South india tour

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

Throughout India we try where ever possible to use small locally owned hotels that reflect the character of the place we are staying. We work in partnership with our local in-country ground agents to introduce environmental policies which help to conserve water usage and energy expenditure. On this trip we stay in a combination of houseboats, simple homestay accommodation and locally-ran hotels throughout the trip and groups are encouraged to minimise use of water in order to help the owners manage their resources.

We have worked hard in India to reduce the number of internal flights on our itineraries, instead replacing these journeys with vehicles that are appropriate to our group sizes, or by utilising India's excellent public railway network. There are no internal flights on this trip, with journeys being taken in small buses, by boats, and of course on much of our sightseeing is done on foot, a far more immersive experience than from behind a bus window.

As a travel company we are acutely aware of our impact on the environment. All of our tours display a carbon footprint, and we strive to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our tours and embracing low-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which offer the added benefit of getting a closer connection with the destination and local community.


We offer several 'Vegetarian only' departures of this food trip, where the entirety of the included meals will be vegetarian friendly. In fact Kerala is around 80% vegetarian, so it's the perfect destination to experience this wonderful and varied plant-based cuisine.


ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

On this trip we visit several natural wonders, such as the tea plantations of Munnar, the spice gardens of Thekkady, the backwaters of Kerala and of course Periyar National Park. The entrance fees that we pay contribute to the upkeep of these special places. Tourism is steadily increasing in India, and we therefore want to ensure our groups are having a positive impact on the country, and are leading by example. We do this by recycling and re-using wherever possible, and ensuring that all waste is disposed of appropriately. We provide a large central tank of filtered water on all of our transport, and encourage our customers to come with re-fillable water bottles.

Tourism is steadily increasing in India, and we therefore want to ensure our groups are having a positive impact on the country, and are leading by example. We do this by recycling and re-using wherever possible, and ensuring that all waste is disposed of appropriately. We provide a large central tank of filtered water on all of our transport, and encourage our customers to come with re-fillable water bottles.

We strive to support nature and biodiversity through protection and regeneration projects, and for every customer that travels with us we make a donation to Rewilding Britain and Cool Earth.

We encourage customers to avoid single-use plastic on tour, and our leaders give advice on refill points each day. Where tap water isn't safe to drink we recommend Water-to-Go bottles, a filtration bottle allowing you to drink water from any source.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

The focus of this tour is experiencing an immersive introduction to south India's food and people. As well as visiting the main points of interest, we get off the beaten track at many points to really give us a flavour of local life such as trying mouth watering delicious Indian street food including dosas and Masala vada around Kochi and a traditional thali lunch en route to Munnar. Using street vendors directly ensures money goes directly to the local community we pass through.

We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community.

Our leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travellers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest. We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

We work with a local partner in India that is entirely Indian-owned and Indian run, providing employment opportunities for local people across the many areas of India where they operate. Tour Leading has traditionally been a very male-dominated profession in India, but they are actively working to recruit more female Tour Leaders and are joining the movement to provide more equality .