Ecuador, Galapagos and Colombia Adventure

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION:

Man-powered activities:
- This itinerary includes numerous hikes - several in Cotopaxi National Park Ecuador, multiple across the Galapagos islands, and in the Corcora Valley, with walking visits of urban centers such as Medellin and Cartagena.
- Transport by raft is included - manually propelled bamboo rafts in La Vieja River in Quimbaya, Colombia

Fuel usage:
- The Galapagos part of the itinerary is via boat - The Galapagos Angel. This is a new yacht, designed and built in the Netherlands, and features the latest in reduced fuel consumption technology.

Renewable energy:
- Manigua Lodge in the remote La Macarena National Park is rustic accommodation with charm - the lodge is solar powered and there is no hot water in the cabin.

Vegetarian food:
- Each stay offers vegetarian food.

Locally-sourced food:
- We encourage lunches at locally-run cafes and restaurants, serving local food - the kind of places that the an inhabitant of the region would choose to go to. This avoids excessive importing of ingredients to cater for a 'Western' palate.
- We include truly traditional meals, such as a 'fiambre' lunch on the bamboo raft ride on the River La Vieja. This comprises rice, chicken, plantain and cassava wrapped in a bihao leaf (alternative available for vegetarians).


ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE:
How our accommodation:

reduces its environmental impact:
- Manigua Lodge in La Macarena National Park, Colombia, is solar powered. Staff work hard to protect the local environment and each cabin is powered by solar energy, while toiletries and insect repellent provided are all biodegradable.

- Chilcabamba Lodge near Cotopaxi in Ecuador composts its organic waste; uses a biodigester for wastewater; offers and uses biodegradable soap, shampoo and cleaning materials; preserve local Paramo plants in their garden; buy produce locally; offer activities that are led by the community (e.g. milking a cow, riding, fishing); and are certified by the German non-profit organization TourCert, which promotes ecological, social and economic corporate responsibility in tourism.

restores nature:
- Manigua Lodge prioritise sustainable constructions and a % of the profits goes to planting native trees to replenish the regional ecosystem.

How our activities:
Protect the environment
- We include off-the-beaten-path destinations in our itinerary. One such is Macarena National Park in Colombia. Including little-known places like this spreads the financial benefit of tourism to remote places, empowering and incentivising the local population to protect the natural environment.

- Rules for visitors to Macarena National Park are strict: No sunscreen is allowed, in order to protect the delicate algae in Cano Cristales that give the water its magenta colour.

- On Isabela Island on the Galapagos, travelers visit the Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Centre. Here, tortoise populations from South Isabela, Sierra Negra Volcano, Cerro Azul, Cazuela, Cinco Cerros, Roca Union, San Pedro, Tables and Cerro Paloma have been bred in captivity. In total there are 330 juvenile and adult tortoises. This helps to regenerate the populations of different types of giant tortoise.

- Every visitor to the Galapagos pays an entrance fee to help preserve the delicate balance of wildlife.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Local staff:

- Our guides are local and experts in their areas. For example, our guide in Comuna 13 is a local who has grown up in this neighbourhood and can share the stories of its passage from gang-dominated zone to welcoming attraction.
- Our hiking guides are local and experts in the nature of their regions.

Maximising local economic opportunities:

- In Cotopaxi National Park, a stop at a local community in Tigua is scheduled. Here our travelers learn to paint mountain scenes on stones with a local indigenous artist, Julio, spreading cultural learnings and supporting local artisans.

- Where possible, we have selected small and independently owned accommodation, such as:
- Sazagua in the Corcora Valley in Colombia - a family-owned property which takes great care of their guests and staff alike, and family-owned Hacienda Jimenita in Quito.
- Patio del Mundo in Medellin is Colombian-owned and a small property with only 7 rooms; Sazagua in Corcora has 10; Chilcabamba by Cotopaxi has 13. This is not mass tourism - each accommodation is carefully selected and is run with a conscience.

- En-route back to Quito, travelers visit a rose plantation - not only is this a beautiful stop for travelers but it helps to support this local initiative.

- In Medellin, travelers visit Comuna 13, supporting the initiative to regenerate this once impoverished, 'no-go' neighbourhood.

- We have included lesser-visited towns on our itinerary, such as Filandia - often overlooked in favour of the very charming Salento, where we stay - but equally as attractive in a less polished way.

- In Cartagena, for those interested in they rhythms of the city, we offer a dance class. This is run by a local teacher who is a master of his art and who does not normally teach tourists.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

- Minimum wage:
We believe strongly in paying a fair wage and ensure that our partners in turn pay their staff fairly, at least at the minimum wage and normally above.

- Our workplace diversity strategy:
Staff are employed based on aptitude, irrespective of any characteristics of identity or appearance. Our small body of employed staff and valued contractors is a mix of male and female across ages, life stages and ethnicities.

- Charitable initiatives we operate:
For every trip we operate, we contribute an amount to an annual fund. We then donate this to a charitable cause. We select a cause both in an emerging market with which we work, and a cause closer to home. Examples of beneficiaries include renovating a playground at a school in Sri Lanka, where we partnered with Rosyth Estate House, and purchasing kit for a children’s community football team local to our UK offices.

- Of direct relevance to this itinerary, giving back to the local community, is a project we have initiated and funded to refurbish a playground in a disadvantaged part of Cartagena - a city which features on this itinerary.