Offa’s Dyke walking vacation in Wales & England

Planet

Britain’s longest archaeological monument is the basis of this famous National Trail. We walk the section from Chepstow to Knighton, it is a journey packed with interest through patchworks of fields, over windswept ridges, by ruined castles and into the old border market towns. Traditional farming methods have more or less remained intact and the hedgerows, oak woods and hay meadows form good wildlife habitats, home of buzzards and the rare Red Kite. In such a landscape it is important to plan your trip in a sustainable manner.

We believe that walking trips are the best way to experience a destination; because you have more time to appreciate the changing landscapes and get to know locals in the villages and towns that you pass through while having a minimal impact on your environment.

This slow style of travel not only affords you more time to appreciate the natural beauty of the area but, just as importantly, positively contributes to the regions that host you.

We are aligned with “Leave No Trace”, an international organisation that has set the global standard for outdoor ethics. Through targeted education, research and outreach, its mission is to ensure the long-term health of our natural world while maintaining sustainable recreation in nature.

Our Waste Management Policy encourages our travelers to take their own reusable water bottles, coffee cups and reusable stuff sacks to avoid single-use plastics. We follow this same philosophy in our office as well as on the trail: in our London office we have banned single use coffee cups and water bottles. We use recycled paper in our office and we are working towards reducing the amount of paper we use, as well as recycling all of our paper and plastic waste.

People

Our preferred accommodations we use on this trip are locally owned and not part of big international hotel chains; this way we ensure your tourist spend is staying within the area and benefiting local people. For example, when available we book the Beaufort House in Chepstow. This 16 century coaching Inn purchases much of its meat directly from local farmers and uses Wye Valley and Welsh produce whenever possible. And when possible we book the family run Old Rectory in Llangattock-Lingoed, they serve a delicious breakfast with locally produced sausages and bacon, free range eggs from a neighbouring farm and home made jam from their own fruit.

In 2000 we developed the award winning Responsible Travel Guidebook, which presented our Travel Group’s comprehensive policies on sustainable travel. Over the years our Responsible Travel Guidebook has evolved to meet the ever-changing landscape of sustainable travel. In March 2018 The Thoughtful Traveler booklet was launched, which is an easy-to-read document that empowers travelers with suggestions about how they can be part of the solution and collectively make the world a better place when they travel. Everyone is encouraged to read the Thoughtful Traveler ebook before departure