Slovenia vacations, Lakes & Mountains

Planet

Activity:
Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a walking trip. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem in certain places and therefore our trip leaders encourage clients to stick to advised routes in order to minimise this. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although this tour actively encourages guests to talk to local people, visit local cafes and restaurants and to use markets to purchase traditional crafts. We can stop at Triglav National Park shop, where clients can buy locally produyced cheese, salami and products knitted from wool. Using small businesses like this and the mountain huts, we are supporting the local community. Our optional activities like horse-riding, rafting and visiting Bled or Ljubljana, also provide local businesses with more customers.

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.
• By traveling in a small group we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for re-usable bottles.
• We only walk on official paths that have for the most part been constructed to be resistant to erosion.
• Recycling and waste management are well established in the areas we operate.
• We rewild 100 square metres per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip
• Leave no trace: we do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: please bring a re-usable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

People

Accommodation and Meals:
You will spend 7 nights in the family-run Pension Kunstelj, located near the crystal clear River Sava in Slovenia's most protected historical town - Radovljica. The accommodation is locally owned and staffed, which is significant for providing employment opportunities in the area. Much of the provided food is locally sourced- sometimes fresh from Kunstelj's own vegetable garden. Evening meals often consist of risotto, cheese dishes, fish, spaghetti and grilled meat; whilst lunches can be taken in mountain huts or other local restaurants along the way.The mountain huts in Triglav National Park in particular are, due to their remote location, reliant on tourism for income. The owners are getting direct fees for our groups and are responsible for maintaining the area around the huts and trails- so a portion of the money they receive from us also goes into these projects.

A Fair Deal:
We have an excellent long-term relationship with the local operator who employ and train all leaders. We provide refresher training with a focus on responsible tourism, so our local leaders can educate our clients locally on helping to preserve the way of life in their area. Our leaders in Slovenia are also enrolled at local clubs which are organised to help maintain the environment of the region. Their policies for the protection of local wildlife and landscape are strong and this is backed by Slovenian authorities, who enforce these regulations.

Charity:
We financially support the Youth Association Ljubljana Moste- Polje, which runs a number of community support programmes in Slovenia. Their family center alone provides psychosocial support for families, financial advice, mediation sessions and free legal aid. Our contributions enable young people enrolled on the programme to discover their talents, receive an education, and have access to school supplies and general support from professionals.

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.
• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• Lunches are catered by local families that run the Mountain huts.