Family holiday in South Africa

On this trip: Our policy of staying in locally owned hotels, having local guides and group leaders and using transport owned and operated by local people wherever possible is continued in South Africa. Our small groups (approx. 16 people) have a minimal impact on the fragile environment. All tour guides are responsible for ensuring that the guests understand the nature of the environment that they are in and minimise the impact that they may have. Drinking water is purified rather than using bottled water and we use responsible cooking fuels (kerosene) instead of wood. We have a cultural encounter with the Shangaan people and learn about their history.

In South Africa we have now ordered 38,000 energy efficient lamps for households. Our latest project partner is the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa. In some cases the lamps are being distributed through community centres in low income areas. Householders are encouraged to bring their old 60W lamps and exchange them for a 15W energy efficient one. In others they are asked to pay 3 rand for the lamp (which is the cost of a normal bulb in the shops) and WESSA use the money raised to support other local environmental projects (such as buying trees for the local parks). This is a really good way of raising awareness about energy efficiency and also other environmental issues. Each lamp saves approximately a third of a tonne of CO2 over its life by reducing coal in local power stations.

Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us.

Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems.

Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full.

Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book.