Equador self drive vacation, 14 days

Planet

Suppliers: We choose suppliers that match our environmental values. Our suppliers that help us with transportation and other arrangements are people that have experience and match our beliefs on how we have to sustain the environment. In the end, if we do not take care of the sites that people visit, then there cannot be a future for these places and for the tourism industry. That is the main reason why the people that work with us are very concerned on how to preserve and sustain the environment. Before approving any supplier that is going to work with us, we always follow a procedure in which we carefully consider many aspects such as price, quality of service but one of the most important aspects is that they match our principles and ideals.

Waste: We do not contaminate the land, sea, and waterways from rubbish and pollution. With our self-guided tours, it is very difficult for us to control or to set an example of how one should behave in the different places that our travelers will visit. That is why we send a document with very detailed information to the passengers including a welcome package that contains suggestions on what is the best way to behave in the places that they visit. We strongly encourage people not to throw rubbish away and we explain why is important to have a respectful attitude to the environment that we are going to visit. Many of the places that we visit are also national parks and protected areas so we are in line with the laws and restrictions that they have and we respect them.

On day 7 of this itinerary, you will go from Tena to Banos. On the way, there is an animal rescue center called Zoorefugio Tarqui. This rescue center is run by a local family who is committed to the preservation of animals and even has programs of environmental education and raising awareness. They take care of animals and then they make sure they release them in the wild so there is no breeding. They also don't have direct contact with humans so it is not a zoo but a rescue center. We have previously volunteered in this center so we always recommend people to do a small visit to this place.

People

Friends & Neighbors: That people that work together with us are local people that know how and where to find all things local. We strongly support and promote the use of local restaurants and hiring local people to the hotels that we use as well as for the activities of our tours. We believe that it is essential to stimulate the Ecuadorian economy and therefore in this tour we use the services from local people that are very well trained on how to treat our guests. In this way, tourism becomes one of the main sources of development in the country and that is how with every traveler can make his/her own contribution.

Local crafts and culture We sustain jobs and cultural diversity by supporting local craft makers and artisans and promoting cultural attractions. Our tours in Ecuador are focused on supporting local products and explaining what this means to the people. For example, every time we visit a place there are always locals that create handicrafts and souvenirs, we try to stimulate people to buy these products and support them in this way. It is important to us that our guests know how much individual support can be of great help on a large scale. People often do not realise how much their individual contribution can actually be of a great help but in this industry, it makes a great difference every contribution from every person that visits this country.