Our guide lifts the lid on what we rate and what we don’t, including information about the food, shopping and people.
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your vacation to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.
Planet
CARBON REDUCTION
In Divjaka-Karavasta National Park, our groups visit the beautiful Karavasta Lagoon, where they learn about the local conservation efforts for species like the Dalmatian pelican and sea turtles. In the morning enjoy breakfast served on a large locally made carpet and prepared with a focus on reducing waste.
In Karavasta Lagoon, our group travel either by bicycle or electric vehicle and much of the travel on this trip is by boat and ferry, rather than a private vehicle.
ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
In the ruined village of Trajgas, we include a visit to a family that has created a farm which utilizes traditional and sustainable farming practices. Our travelers get the chance to earn how they coexist alongside animals such as grey wolves, jackals, birds of prey and bee-eaters.
In the western part of the Shala River region we include a visit the sustainable and unique agri-tourism destination at Mrizi I Zanave farm, also known as the "Shade of the Fairies". Our customers sit down to a farm-to-table dinner made with fresh ingredients grown on site, before spending the night at the accommodation there.
People
LOCAL ECONOMY
We use locally owned accommodation wherever possible, including the three nights at the family run guesthouse in Nanplep.
We visit the village of Babunje, where our travelers have a chance to participate in a hands-on bamboo craft experience and enjoy a meal with a group of farmers and artists. Your hosts will introduce you to local polyphonic singing, homemade raki and Turkish coffee reading.
We’ve partnered with MEET, a non-profit organisation that supports local tourism operators throughout national parks in the Mediterranean by giving them the tools to develop community-based ecotourism projects. This partnership gives you the opportunity to visit these protected places in an authentic and sustainable way.
Employment, Inclusivity and Diversity
Our local tour leaders are just that, local! All additional guides are local too, and we visit numerous locally owned business and community-based tourism projects in order to support the local communities we visit. This includes sharing a coffee in the garden of our local friends to learn about their culture and family history in Tirana, the option to hire a local hiking guide in the Shala River.
Since 2018 we have been certified as a B Corp. Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Unlike other certifications for businesses, B Lab is unique in our ability to measure a company’s entire social and environmental impact.
