Intrepid Travel leads the way in responsible tourism

Growing concerns about carbon emissions, climate change, vanishing wildlife, and declining cultures are causing us to think twice before booking that dream escape. For a nation of adventurers, staying put is not an option but you can see the world in an eco-friendly way if you travel with 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism award winner, Intrepid Travel.

The adventure tour operator has been practicing sustainable travel since it began offering off the beaten track, group trips almost 20 years ago. Intrepid is committed to travelling in a way that conserves the areas it visits and brings positive benefits to local communities. Accommodation is locally owned, typically small guesthouses, hotels and home-stays; restaurants and markets for dining are local and public transport is the main mode of getting around, be it bus, sleeper train, rickshaw or even camel!

In addition, local guides are generally employed to aid travellers' understanding of local culture and etiquette. Intrepid also puts back into the communities and regions it visits by supporting aid, development and conservation projects through The Intrepid Foundation.

Here are Intrepid Travel’s top five responsible tourism trips:

SERENGETI AND FULFILLING DREAMS
14 days, from £795 per person

Amani Children's Home in Moshi at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro is a refuge for homeless children who have nowhere else to go. Some are AIDS orphans; others come from families who are so impoverished that a life on the streets offers greater hope of survival than a life at home. Amani offers these children a place to stay, food, healthcare, education and love. After an exploration of Tanzania’s superb game parks, travellers on this trip have the opportunity to break beneath the surface of this beautiful country and make a real difference to the local people. For five days you’ll help out at the home, assisting the staff with their everyday duties, lending the children a hand with school work or even making up the numbers for a game of football!

Prices start from £795 per person, land-only, plus a local payment of US$615 and the trip departs from Nairobi. Book through Intrepidtravel.com/yrd.

VIETNAM FAMILY ADVENTURE
15 days, from £520 per person

Intrepid has recognised that many families would love to discover the diverse, beautiful, fun and child-friendly land of Vietnam, while interacting with local people, and travelling in a responsible and culturally respectful way. The group leader and the local guides they use along the way help to break down barriers in interactions with local people. Vietnamese people love children, and as a family you will be whole-heartedly welcomed. In Hanoi, you will breakfast at KOTO Restaurant. KOTO is a restaurant and training school, which provides 18 months of hospitality and life skills training to former street children. In the beautiful World Heritage town of Hoi An you’ll visit a local school, where you can interact with the local children.

Prices start from £520 per person, land-only, plus a local payment of US$200. The trip departs from Hanoi and finishes in Ho Chi Minh City. Book through Intrepidtravel.com/vfa.

BORNEO ADVENTURE
22 days, from £705 per person

With its depth of beauty and breadth of wonders, Borneo is undoubtedly one of the world's greatest natural playgrounds. On this trip you’ll have several magical opportunities to view endangered wildlife and learn about the programmes in place for their conservation, in particular orang-utans and giant sea turtles. Staying with the Dusun people in their village in the foothills of Mt Kinabalu and with families at an Iban longhouse you’ll find yourself immersed in the culture and warm hospitality of the local people.

Prices start from £705 per person, land-only, plus a local payment of US$300. The trip departs from Kota Kinabalu and finishes in Kuching. Book through Intrepidtravel.com/bsz.

SLOWLY DOWN THE GANGES
15 days, from £500 per person

Journey down the Mother Ganges, India's most sacred river, heart of the Hindu faith and the soul of the nation. As you journey between the iconic temples of Agra and the beautiful forts of Jaipur you may encounter a project supported by Intrepid through Wildlife SOS to care for tortured bears and re-educate their owners.

Prices start from £500 per person, land-only, plus a local payment of INR10,000 and the trip departs from Delhi. Book through Intrepidtravel.com/hsg.

DISCOVER EGYPT
15 days, from £445 per person

Discover Egypt's stark desert beauty, for centuries home to monumental legacies left behind by great Pharaohs. You’ll journey down the Nile with Intrepid’s Nubian crew learning about their traditional way of life and camping out under the stars, soaking up the incredible surroundings. Luxor makes the perfect base to explore the ancient treasures of the Valley of the Kings as well as the Brooke Hospital for Animals and the Fair Trade Centre, before the journey continues across the remote contours of the Sinai Desert and along the sun-swept beaches lining the Red Sea.

Prices start from £445 per person, land-only, plus a local payment of US$200 and the trip departs from Cairo. Book through Intrepidtravel.com/esl.