Silk Road overland holiday, the five Stans

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
We ensure that any of our crew needing to fly internationally stay for as long as possible in the region by making sure a trip starts at the end location of the previous trip. For instance, our crew members on this trip will have previously run a trip from Istanbul to Bishkek, without the need to fly in between.

We regularly buy food for camp cooking at small shops and local markets, for instance Mehrgon Market in Dushanbe where much of the produce is grown locally, has few food miles and is in season. We shop every few days so fresh food can be bought and used quickly, preventing waste. When eating out we use local cafes and restaurants as well as street markets where food is locally sourced.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
Altyn-Emal National Park in Kazakhstan, once a hunting reserve and farmland, was made a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2017. We visit the park and include the entrance fee of approximately £3 per person which supports the work of preserving its unique ecosystems and the wildlife that inhabits them. The park’s desert, mountains, rivers and lakes include a range of habitats including steppe, alpine meadows, floodplains and reed beds which in turn support a myriad of species from bears, bats and birds to antelope, amphibians and wild cats including the endangered snow leopard. The park has worked to restore populations of Przewalski’s horse as well as the rare Turkmen Kulan and Gazelle.

We recognize the need to reduce our plastic consumption and provide sustainable alternatives to our customers. That's why we've partnered with Water to Go to offer a fantastic solution.

Water to Go is a company on a mission to tackle the issue of plastic pollution by providing travellers with reusable filter bottles. These bottles are not your average water containers. They are designed with advanced filtration technology that allows you to safely refill your bottle from natural water sources, taps, and even in places where tap water is not typically considered safe to drink.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY
We ask our travellers to pay part of their trip cost as a Local Payment at the start of their trip which means we are able to pay local people for services, directly to them such as Rustam at the Islambek Hotel in Khiva. The Local Payment goes towards most hotels, hostels and campsites that we stay at, as well as food which we buy at local shops and markets as well as other supplies such as gas for cooking.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
We use a Kyrgyz operator that we have worked with for many years, to provide us with drivers and guides and these are all from Kyrgyzstan. At sites of interest, we use local guides from the community to impart their expert knowledge, for example at the workshop in Kyzyl-Tuu village that produces the wooden parts of yurts.

Our company Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy applies to all who work for us whether they be in the UK or overseas and on whatever basis they are working. We are proud that our workforce includes a huge range of people and cultures from all backgrounds and from around the world and we are committed to providing equality, fairness and respect to them all.