Family garden route vacation with safari, South Africa

Planet

On a tour that includes many of South Africa’s iconic highlights, we also have the opportunity of appreciating this young country’s cutting edge programmes of wildlife conservation and environmental care.

Two such visits include Tsitsikamma and Robberg Nature Reserve which hosts 240 species of mammal and almost 500 species of reptiles and amphibians. Our entrance fees go towards conserving the high proportion of endemic species found in the marine park, a large number of species which are heavily overexploited elsewhere are protected within the park. South Africa is leagues ahead of many developed nations when it comes to environmental care, and its Zero Litter Tolerance, briefed to groups by our local leaders are widely respected.

Transportation on this guided trip includes chartered bus, boat and ample walking – all contributing to a more in-depth exploration, whilst avoiding the harmful impact of fly/drive tourism. Local businesses are widely supported through our use of local suppliers, in particular by using restaurants that source their produce regionally.

We use varied accommodation including the Teniqua Treetops, a tented tree house where we sleep, eat and shower up in the canopy of the forest, all surrounded by birdsong and butterflies. The timber used in the construction of the suites is a combination of Pine and Gum, both are sustainably farmed. The suites are built on stilts to minimize our footprint on the forest. Compost bins are placed in all suites and composted on the farm for the garden. Recycling bins are provided in all units, this is collected weekly by Knysna Municipality.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

Our tours are designed to give a glimpse into the local communities we visit along the way. Examples of this are the skate board park outside of Cape Town, allowing opportunity to meet kids from the Cape area from a variety of backgrounds and share experiences with each other as we learn how to skateboard. We also visit the District Six Museum. Although the Museum was initially started as a community space for ex-residents to gather and meet, it has now become a space that tells the story of District Six under apartheid to both local and foreign visitors to Cape Town and South Africa.

We stay in locally owned guesthouses and small properties where the money from our stay gets to stay in the communities we visit and also gives valuable employment opportunities.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.