Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands hiking vacation

Planet

It is not advised that customers drink Ecuadorian tap water. For customers keen to avoid buying single use plastic bottles, we encourage them to take advantage of our discounted filter Water-To-Go bottle which removes over 99.9% of all microbiological contaminants in water.

We operate a ‘leave no trace’ policy on tour; our tour leaders are trained to promote this message to customers. This includes not deviating from designated walking areas so as not to upset ecosystems irrespective of the size. We encourage customers not to feed birds or other wildlife as they become reliant on tourists. We employ local guides throughout the tour who will encourage clients to leave minimal trace on trails. These points are particularly emphasised in the Galapagos as they are such a unique and sensitive eco zone.

Another important point in the Galapagos is to avoid inadvertently bringing in alien species. Clients are encouraged to check boots and cloths before landing to make sure they are not carrying anything they shouldn’t.

People

We stay in 8 different hotels on this tour allowing customers to get the best possible cultural understanding on the country. We use hotels noted for their connections with communities, employing local staff and where possible local craftsmen to maintain buildings built in traditional style. A good example of this is hotel we use in Lasso. The hotel is an historic building with particularly notable architecture. Locally made crafts are available from the hotel shop encouraging traditional skills in local villages.

We use local Ecuadorian guides. We have a national guide throughout and local guides as appropriate. The local guides are paid direct, so the money goes straight to local communities. The guides take us to local markets to purchase food for lunches. We eat out in local restaurants where possible. Everything possible is done to ensure as much of the tourist pound goes to local pockets.

We are currently working with our local agent to identify suitable projects which our company charity ‘Heart and Sole’ can support.