Armenia and Georgia highlights tour

Planet

Carbon Reduction -

One aspect of this trip that has been designed to be as eco-friendly as possible is transport. This trip features journeys by shared vehicle, with much of the day-to-day explorations and tours of sites being done on foot. Despite visiting multiple countries and regions, this trip contains no internal flights in order to be environmentally-responsible to the greatest degree possible.

Environment and wildlife -

Though a minimal amount of time is spent within truly natural landscapes over the course of this trip, we have worked hard to ensure it is as environmentally-responsible as possible. This trip does feature visits to a number of rural destinations such as Lake Sevan on the Great Caucasus Mountains, and we ensure our guides are mindful about protecting the environment in which you travel, whether in rural or urban areas.

Finally, to you, our travelers, we ask you to be vigilant about disposing of your waste and recycle where possible. During your trip you will be asked if you have any waste to dispose of when it is a suitable time in the itinerary. This ensures we make it as easy as possible for our travelers to be eco-friendly whilst traveling. We strongly advise all travelers to bring a reusable water bottle - this is an easy way to save plastic waste and is detailed in our ‘What to bring’ trip notes for all trips to all destinations. Your guide will remind you where and when you can fill up your re-usable water bottle. We also encourage general sustainability whenever possible – limited use of air-conditioning and electricity for instance. This is something we care about strongly as an organisation, and something we try to pass on to our travelers.

People

Local economy, people and diversity -

As regular travelers, one thing that never ceases to amaze and inspire us is the kindness and generosity of local people. We firmly believe that they are who make these places special, and that they should benefit from our visit. Therefore, as first preference, we use local guides and visit locally-owned lodges, shops and eateries. We do our best to ensure that the benefits of our tours reach as widely as possible into the communities where they operate. Across this tour, we use local drivers, assistants, cooks and staff, who all ensure that supplies are purchased locally. Our belief is that all operational costs should go directly into the local economy wherever possible. Improving employment opportunities in remote regions is a powerful tool in tourism and something that goes right to the heart of our responsible travel ethos.

Given the Caucasus region’s ancient and strong links with religion – particularly Christianity – it’s no surprise that this trip visits many churches, cathedrals, monasteries and temples, many of which are historic UNESCO-listed sites. These important historical and cultural sites, as well as the many others visited on this tour, rely on the monetary support that visitors provide in their continued preservation and exhibition.

This trip also includes unique features such as a visit to the Maran Winery, a cooking class, a carpet-making workshop and a chance to see a local master making “Teka” artefacts. Not only are these inclusions excellent opportunities for our travelers to experience culture first-hand, but they support local businesses and businesspeople, many of which are practicing traditional crafts. Similarly, this tour offers many opportunities to take meals and spend time with local families in their homes. This is an excellent chance for both our travelers and the local individuals who take part to exchange cultures, and it provides income for local families directly. This is a fantastic example of the wholly positive impact that travel can have when done responsibly.