Walking Turkey’s Turquoise Coast vacation

Planet

No single use plastic bottles are provided throughout this trip, instead there are containers of filtered water available of the buses making it easy for the group to refill their water bottles whenever needed. Passengers are also shown where they can find springs of spring water to fill up during the walks.

As this is a walking trip there are picnic lunches during some of the longer days. The food is provided in reusable tupperware containers rather than plastic bags and the tour leader purchase open fillings from the local farmers market and restaurants without the need to buy items wrapped in plastic. the passengers are also provided with multi use plastic cups that are washed after every tour and reusable cotton bags for shopping that are also reused for the next group.

During the walks the tour leaders actively and visibly pick up litter when they find it and passengers are encouraged to do the same. Collecting and recycling the rubbish where possible each day.

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

We take lunch with a local family in the mountain village of Sutlegen. Alongside providing an income for the family this gives us a feel for the traditions of the country, eating from large communal plates whilst sitting on cushions on a floor covered in brightly-coloured woven carpets. The tour leader encourages the group the eat in Turkish restaurants to savour locally sourced food and recipes.

Learning about the country we are traveling to is an important competent on our trips and Turkey is brimming with history and culture. One of the reasons we prefer to use local Tour Leaders is so they can give a real insight into into the culture and history of this fascinating country. We also use local boat providers to access Simena village and see the sunken city of Kekova, this provides direct employment to these small businesses and ensures that money stays within the communities that we visit.

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.