Guyana wildife and nature tour

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

To help reduce carbon emissions we begin our tour in the destination country, which allows guests to arrange their own travel as well as creating flexibility if guests wish to extend their stay at either end of the tour.

As far as possible, vegetarian and vegan options will be provided throughout (dietary requirements are requested from guests prior to our tour commencing so this can be passed on to our accommodation in advance).

This tour directly supports the Scottish charity Trees for Life, by planting at least one native tree in their woodland for every guest and leader who joins our tour.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Several of our bases for this tour strive to be environmentally sustainable and are recognised as such, for instance; the Iwokrama Forest, where we will base ourselves for three nights, manages its forests in an environmentally sustainable way, for example by using low-impact logging techniques. It's management is recognised by its FSC certification, and enabled by the local communities, scientists and researchers who are actively engaged in the sustainable timber and ecotourism operations as well as research into the impact of climate change on the forest ecosystem.

Atta Rainforest Lodge reduces it's carbon emissions by using solar panels to generate electricity rather than fossil fuels. It also upholds a 'no plastic' policy and enforces no hunting zones to conserve wildlife.

Karanambu Lodge protects endangered species particularly the Giant River Otter. Damaging activities, such as hunting, trapping and burning are banned in their protected area.

During our visit to Yupukari we partake in the Black Caiman Monitoring Project. Black Caiman, historically hunted for their skins, are recovering thanks to a better understanding of their ecology and a shift away from negative perceptions. Importantly, funding for this research largely comes from eco-tourism.

We travel in a small group (up to 10 max.) in order to minimise impact on wildlife, habitats and local communities as well as to provide the best guide-to-guest ratio and more intimate wildlife encounters.

We encourage our guests to avoid single-use plastics, for example; bringing their own personal reusable water bottles for the tour.

Our ‘no paper’ policy means that all our tour information is sent to guests digitally.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

We choose to stay in accommodations which care about the wildlife, local communities and conserving the habitats around them. The lodges in which we stay source foods and services locally. For example, Iwokrama employs people from local villages as forest rangers, research assistants and tour guides. Atta Rainforest Lodge also employ people from local villages to run and guide on the lodge. Rewa Eco-lodge is an exemplary example of a community owned and run lodge proving the full package of accommodation, meals, transport and guiding. Utilising these service providers increases the intrinsic value of the wildlife and surrounding environment to the local people, showing them that tourists value these assets and are willing to pay to see them, whilst also learning about the traditions of their culture.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

We highly value local knowledge and employ local guides at each location for their intimate understanding of the wildlife and habitats. Often these guides will derive from indigenous communities and the support and income generated from eco-tourism helps to create a sustainable local economy as well as encouraging our guests to embrace local culture.

All of our tours are LGBTQ+ friendly.