservation of local flora and animal species, while visitors benefit from the educational aspects of the area and take away with them an increased awareness of the need and place for conservation. Equally important tourism helps the local communities living around these reserves by providing jobs and helping them realise the importance of the forest.

People

We believe there are two fundamental factors in creating a successful and socially beneficial vacation: slow travel and placing value on local knowledge. All our guides are local; they not only know the facts about the area and its monuments, crafts or wildlife but the best routes to travel, whether it is worth a diversion to see a leopard footprint, to bypass a village where private ceremony is taking place or drop in on one where a baby welcoming party will enjoy the presence of some extra guests. It enables real relationships to be established between guests and host nationals.

We ensure that there are multiple languages speakers on all our tours to avoid cultural faux pas and to enrich the exchanges between everyone. Our guides ensure that same villages are not visited by foreigners too many times in a given period and that all supplies are brought along if meals or overnight stays are involved so no strain is put on the local resources.

All our accommodation providers employ the vast majority of their staff from local villages and encourage the learning of English, interaction with guests and opportunities for promotion. The also support the education of the children of their staff and their health needs.