Galapagos cruise plus Ecuador and Peru

Planet

Accommodation & Meals:
We spend 6 nights in comfortable hotels and 7 on a first-class boat. The Cachalote Explorer is an environmental conscious vessel that is equipped with a wastewater treatment plant to ensure that no residue goes into the sea. There are also tight regulations in place to prevent ecological damage such as: restricting use of electrical products, use of biodegradable products (like shampoo, detergent, soap), recycling of contaminants (oil and fuel) which are sent back to the mainland for disposal and water treatment. Staff members are also employed locally in Peru, Quito and Galapagos lodgings, therefore providing benefit to the community. Local ingredients are used wherever possible.

Conservation:
The Galapagos is renowned for its incredibly unique wildlife and conservation efforts. We try to make as little negative impact on the environment and wildlife as possible by enforcing a ‘leave no trace policy’. We visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre on Santa Cruz Island after driving to the highlands to look for wild tortoises. This center is dedicated to protecting and conserving the ecology of the islands and carries out educational projects in support of conservation of the Galapagos Islands. Our entry fees help contribute to all the work going on here by improving demand, facilities and creating employment opportunities for scientists.

Group Size:
This is a small group tour, 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. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.

UK Office:
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.

People

Community:
Our locally-led group tours in Cuzco, Machu Picchu and the optional Sacred Valley tour benefit the community by providing local employment opportunities. We also hire drivers from the area and encourage clients to use their free meal times to support local restaurants and market stalls. The staple dish is chicken, but restaurants also offer a variety of beef dishes, and the more local delicacies of Alpaca and Guinea pig! Clients are really encouraged to use local businesses and to engage with people they meet in order to boost the economy and promote positive cultural exchange.

Local craft and culture:
There are several chances to support craftsmanship on the tour, especially our visit to Mercado San Pedro where it is a place for clients to try some local produce and expose to a variety of handicraft markets to shop for souvenirs such as alpaca jumpers and scarves. By buying something we are providing an avenue of income for these people. There is also an optional excursion to the Sacred Valley on which you can eat a traditional meal in the village and buy handicrafts. Our local guides are able to advise clients on which products to buy and which to avoid- for example, walking sticks made of wood are one to avoid as they are potentially a product of harmful deforestation activity.