Balkans walking holiday

Planet

We believe that walking trips are the best way to experience a destination; because you have more time to appreciate the changing landscapes and get to know locals in the villages and towns that you pass through. Travelling on foot has minimal impact on your environment, but we encourage clients to stay on the marked trails to avoid erosion.

Our Waste Management Policy encourages our travellers to take their own reusable water bottles, coffee cups and reusable stuff sacks to avoid single-use plastics. We follow this same philosophy in our office as well as on the trail: in our London office we have banned single use coffee cups and water bottles. We use recycled paper in our office and we are working towards reducing the amount of paper we use, as well as recycling all of our paper and plastic waste.

In 2000 we developed the award winning Responsible Travel Guidebook, which presented our Travel Group’s comprehensive policies on sustainable travel. Over the years our Responsible Travel Guidebook has evolved to meet the ever-changing landscape of sustainable travel. In March 2018 The Thoughtful Traveller booklet was launched, which is an easy-to-read document that empowers travellers with suggestions about how they can be part of the solution and collectively make the world a better place when they travel. Everyone is encouraged to read the Thoughtful Traveller ebook before departure.

People

The accommodations we use on this trip are small and locally owned; this way we ensure your tourist spend is staying within the area and benefiting local people. In these properties you can be sure of the warm hospitality of the locals and will gain a unique insight into their fascinating mountain culture.

As part of the itinerary we have carefully planned meals including refreshments at a local house in Babino Polie, and a delicious homemade dinner at Gusinje, and in Nyderlysa where we can take a swim in the pristine river before a lovely garden lunch prepared by a local family. This helps to provide a culturally immersive experience; and provides valuable income in the area.

We use local guides throughout this trip. The guides are highly experienced, have strong local knowledge of the area and a love and understanding of their country that they are happy to share throughout the trip. This not only provides a richer experience but creates valuable employment helping to keep income within the community