Mongolia and the Silk Road explorer tour

Planet

We are committed to positive environmental impacts through our Responsible Travel Policy. As an overland company we have extremely low carbon emissions throughout all our journeys. This departure operates over 870km spanning from Ulaanbaatar, through Bayangobi and Khustai National Park before returning to Ulaanbaatar. We also use local buses in Mongolia when transferring to Terelj National Park and public transport wherever possible. We aim to ensure clients do as much walking as possible during sightseeing and city tours, reducing our negative impact on the environment.

We use Local Partners in Mongolia who we work with closely to ensure they mirror our Responsible Travel Policy to ‘protect our planet’ and reduce the consumption of one time plastics. We have worked with the same Local Partner for several years now basing our working relationship on trust and equality and always ensure that on visits to National Parks, we brief our clients on environmental responsibility asking them to use re-usable water bottles during their stay and refrain from using single use carrier bags, which are becoming an serious issue in areas such as the Gobi desert.

Throughout Central Asia we use the rail network where possible and ensure we work with local partners who work with us to design journeys an optimal way to limit our impact on the environment. We make certain to reduce plastic waste by promoting reusing drink bottles instead of buying bottled water. Where possible our clients stay in smaller-scale accommodation, such as locally owned guesthouses, in support of the local people.

We try to include as many local lunches, dinners and wineries in our journeys which enables us to spread economic benefits while also promote cultural understanding.

People

We have a very clear mandate to support the local community and without these Local Partners our on ground experiences wouldn’t be the same. We have been operating journeys throughout Asia for over 50 years and strive to build on our long established reputation for having the utmost respect for the places and communities that we visit.

We contract the services of local guides and City Ambassadors through our Local Partners. We use Djonghir, a trusted Local Guide from Samarkand for many of our tours. Djonghir loves showing our travelers the lifestyle in Samarkand and has even been known to demonstrate how to make local cuisines upon request. He wants all travelers to leave Uzbekistan loving it as much as he does.

In addition, we partner with local families, which we find not only enriches the overall experience but allows us to understand local traditions and create sound relationships between clients and locals.

We visit local markets where possible again helping to serve as an authentic and cultural experience and one, which maintains a closer bond between client and local. We always encourage our group to buy locally and encourage local trade and artistry.