Petra to the pyramids vacation

Planet

Carbon Reduction

The average carbon footprint consumption is 622Kg of CO2e per person on this tour. We don't use any flights on this trip to link Amman with Cairo, instead we travel through the Sinai Peninsula by road, staying in Dahab and visiting St Catherine's monastery at Mount Sinai (which we also get the chance to climb). This slower pace allows us to explore more of Egypt and keeps our carbon footprint lower. In addition we use the sleeper train service from Cairo to Luxor, offering a lower carbon alternative to flying.
There are a number of measures the hotels we use are taking to reduce their carbon footprint, these include the use of energy-efficient LED bulbs, recycling waste, giving guests the opportunity to opt out of daily room cleaning and sourcing food suppliers from the locality. We offer the choice of vegetarian and vegan options. Our tour leaders work with local restaurants to eliminate single use plastics and straws.
As a travel company we are acutely aware of our impact on the environment. All of our tours display a carbon footprint, and we strive to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our tours and embracing low-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which offer the added benefit of getting a closer connection with the destination and local community.

Environment and Wildlife

There are a number of classical sites that we visit on this tour, all entrance tickets include an element which goes towards the preservation and continued conservation of these sites for future generations and to further learning to the establishment of archaeological research facilities.
We strive to support nature and biodiversity through protection and regeneration projects. We have made the decision to remove all animal interactions in Egypt (horse drawn carriages and camel rides) as we were not satisfied that the welfare conditions were of sufficiently high standards. Our local partner in Egypt supports the ACE (Animal Care in Egypt) hospital in Luxor, making a denotation for each guest that travels with us, in addition we also make a donation to Rewilding Britain and Cool Earth.
Conservation of water is actively promoted in both Jordan and Egypt. We work closely with our local suppliers to see how we can help them save water in the fragile desert environment. As there is no recycling in the desert areas of Wadi Rum and in the Sinai, our customers are encouraged to minimize waste. Furthermore, the Gulf of Aqaba is a place of outstanding natural beauty whose existing marine ecosystems are fragile and in danger. Our groups are well informed about the impact of interfering with this ecosystem and our tour leaders help to promote wider awareness of this locally.
The tap water in Jordan and Egypt is not recommended for drinking and in many cases only bottled water is advised. To encourage customers to avoid single-use plastic on tour, our leaders give advice on refill points each day, the Novotel and Obelisk hotels both offer water coolers and dispensers to refill water bottles. Where tap water isn't safe to drink we recommend Water-to-Go bottles, a filtration bottle allowing you to drink water from any source.

People

Local Economy

Our leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travelers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest.
The money generated by tourism in this area goes to support the local Bedouin community in Wadi Rim, Jordan and reinforces amongst the local people the importance of protecting this unique area. Furthermore we spend time in St Catherine's Monastery, situated at the foot of Mount Sinai where we stay at a small hotel and use guides from the area for our trek.
We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community. There are a number of practical ways in which we do this in Jordan and Egypt, during our trips we will visit a papyrus institute as well as a number of local markets in Cairo, Aqaba, Dahab and Luxor where guests can purchase local goods directly helping to support the local communities we pass through.

Employment, Inclusivity and Diversity

We use a different partner in Jordan and Egypt, this means that we will have a Jordanian leader for the first five days and an Egyptian leader from day six. Our local partners in Jordan and Egypt only employs people from the local community. They pay at least the average market wage. and have a workplace diversity strategy to nurture equal employment without regard to race, gender or sexual orientation.