Responsible Tourism

We believe... in traveling responsibly on our trips. Our commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism is reflected in our low impact travel style, where the only things we take are photographs and nourishment for the spirit and all we leave are our footprints. Being based in Africa, we have the grassroots contacts to make a real difference in the lives of the people whose lands we visit.

We run our safaris in keeping with the guidelines of TIES (The International Ecotourism Society), which defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people". For us, this translates to tangible practices which aim to:

Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts Minimize impact Provide direct financial benefits for conservation and local economies Support international human rights and labor agreements

Responsible actions. We encourage our clients through our guides, literature and actions to act in a responsible way towards local people, customs and environment. Wherever possible, we support accommodation providers who adhere to specific eco-tourism principles. For new destinations, we take into consideration environmental, cultural and economic issues.

Low impact. By keeping our group sizes small we ensure that our operations do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. Small groups require smaller and less obtrusive support vehicles. Ours is maintained on a regular basis in order to run as efficiently as possible by design. We pack all our garbage out and dispose of it properly. We also ask our clients to bring home with them all used batteries, as there are no proper recycling facilities available in the locations we visit.

Environment. Sometimes it's easy to think that an individual is unable to have a sizable impact on the environment and the way things are. Nothing could be further from the truth. We take responsibility for our actions in maintaining and improving the environment by:

Minimizing water and atmospheric pollution and misuse Minimizing litter and disposing of it in the best way possible Employing environmental considerations into all trips and business planning Upgrading and servicing our vehicle on a regular basis in order to minimize pollution Completely avoiding burning firewood (charcoal) for cooking and instead using gas for our camp kitchen Encouraging our clients to keep traveling environments tidy and clean

Community support. Whenever possible, we employ local guides and buy local services. We support local communities by visiting schools, hospitals, orphanages and businesses where the clients can make donations or purchase handmade products. Through the AIEA (the Italian Association of Experts in Africa), we can facilitate village stays for those who desire involvement in community work projects.

Conservation. The activities we arrange help to increase knowledge about wildlife and aim at educating and enabling people to experience and get close to nature. Virtually all of our tours include visits to national parks, which charge a conservation fee. In some cases, a large portion of the entrance fee is devolved to the local community. We believe in consistently supporting the national parks, as well as any local projects, throughout Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia, where we operate.