Cultural holiday in Ghana, Togo and Benin

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
This tour is a combination of two countries and all travel including crossing the borders is done by land. Although this takes longer, they are nice drives and this removes any unnecessary flights between the countries reducing our carbon footprint.

We do everything possible to reduce our waste while travelling, using local cafes and restaurants. We also work extremely closely with our locally owned suppliers to inform and educate their staff about a range of issues, including litter and waste disposal, and the recycling of material. Clients are advised to bring their own water bottles rather than purchase plastic.

The majority of meals are included in this tour, and we take clients to locally owned restaurants, where local produce is used. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available in all restaurants we visit and hotels that are used.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
Wherever possible we use environmentally friendly local accommodation. If this is not possible we make every effort to alert the management of the accommodation in question to ways of improving their service with the environment in mind. Many of the hotels and lodges we use are in extremely remote areas and are therefore almost entirely self-sufficient, using local sources of food, labour and construction materials.

In Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary we support local conservation efforts through the fees that we pay to enter the reserve. By bringing income to this region it encourages the preservation of wildlife – local people are able to see the value of the wildlife through the employment that the reserve provides, and are therefore discouraged from hunting.

Our local team have a set environmental policy which applies to all destinations and communities they work in. They work closely with accommodation suppliers to educate on how to reduce plastic waste and use more organic materials, which is important in the smaller towns and villages of Togo and Benin.

Our local team have also set up a community outreach program, which does not only apply to Ghana, where they are based, but also the other destinations they operate in such as Togo and Benin. This program is to educate communities in the benefits of conservation.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY
When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops and encourage our clients to interact both financially and socially with the communities that they are passing through. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.

We include a visit to the fetish market in Lome, which is a traditional market selling animal parts for use in local spells and medicines. Although we realise that this may be controversial, this is a local market for local people, and would exist without the presence of tourism. We strongly discourage our clients from purchasing any of the items on sale. Nevertheless this provides a unique insight into an intriguing culture.


EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
We do not send a guide or tour leader from the UK or our company, but instead use local guides who are from the area and country we operate in. All guides and drivers are direct employees of our local team rather than freelance contractors. We believe the best way to be shown a country is by those who live there, and work with many local guides in different cities and towns so our clients get the best experience and knowledge possible.

All employees receive additional benefits from working with us, such as healthcare and a pension scheme. They, including all guides and drivers, are paid a wage higher than minimum wage and benefit from a company profit sharing scheme.