RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
At Encounter Africa Safaris limited, we look at responsible travel and tourism as the best way to reduce the impacts of mass tourism on local communities and their cultures plus the environment that surrounds them. Our tours and excursions are for those that have heard enough of mass tourism and want to relax, discover and adventure without adversely affecting the environment and the local communities. Our tours are designed to get more out of your holiday by bringing you closer to local cultures/communities and environments by involving local people in tourism. Once the local community realizes that they will benefit from your visit, then they will give you a warm welcome.
Most of our tours are designed for small groups of one person to seven people rather than one hundred people plus. By doing so, your visit will have minimum impacts on the local community and the environment while enhancing your adventure and experience. We make sure that your holiday is truly authentic and that you experience that African touch which you paid for. Our responsible travel policy is very simple and you will find it beneficial before travel, while on safari and after the safari.
Our Advice before your Travel
We encourage all our clients to get to know the culture of the people in the destination they are going to visit. Learn a few words from the popular local laguange like greeting or saying thank you and when you arrive, communicate with the locas in their languange and you will be accepted and thus the best way to travel responsibly.
If you have excess package, please do dispose them off before you travel, these may include polythene paper and other plastics. This is because plastics have caused a lot of impacts on the environment more especially soil. We therefore advise not to pack plastic material unless otherwise. If you do so, make sure that it is disposed off properly.
It is always good to ask us about some gifts that you could bring along with you so that you share them with the local communities/schools and children as responsible travel is all about community development and sharing.
We have selected projects where you can do some volunteer work to make you holiday more meaningful. Please do contact us and we will advise availability of volunteer placement depending on your skills, interest and time.
We will provide you with information about the different cultures of the local community before you arrive in the destination of your choice.
While on Safari
We encourage you to buy local products to support the local industry as much as possible than buying imported products. After all, you are here to experience what this destination has to offer. By doing this, parents can send their children to school, they can buy medicine and above all invest in projects that develop the community and conserve the environment.
We employ local people as driver guides, safari consultants and porters. By doing so we provide them with income to develop them. Therefore by booking through Encounter African Safaris, you are supporting a local and indigenous company that in turn employs fellow local people.
We encourage you to respect the local peoples culture, religion so that you don't cause cultural shock in the destination of visit. If you are not sure please do us one of our safari consultants and He/she will gladly help.
Participate in activities designed to promote community development and environmental conservation. These could be village walks, cultural performances, buying crafts and also following principles of eco tourism while on safari.
When you get back home
Send us feedback on how the safari you booked through us was truly responsible, tell us about the hotels, suggest the best way to reduce any impacts on the invironment and how the community can benefit more from our tours.
We believe that your holiday exposed you to our environment and local communities, schools, orphanages, women groups so why don't you donate something? You can plan to support a tree planting campaign, help orphans with school fees and this can be done at home or on your next holiday.
