Tread lightly A GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL. Imagine the stories

Transcription

1 Tread lightly A GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL Imagine the stories

2 Meet the people, experience the culture, savour the cuisine... Travel responsibly

3 Welcome to a captivating and beautiful part of the world While we hope that your holiday in Asia will be stimulating, relaxing and exciting, we also hope that you will get more out of your stay in Asia than just rest and recreation. To help you leave the right kind of impressions in Asia, we ve prepared some pointers which we hope will make for more informed, more responsible holidays. Our full policy on responsible travel appears at insider-journeys.com and we encourage you to read this.

4 Rest responsibly Dine responsibly Move responsibly Shop responsibly Prepare responsibly Tread lightly

5

6 Prepare responsibly Read up Learn about your holiday destination before you get on the plane. Read widely and read critically about the history, culture and peoples of Asia. Arriving in Asia with some understanding about the background of the country you are visiting will help you get more out of your travels and your encounters with local people and sites. You will suffer less culture shock on arrival, be less likely to make a cultural faux pas, and you will be more equipped to deal with the vagaries and vicissitudes that go with being in a vastly different part of the world. Refer to your Insider Journeys Pre-Departure Guide for some recommended titles and consider referring to the World Tourism Organisation s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, visible at This code establishes guidelines for tourism development and is a public statement against harmful tourism, including tourism which exploits children, and sex tourism. Learn la lengua Refer to your Pre-Departure Guide, pick up a phrase book, ask your tour leader or local guide, or mix with the locals. Learn a few key phrases and a passage of smiles and fun will open up. You will shop smarter, gain a better insight into cultural nuances, and enjoy more enriching experiences with local people. Combat carbon Consider making an on-line payment to offset atmospherically damaging aircraft emissions. The principle of carbon offsetting is a somewhat controversial one, so in considering whether or not to make a carbon offset contribution, we suggest you refer to a number of websites. Insider Journeys has worked with Cleaner Climate for our emissions offset initiatives. Read our full policy at insider-journeys.com/why-choose-us/responsible-travel

7 Rest responsibly Towel for tomorrow Keep your use of towels and linen to a minimum. Speak to the hotel management or housekeeping staff to request that linen is not changed daily by hotel housekeeping services. This will not only help to reduce the amount of water used during your visit but will also reduce use of detergent. Leave off the lights Turn off lights when not in the room, and turn off the TV when no one is watching it. Air-conditioning is a huge energy user, so - most importantly - do not use air-conditioning unless you need to and be sure to turn it off when you leave your room for touring. Shower short Minimise your shower time so that water resources are used sparingly, and do not take baths. Although much of Asia is subject to an annual monsoon downpour, it is not unusual for rains to fall locally, inundating some parts of a country with water while leaving nearby areas parched dry and in drought. In tourist boom cities such as Siem Reap, Cambodia, the sheer volume of tourist arrivals is creating unprecedented demand on water and other resources. Read our full policy at insider-journeys.com/why-choose-us/responsible-travel

8

9

10 Shop responsibly Bargain, but banter Bargaining is the norm in Asia, and you should to approach your shopping with good humour. There is no right or wrong price and a fair deal is one in which you and the seller are both happy. Bargain with a little compassion, and aim to leave with smiles all round. Purge plastic Keep use of plastic bags and packaging to a minimum. Undeveloped Asia does not have the facilities or capacity to engage in mass recycling, so this means that plastic waste can take hundreds of years to break down. Shop with a cotton bag, re-use a plastic bag, or combine purchases in one. Consider re-using water bottles or bringing one from home. Spend socially Wherever possible, shop in outlets that support community groups such as women s projects, disabled groups or similar. Ask your tour leader or local guide to tell you where these places can be found. We have included a number of them in our Insider Journeys City Guides, distributed upon arrival in your destination. Purchase in provinces Spread your shopping across the destination, outside the cities, as well as in places famous for shopping. Spending in villages and provinces will help spread the direct benefits of tourism across wider geographic areas. Be friendly to forests & respect the protected Don t purchase wood furniture or souvenirs manufactured from illegal lumber (e.g. Rosewood). Deforestation has scarred vast tracts of Asia and has profound social, economic and environmental consequences. Don t buy coral or animal parts (tiger teeth, bear claws) which are likely to have been obtained illegally. Don t buy birds in order to set them free, as this perpetuates demand for an unnecessary, cruel practice. Do not take photographs of captured or performing wildlife.

