How We Make Our Trips Responsible?
Trekking Encounters promotes Responsible Holidays and strictly follows the responsible travel guide lines.
Eco-friendly Tours:
Trekking Encounters is an environmentally-friendly adventure travel company that uses locally owned accommodation along the way, collects and dispose of all litter, uses boiled drinking water instead of bottled water and kerosene instead of fire-wood. Our small groups (maximum of 12 people) have a minimal impact on the fragile environment of the Himalayas. All our guides are responsible for ensuring the clients that they have to protect the natural environment they are in and minimize the impact due to their activities.
Proper Waste Management:
Trekking Encounters properly dispose of the rubbish produced on any of our trips and leave campsites in better condition than they were before. We bury the degradable rubbish and non-degradable items are transported back where they can be disposed of. We supply our clients with safe drinking water in order to reduce plastic bottles in the mountains.
Wildlife Conservation:
Trekking Encounters helps to protect the wildlife in the natural environment. We actively participate in the campaign of wildlife conservation. All our guides are aware of laws and acts that ban to transfer and use of animal organs.
Water Conservation:
Trekking Encounters’ objective is not to pollute water sources with soap or rubbish wastage. Therefore, we encourage our clients and staffs to minimize water usage.
Energy Conservation:
Trekking Encounters is trying to save energy. Nepal is facing a power shortage problem at the moment. We are trying our hard to minimize the energy consumption. So, we use energy saving bulbs in the Office and turn off any unnecessary electrical devices that is using power. We use recycled papers for stationery items required at the Office such as envelopes, record files, bill/receipts, etc. Besides that we have minimized our paper usage by creating online brochures and e-newsletters.
Use of Local Products:
Trekking Encounters uses locally available products on its trips in order to promote the local economy. We use locally owned hotels, guesthouses, lodges, shops, restaurants and small business enterprises so that they can generate some income.
Use of Locally Owned Businesses:
Trekking Encounters uses hotels/guesthouses at its best availability that have traditionally design and trying to preserve the ancient architecture. We give priority to use teahouses/lodges in the mountains which are mostly made of local resources.
Use of Less Polluting Vehicles:
Trekking Encounters offers mostly ground transports rather than flights so that it helps to reduce some CO2 from the environment. We use Euro standard vehicles during local city tours.
Job Priority to the Locals:
Trekking Encounters employs guides and porters from the local communities that we travel in as they are more knowledgeable with the local culture, traditions and nature.
Staff Care and Empowerment:
Trekking Encounters’ staffs get regular training on the different areas such as environment, language development, map reading and on the principle and practices of responsible tourism. Our staffs are fully paid. They receive medical care when ill or injured and get basic accommodation, weatherproof clothes and food while on the trek. All our field staffs have full insurance coverage including accidental and medical in the case of emergencies.
Charity Treks:
Trekking Encounters offers and operates charity treks and tours throughout Nepal. We also offer discounted travel packages to the organizations that are working for physically disabled people including visually impaired persons. We operated a charity trek in 2010 for Visually Impaired Persons (VIPs) from the UK. Initially, the target was to reach the Everest Base Camp but trek schedule was affected due to the bad weather and it was made up to Tengboche Monastery only. Read more…
Volunteering Opportunities:
Trekking Encounters creates a volunteering opportunity in Nepal. We can help you to find a school in or out of Kathmandu where you can teach English language or art works, support orphanage or monastery and help with building projects or even volunteer at Eco campaigns.
We have pre-scheduled some itineraries that include some treks and tours with a volunteering opportunity at different schools ranging from two weeks until three months.
Promotion of Ancient Items and Culture:
Trekking Encounters encourages its clients to shop around the locally owned markets. We advise to purchase the local crafts, music and souvenirs for their friends and relatives as gifts having cultural importance. We also organize a live cultural dinner which we believe can leave some impressions on our distinguished guests.
Friendly Relation with Locals:
Trekking Encounters has maintained harmonious relationships in the area where we operate our trips. Since we are supporting the local economy, we also get supports by locals. We advise our guests to respect the local customs, traditions and their sentiments and do as locals do. We have kept the local environment undisturbed by our visits.