Ecuador walking vacation, tailormade

Planet

As an in depth specialist tour operator to Ecuador, we take a considered approach to the social, environmental and economic impacts of the vacations we design. To us, this means much more than a simple donation to a charity for each client. We try to build long and constructive involvements with local guides, wildlife lodges and hotels, in the course of which we, and our clients, can make lasting wide-ranging contributions to the wonderful places and people we engage with. In this itinerary we have selected several hotels and lodges whose documented practices align with this approach.

Cabañas San Isidro is involved in forest conservation and owns land adjoining the lodge. In partnership with private donors, friends of the project and Mitch Lysinger (of San Isidro), 550 hectares (1,210 acres) of mature forest were acquired to connect with Cabañas San Isidro's existing 620-hectare reserve. The acquisition added to the protected forest area associated with the lodge and created a connection with the wider forest landscape towards the Antisana Reserve. The Napo Andean Forest Foundation was subsequently established to support further land acquisition and conservation activities in the region.
Cabañas San Isidro also supports activities relating to biological research and environmental education and works with local communities in the surrounding area. These activities take place alongside the lodge's nature-based tourism operations in Ecuador's eastern Andean region.

Termas de Papallacta has participated in environmental and sustainable tourism certification programmes, including Ecuador's Smart Voyager sustainable tourism certification programme. The property also works with the Terra Foundation on initiatives relating to the local community and the surrounding environment.

In Chugchilán, you stay in a locally owned and run guesthouse where traditional meals are prepared using locally sourced produce and ingredients where possible.

The itinerary also includes walks in several national parks and protected areas, where applicable entrance fees contribute towards the management of these sites.

We were the first tour operator in the UK to form a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance to work towards the implementation of best management practices in tourism. In practical terms, this has involved working with hotels that have introduced specific social, environmental and economic initiatives within their businesses and local communities.

People

We use local guides in all of our destinations. It is our experience that, with the right approach, local guides' detailed knowledge of their destinations makes them particularly well placed to guide our tours, while their local connections enable them to share their knowledge of the communities and places we visit. We also see employing local guides as a way of creating opportunities for people to build careers in their own communities rather than having to move elsewhere to find work.

In Ecuador we work with local ground handlers, helping to retain a significant proportion of our operational expenditure within the Ecuadorean economy and supporting employment, including in more remote regions. By incorporating locally owned hotels, restaurants and the services of local guides and drivers into our itineraries, we aim to keep as much tourism expenditure as possible within the local economy, allowing local businesses and communities to benefit from tourism.