11 Dine responsibly Lunch locally Avoid continual eating in hotels. Eat outside at good local restaurants. Doing so will help spread your tourist dollar directly to local, smaller scale enterprises and often rewards you with a better, more authentic meal experience! Purchase your water from local restaurants or street vendors rather than from hotel mini-bars. Do not use wooden disposable chopsticks (in Japan alone it is estimated that 120 million sets are used daily). Our Insider Journeys City Guides recommend tried and tested local restaurants which serve food hygienically, as well as restaurants which also function as social enterprises for the disadvantaged. Stick to staples Many restaurants in developing Asia serve animals which are protected species (such as Shark s Fin Soup). Shy away from the novelty appeal that goes with ordering an exotic food. Do not order wild animal species from restaurant menus; consume instead meats and fish which are farmed sustainably.

12

13

14 Move responsibly Care for culture Travel with respect to locally practised customs and beliefs. Accept alternate ways of thinking and of doing things; embrace and find intrigue in the differences that define a culture. After all, the world would be a boring place if we all did things and thought the same way. Remember, you are travelling precisely in order to seek out new sights and sounds. In Asia you will need patience, you will need to understand the concept of face, and you will never get anywhere by losing your cool. Your tour leader or local guide will provide you with information on cultural norms specific to your holiday destination. Be particularly aware that drunkenness, swearing or public displays of affection are viewed as inappropriate and offensive by many Asian cultures. Dress to impress People in developing Asia generally dress conservatively. Women tend not to wear revealing tops nor skirts or pants that show their knees and even men will usually prefer long pants to shorts (smart knee-length shorts are fine). Follow suit and dress with a sense of decorum. As well as showing respect for local dress norms you may also find that you are afforded better allround reception from local people, and better service in shops. First impressions count for a lot in Asia, and your dress style presents a visible and prominent façade to everyone you come in contact with. Ride a rickshaw In your free time, consider getting around by manpowered cyclo, samlor, or rickshaw. As well as being environmentally friendly modes of transport, the drivers of these distinctively Asian vehicles are often from the poorer stratum of society and can benefit economically from the patronage you give them.

15 Move responsibly (continued) Offer only alms Do not give money, presents or candy to children on the street, at home, or in village communities. Gift giving creates inequality within communities and encourages children to start begging. Giving money (even to children who offer to act as guides) can also make children the primary income earners in their family, resulting in long-term school truancy. Giving money to adult beggars is a slightly different proposition, and is more often socially normal in Asia. The appropriateness of giving money to adults is often situation-specific, so defer to the advice of your tour leader or local guide. Gifts such as text books and pencils are best given to organisations (such as schools, clinics, or social organisations such as Big Brother Mouse in Laos) rather than to individuals, as distribution through a community channel is more likely to occur equitably, and with dignity. Snap with sensitivity A camera can be used as a fun social ice breaker, but to some people it can also be an invasive and offensive tool. Try to be discreet, ask permission before taking a photo of someone, and respect the wishes of people who clearly do not want to be photographed. Consider sending photos back to your subjects (through your tour leader or guide) but do not go back on your word when you do this. Think very carefully about the implications for your subject and for future travellers before paying for a photo. Snorkel sensibly When snorkelling, diving, or observing marine mammals such as turtles, observe environmental guidelines. Never touch or break living coral! Never touch or feed any marine animal or fish. Read our full policy at insider-journeys.com/why-choose-us/responsible-travel

16

17

18 Chip in for a charity Insider Journeys proudly supports the following organisations and you might consider doing the same. Keep in mind that most of these organisations are better able to direct and use donations of money, rather than materials or the offer of voluntary work.

19 Vietnam Charities The Loreto Vietnam-Australia Program This inspirational organisation has operated as a registered charity and non-government organisation in Vietnam since Through careful planning and in partnership with the Vietnamese Women s Charity Association and the Education Department of Ho Chi Minh City (Special Education Unit), Loreto operates a number of projects aimed at assisting disadvantaged, poor and disabled children through the medium of education. Insider Journeys has funded the issuance of school kits, a school library, and the cost for teacher trainers to travel between Australia and Vietnam. Donations to Loreto can be made by referring to STREETS STREETS is a social enterprise initiative with the purpose to develop and operate sustainable vocational training programs for vulnerable, orphaned, and other disadvantaged youth to prepare them for careers in culinary arts and hospitality service an ever growing industry in Vietnam. The STREETS restaurant in Hoi An offers delicious meals where you can dine for a cause. Donations can be made on their website: Spiral Foundation The Spiral Foundation is a humanitarian organisation which runs the Healing the Wounded Heart workshop in Hue, Vietnam. Here, disabled artisans produce crafts from recycled materials. Through this partnership, the artisans receive ongoing training and are able to generate an income. All proceeds from the workshop, retail store, and tea room in Hue (which tourists can visit) go towards fair salaries for the disabled employees and funding heart surgeries for poor children in Hue. More information can be found on their websites:

