Georgia small group vacation

Planet

TRANSPORT: We strive to minimize negative impact vehicles make when visiting local nature sites, and rural communities, especially in most remote areas. The longest non-stop distance of this particular vacation is covered on train. Other journeys are made on either low emission hybrid-powered engines, or on vehicles with low emission modern exhaust systems. Choice of the vehicle depends on final number of travelers.

SUPPLIERS: We only work with local suppliers in Georgia. When choosing accommodation for our tours we pay extra attention to the way they treat local environment, use water, save energy, and what is their recycle practice. As most of them are family run guesthouses or small private hotels they do their best according to their abilities and available options. Some of the hotels on this tour have solar-panels installed, some have waste separation bins. And almost all of them on this vacation employ people from their community and provide others with additional income source.

Regarding places for our travelers to eat on this tour we have selected only local farms that provide their own produce, or small private cafes that also use locally grown vegetables, fruits, spices and products of their communities’ farms. In big cities like Tbilisi or Batumi we've favored restaurants that prefer local markets for their kitchens.

WASTE: We run “No single-use plastic” initiative on this particular journey. We offer our guests to contribute to reduction of pollution caused by single-use plastic, when in Georgia, by exchanging their own plastic toothbrushes onto our own – bamboo-made ones. And, we provide every one of our travelers with personalized reusable water bottle. This understandably does not make a significant difference, but we believe that small things do go a long way.

People

FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS: As a wine producing country Georgia is a home to numerous wine entrepreneurs of different scale. We’ve hand-picked three small private wineries for this vacation that in our opinion will not only show you all the diversity of locally grown vines, but also in return will provide them with a chance to grow further and continue producing best examples of local wine.

Once flourishing tea-making industry in Georgia was almost completely destroyed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And it is only because of people like our friend Lika Megreladze Georgian tea is now again on the rise. Although on the local market only, we believe that by taking international travelers to her small tea plantation, in the far West of the country, we are able to help her, and other local tea enthusiasts, promote this amazing organic drink to the World.

Sustainability of farming activities is also a great deal in modern Georgia. That is why one day local farm trip is also included into this vacation. We have chosen this particular farm in Atskuri village because Gaga Mumladze, farm owner, shares our ideas of responsible travel. And it is his farm we would like to benefit allowing him to grow and help his own village develop.

A FAIR DEAL: Our local guides and drivers who work on this vacation receive a wage that is higher of an average standard guide and driver fee in Georgia. First of all, this is an extensive two-week tour; and secondly, we believe in fair compensation and expect best professional service from our local partners in return. In addition to this our guides and drivers undergo free trainings in the principles of responsible travel, so they are empowered and can communicate this to our travelers.