Zambia safari holiday, tailor made

Planet

As passionate wildlife and environment conservationists we solely work with operators who are as dedicated to protecting the environments, communities and wildlife populations of the areas we visit as we are. That’s why we feel confident that this itinerary will deliver an eco-positive experience to our customers, as the operators of the tour have one of the most in-depth social responsibility policies we’ve seen and put tremendous efforts into giving back to the people and environments of the countries in which they operate. One of the many ways in which they do this is through their support of the Maun Animal Welfare Society. Although this itinerary is based mostly in Zambia, the operators are based in nearby Botswana and the Maun Animal Welfare Society is a fantastic initiative where free veterinary treatment is provided to low income individuals just over the border in Northern Botswana. This vital service is at the forefront of preventing the spread of disease from domestic animals to the world famous wildlife population. Throughout your Zambia tour you are likely to witness a plethora of this iconic wildlife, and every step of the way you will be guided by experienced local guides who know these areas and its wildlife like no other. Your guides will fully brief on you on the correct behaviour around the wildlife, including keeping safe distances so as not to encroach upon their habitat and strict rules around feeding the wildlife. Your guides will also tell you more about the conservation efforts ongoing in Zambia to protect and preserve the wildlife populations.

As a company we support in both a financial and promotional capacity a number of wildlife charities across the world and we are more than happy to share details of these with our customers who wish to help us in the fight against animal extinction. Some of the organisations and charities we support include Save the Albatross, Painted Wolf Foundation, How Many Elephants, The Dian Fossey Foundation and Africat to name just a few. We actively promote these and similar charities and organisations to our customers and find that the vast majority of people return from our trips with a renewed passion for conservation and an eagerness to get involved in whatever way they can.

The lodges and accommodations used throughout the tour have been selected not only for their comfort and hospitality but only for their “green” credentials and ecotourism initiatives. The operators of Busanga Bush Camp make little to no profit from the camp and it was created solely to help protect the ecosystem, provide accommodation in such a remote area, support its protection and create employment. Before the camp was built, the area’s wildlife had suffered badly from poaching and declines in populations. Thanks to the camp’s year-round presence, bringing visibility to the area and working with the DNPW on anti-poaching initiatives and aerial surveys there has been a tangible resurgence of the “Plains of Plenty.” The operators of the camp are so wholeheartedly committed to their responsibilities to their surrounding environment that they have their own wildlife trust which supports countless projects across Africa and were one of the main forces behind restoring the populations of rhino in Botswana amongst many other notable and worthwhile initiatives. The ethos behind every single thing they do is to restore Africa’s wilderness and wildlife, using high-end ecotourism and a responsible and sustainable business model that “changes people’s perspectives on the planet, and inspires those exposed to it to effect positive change in their own lives and own spheres of influence”. The company pioneered environmentally-sensitive camp architecture so that their camps have the lightest possible impact on the environment. Full details of the extremely extensive environmentally friendly practices in place are readily available, and highlights include the camp being powered by a hybrid system combining a diesel-powered generator that charges a bank of batteries, which in turn supplies the camp with electricity through an inverter. Thanks to this system, the generator only needs to operate for eight hours a day as opposed to 24 hours. Reverse osmosis filtration is done on site to provide guests with high-quality drinking water, all waste water is appropriately treated in an Above Ground Sewage Plant, only approved eco-friendly detergents and chemicals are used throughout the camp, and all staff are highly-trained in upholding the strict environmental standards.

Likewise, the operators of Kakuli Bush Camp and Chongwe River Camp’s policy of non-intrusive wildlife enjoyment and low environmental impact has seen them become ground-breakers in ecotourism in Zambia. Through their fantastic conservation foundation they contribute more than $300,000 per year to community, health, education and wildlife conservation initiatives in the area. Every member of staff is fully trained in upholding the company’s long-term commitment to conserving the world’s most beautiful places and initiatives in place include solar power and environmentally conscious construction.

As a company we firmly believe that environmental responsibility starts at home (and the workplace of course). We encourage recycling of waste as a company and as individuals. Where possible for business use we use public transport and use as many low-energy products in our office as possible. We encourage our staff to work from home on occasions so as to reduce pollution from constant commuting and coordinate with external partners almost entirely electronically to limit travel for meetings. The vast majority of communications to partners, customers and colleagues is provided electronically unless specifically requested otherwise. We are also heavily involved with a project to recycle used or damaged binoculars, which are then sent to conservation projects across the world.

