Ecuador trekking tour, lodge based

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
This is a trekking vacation and vehicle transportation is kept to a minimum over the course of the 13 days, mainly to get in and out of hiking areas.
When trekking & climbing we buy fresh local produce. In preference we choose local over imported goods, encouraging the use of Andean products in our cooking. Filtered water is always available to minimize use of plastic water bottles. On our treks we minimize waste by using products with minimum packaging, leaving no litter and keeping all water sources clean.
Vegetarian and vegan food is available. Ecuador produces a wide range of fruit and vegetables, as well as pulses and grains.
We provide information for customers before they travel with tips on how they can minimize their impact on the local environment.
We minimise carbon output from our UK office operations (turn machines off overnight, use low energy light bulbs, recycle all waste, bike or walk to work etc) and use non-toxic, fair trade products where ever possible. We share an office space with another company to minimise power consumption.


ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
We operate this Ecuador trekking vacation in conjunction with an ecologically aware tour operator. The staff are local with an excellent knowledge of the area. The guides hold informal talks to inform about and discuss aspects of local life. This helps understanding of the area and appreciation of the people who live there.
Our group sizes are small, keeping the environmental impact of our teams to a minimum. We follow a strict sanitary practice regarding water (not washing dishes in rivers or lakes, bathrooms at least 50m from water bodies)
The trekking route passes through a number of national parks, thus supporting the Ecuadorian national network. The trip includes entry fees to Cotopaxi National Park, Quilotoa, and Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve, Quilotoa Crater Lake
We also make a positive contribution by being members of a number of organisations that work in nature and wildlife conservation – Galapagos Conservation Trust, ECOAN and Rainforest Concern. Our donations have helped to plant more than 100,000 trees helping to reforest Peru’s Andes, as well as supporting ongoing conservation work in the Galapagos and in three cloud forest projects on the mainland of Ecuador: Neblina Reserve, Los Cedros and the region of Intag.

People

All the lodges and guesthouses we stay at on the trek are locally owned. By working with local people on our trips, we ensure we pay fair wages and inject vital funds into the local economy. We do this by using specialist agents on the ground with insight into the communities they live and work in, and working with locally-owned hotels and restaurants wherever possible. In turn, these partners employ local trek staff: porters, muleteers, cooks and guides who are all educated in cherishing and respecting the landscape.
We offer our guests opportunities to meet and talk to local people, soak up the atmosphere of villages and markets and learn about the vibrant culture of your proud hosts. The trek visits a number of villages and includes a visit to traditional Saquisili market, as well as opportunities to purchase local crafts, for example, art by the Tigua community in the Quilotoa region.
We encourage our clients to interact with their hosts, promoting cross-cultural understanding of the area and the people that are being visited.