Central America small group tours

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

As a travel company we're acutely aware of our impact on the environment. Each one of our tours displays a carbon footprint, and we're working to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our itineraries and embracing lower-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which aren't just better for the planet, but we believe offer a more enjoyable and authentic travel experience too. We're a Certified B Corp that's committed to creating unforgettable adventures while protecting our planet for future generations.

While sightseeing in Mexico City we walk and use public transport - and have chosen a centrally located hotel to enable this. We travel through Mexico by charter bus and there are no internal flights.

For many of the meals that are not included our trip leader will arrange group meals at local restaurants where is it possible to try some of the tasty and Mexican food. Often these will be made from locally sourced, fresh ingredients including plenty of local vegetables. Be sure to try local specialties that the leader points out.


ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

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.

In order to use less fuel on our minibuses the air-conditioning is only switched on when our customer board the bus and the engine is switched off whenever the bus is parked up.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

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.

We only employ local guides and crew members, giving economic benefits to the regions we travel through. We prioritize family-run accommodations over chain hotels, which tend to have a much larger carbon footprint and use more imported foodstuffs.

On the tour we stay at many locally owned properties. One example of this is in Escudo Jaguar Ecotourist Center in Frontera Corozal, where the lodge is owned by a group of native Ch'oles. The Ch?ol are an indigenous people of Mexico. Their indigenous language is from the Mayan language family, also known also as Ch?ol.

On the tour we are proud to visit many local markets, where our customers have the chance to buy & support locally run businesses. Examples of this are within the main town of Oaxaca, known for its famous markets, artisanal markets and restaurants, as well as the main Zocalo, famous for its street vendors and entertainers. There is also the chance to visit the local marketplace in San Cristobal, high in the scenic Chiapas range. The indigenous groups such as the Tzotzil community from the surrounding hills fill the town and marketplace. This area is noted for the bright textiles and weavings in bold designs, and there will be a chance to bargain for some colourful souvenirs here.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

We believe that diversity is to be celebrated and as a Certified B Corp we're committed to championing equity and inclusion throughout our entire supply chain. We believe that an inclusive approach is essential, and that the best results occur when contributors have different opinions, experiences and backgrounds to bring to the table.

On this tour we visit the town of Teotitlán del Valle, famed for its weaving. We visit specifically a Women's Weaving Cooperative. This women’s weaving co-operative was founded to support women who are single, widowed, divorced, have absent migrant husbands or who have been left without a family to take care of them. Historically, only men were allowed to weave, but in the last 60 years women have been able to be a part of this tradition. There is still a local stigma and prejudice to this work, as single women who face these issues were originally (and still are to some extent) labelled as outsiders. We are proud to support this local institution by bringing our customers to see this ancient craft being performed and supporting this community.