People

As part of our commitment to our responsible tourism policy we only work with operators, providers and accommodations who have proven records of treating staff and local communities fairly, and who have initiatives in place for giving back to the communities in which they operate tourism. This is exceptionally evident in this itinerary, with all providers and accommodations having fantastic community schemes, conservation efforts and social responsibility policies in place.

The operators of Kakuli Bush Camp and Chongwe River Camp’s conservation heritage dates back to the 1950’s “working with local communities to protect and share rare and unique places in all their natural beauty”. The family-owned organisation place their people at the heart of everything they do, hiring locally and contributing to the local environments. They have won awards for their community focused approach to eco-tourism and are so committed to their responsibilities that they have their own foundation which allows them to personally contribute more than $300,000 per year to community, health, education and wildlife conservation initiatives in the area. The foundation “promotes non-consumptive tourism as the most effective way for local communities and their natural environments to prosper symbiotically.” Amongst many other projects they sponsor environmental education programmes for local people, provide conservation activities for local school children, pay the salaries of many local school teachers, provide school scholarships and install drinking water wells in numerous underprivileged areas.

The operators of Busanga Bush Camp are renowned worldwide for their contributions to conservation and community in Africa. They are proud to provide permanent employment, skills and ongoing training to countless local people, providing a true income and revenue stream for the local economy. More than 85% of the camp staff come from remote, rural communities and for no less than 63% of them this job will be their first-ever formal employment. The owners believe that each camp staff member directly supports a further 7 people as a result of their employment while every lodge bed indirectly impacts no less than 14 rural people through other elements such as revenue share, procurement and additional services. What’s more, 80% of their staff surveyed across Africa felt that tourism has resulted in a positive impact on their home village. They have created pioneering community partnerships (of which more information is readily available). They also have their own children’s educational non-profit organisation with programmes which provide school-based Eco-Clubs, nutritional programmes for learners, school rehabilitation projects, scholarships which enable paid education for more than 300 children per year, and annual camps across Africa which host over 500 children for lessons, fun and conservation education. What’s more, they also support the Pack for a Purpose Scheme, an organisation which is very close to our hearts. The Pack for a Purchase initiative invites those who are travelling to the area to leave some space in their luggage to bring with them much needed supplies for local children and families. We encourage our customers to become involved in the scheme and can provide a list of suitable items that are currently required.

We use local management companies so that not only do they hold intimate knowledge of the regions and how to protect them, but also so that as much of the revenue created as possible is filtered straight through to the local communities. The suppliers that we work with ensure continued revenue streams for local communities and hire predominantly local people. Our agent provides career opportunities that without the tourism aspect would not be possible, and through established in-house training programs, mentoring systems and ongoing training the local people of the communities we visit are encouraged to prosper. The agent of this fantastic tour is also an industry leader in responsible tourism, and creating only positive impacts on their local communities by investing in their people. From supporting working mothers by providing a full time on-site cre`che, to funding a community bus, they are continually investing in social responsibility initiatives that support this philosophy. The company are a majority female operated organisation who are passionate about providing opportunities to local women that have historically been denied to them and they support many local woman’s empowerment initiatives.

Their flagship project is their Community Bus which was developed to provide free scheduled and ad-hoc transport for multiple local NGOs, including helping with nutritious meal deliveries, transport to hospital and doctor’s appointments and providing school transport for vulnerable children. They also work with Travel For Impact, continuously raising funds to support NGO’s that are well governed and have a proven record of providing sustainable and tangible assistance to the community. Other projects they are involved in include Bana Ba Letsatsi rehabilitation centre where they fully fund the centre’s counsellor, Women Against Rape (WAR) where they fully fund the Matron who runs the safe house used as a refuge by desperate women and children, and AGLOW where they fully fund two full-time care workers.

As a company we are proud of our principle based values which our community can always depend on. We support several home and overseas charities, organisations and campaigns including AfriCat, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Msaada, Pack for a Purpose, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), Save the Albatross, South Georgia Habitat Restoration Project, Wader Trust, Wildlife SOS India and sponsorship of individual and underprivileged children in many countries. We are committed to ethically working with overseas partners who employ and support local communities and local guides who know and love their region like no other, delighted to share knowledge and are dedicated to looking after our valued passengers.