20 Cambodia Charities Angkor Hospital for Children Insider Journeys supports the work of the Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC), a small pediatric teaching hospital based in Siem Reap. The hospital provides inpatient and outpatient care to needy children. It also trains Cambodian health care professionals and promotes public health initiatives in Siem Reap province and greater Cambodia. Specific projects include: Mobile health clinics for remote floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake and other remote sites Visiting nurses (homecare) for children with chronic diseases A campaign for the prevention of childhood blindness HIV/AIDS awareness, counselling projects and treatment programs (ARVs) for children with the disease Medical assistance to a number of Siem Reap s orphanages Clinical training for Cambodian nursing students and their instructors A three-year curriculum in paediatrics for Cambodian trained physicians, and short courses in various sub-specialty areas such as surgery, emergency care and radiology You can support ACH in the following ways: By making a monetary donation though the Friends Without a Border website at By supporting a doctor or nurse - (Insider Journeys pays for the salary of a Cambodian nurse) By making a donation earmarked for the purchase of equipment; a list of equipment needs is at www. fwab.org/page.aspx?pid=416 By donating blood - it is possible to give blood at the hospital

21 Cambodia Charities (continued) ChildSafe Network ChildSafe Network (a program of Friends-International) is a proactive child protection network involving local people, businesses and international communities, including travellers. ChildSafe Network and Friends- International: Develop an international network providing the highest standard of services for street children and youth, their families and their communities to encourage children to become productive citizens of their countries. Involve the entire society in protecting vulnerable urban children and youth from all forms of abuse. Incorporate an active social marketing component into their programs, promoting an effective and sustainable developmental approach to project work. Ensure regular and effective monitoring and evaluation of work to ensure that all Friends-International projects become best practice models. Information about the ChildSafe Network and Friends-International, and donations can be made by referring to Laos Charities Big Brother Mouse Insider Journeys works with Big Brother Mouse (BBM), a grass-roots book publisher which aims to increase literacy levels in Laos. We have sponsored the publication of three Lao language books. Books are scarce in Laos, a country with a rural literacy rate of less than 50% and without a culture of learning through reading. For more information on BBM, or to donate, please visit or their Vientiane or Luang Prabang offices. Travellers in Laos can also purchase books from BBM s offices. Books can then be donated to local libraries. This is a more sensible gesture than handing out money or sweets (which can encourage begging). AFESIP Laos Is a French non-governmental organisation working to combat the causes and consequences of trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls in Laos. Insider Journeys have sponsored a series of Professional Starter Kits whi ch advise women on how to start their own business. For more information or to donate:

22 Thailand Charities Himmapaan Reforestation Project Insider Journeys proudly supports the Himmapaan Foundation s innovative Mae Teang reforestation project in northern Thailand. The area of land targeted by the project for reforestation is close to the award-winning Lisu Lodge ecoaccommodation, near Chiang Mai. The project involves input from local villagers, an expert ecologist and a management committee, and aims to: Maintain and expand a community tree nursery and experimental forest restoration plots at Ban Chang Sub village, near the Lisu Lodge. Educate local people in the importance of preserving and managing forest resources. Act as a demonstration and teaching site for visiting groups (Thai and foreign) and encourage implementation of other reforestation projects. Celebrate the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej s accession to the throne. Information about the Himmapaan Foundation and reforestation project, and donations can be made via India Charities The Purkal Youth Development Society The Purkal Youth Development Society (PYDS) is a registered society working for the educational transformation of the lives of the poor in and around Purkal Gaon, near Dehradun in Uttarakand, northern India. PYDS assists children, young adults and women and primarily provides educational interventions and supportive actions in nutrition, health and other activities. These activities also generate fairemployment opportunities to a significant number of people. In another initiative, women from the Purkal Gaon community are gainfully employed through quilt making. Insider Journeys has supported PYDS by sponsoring school uniforms, a library, and a school drama and performing arts program. Donations to the organisation are possible at

23

24 Save paper pass this booklet on to a friend or return it to your tour leader or local guide. Printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) standard paper from a sustainable source.

25 Worldwide Offices INSIDER JOURNEYS VIETNAM Head Representative Office Suite 1308, Me Linh Point Tower 2 Ngo Duc Ke St, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Tel: travelsupport@insider-journeys.com INSIDER JOURNEYS CAMBODIA Head Office Street 108 Sangkat Wat Phnom Khan Daun Penh Phnom Penh Tel: INSIDER JOURNEYS LAOS Head Office Ban Saphangmor, Saysettha District Opposite Keopanya Primary School Vientiane, PO Box 2519 Tel: +856 (0) INSIDER JOURNEYS AUSTRALIA Head Office Level 10, 403 George Street Sydney, 2000 Australia Tel: info@insiderjourneys.com.au INSIDER JOURNEYS USA Reservations Office Denver, CO USA Tel: info@insider-journeys.com INSIDER JOURNEYS UK Head Office 2nd floor, Chester House, George St Oxford, OX1 2AY United Kingdom Tel: info@insiderjourneys.co.uk