RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL | RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Safari to See Gorillas, we strongly believe that responsible travel is the best way to discover and experience the tourist destinations that we offer without causing much impact on the environment and the local community. Our tours are designed with a focus on small groups, environmental conservation and community development. We therefore guarantee that your holiday with us will be characterized by responsible travel advice before, during, and when you return back home, you will have changed the community of the destination you have visited.
This is because as you will witness, we are a local company employing local people, using eco-friendly lodges all of which help in community development and conserving the environment.
WE TREAD LIGHTLY
Treading lightly means reducing our footprint in destinations we go to.
This entails anything from turning off idling engines and selecting eco-friendly transportation to using biodegradable cleaning products, properly disposing waste or recycling when possible.
Additionally, we carefully vet all our suppliers to ensure their practices are in line with our environmental standards while encouraging guests to select eco-friendly accommodation which we can happily arrange.
In many places, freshwater is in short supply, so keep showers short, avoid leaving taps running and reuse towels and linen. In places with solar panels, be aware of your electricity use – turn off lights and all electrical appliances when not in use.
COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM
By actively supporting community-based tourism projects in destinations we go to, we help generate revenue in remote and impoverished communities in Uganda. These projects allow visitors to engage in unique and authentic cultural experiences while simultaneously helping to preserve local traditions, improve welfare and support environmental preservation in responsible travel.
CULTURAL RESPECT
One of the things that makes Uganda such a fascinating and exciting place is the boundless opportunities there are for cultural exchange with its over 58 tribes. To celebrate this, we’ve worked hard to integrate immersive and mutually beneficial cultural experiences in all our tours.
Although similar at first glance, cultures, traditions and customs across Africa can vary substantially. For the most enriching experiences possible, we always encourage guests and clients to keep an open mind and respect local cultures.
Respect the local people – don’t take photos of them without asking, dress respectfully and learn how to say please and thank you in the local language (you can learn these and other useful local phrases here) – politeness is always appreciated.
Do not give sweets or money to children as this encourages begging. If you want to give gifts (such as pens or pencils) during a community tour, give them to your guide to distribute afterwards.
WILDLIFE IN THE WILD
Tourists are often attracted to destinations because of wildlife found there, and wildlife encounters are often a memorable highlight of their travel experiences.
Although visits to the National Parks often support conservation efforts, they can also be damaging to wildlife living in these fragile ecosystems if not properly managed by practicing responsible travel.
In many developing countries, wildlife-related activities form an important source of income. As such, these activities need to be framed as sustainable for both animals and locals. Animals in the wild should remain wild, meaning that tour suppliers and providers of wildlife excursions make sure that wildlife:
- is not lured and habituated with food
- is not chased after
- is not touched
- is not hunted and is not scared with loud noises or bright lights
SAFARI TO SEE GORILLAS STRIVES TO ENSURE THAT:
- National Park guidelines and rules are communicated and respected by all visitors and excursion providers.
- Health & Safety of employees/tourist and wildlife are amongst the main priorities of the tour suppliers & excursion providers.
- Animals/wildlife and human beings are not put into dangerous situations.
The good news is that, by taking part in responsible travel, holidays may be memorable whilst at the same time encouraging and supporting of wildlife conservation efforts, all while avoiding unnecessary damage to precious regional biodiversity.
WITH RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL SAFE GUARD ANIMALS IN THE WILD AND MAKE SURE:
- Animals in the wild should remain wild
- Animals are not lured and habituated with food
- Animals are not chased after
- Animals are not touched
- Animals are not hunted and are not scared off with loud noises or bright light.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR TOUR / DRIVER GUIDES AS PART OF RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL:
Our tour guides are SOMETIMES accompanied by specialists guides/rangers when leading groups in national park boundaries or conservation areas. They must help to convey guidelines that tourists should follow, enabling them to respect the natural wonders of our destinations.
We also organise regular training for our tour guides, reminding them about our clearly defined guidelines and policies. Our main recommendations are as follows:
GENERAL ADVICE TO OUR DRIVER / TOUR GUIDES
- Do not feed or touch animals
- Do not scare wildlife
- Do not hunt wildlife or support hunting activities
- Do not litter, leave only footprints.
Uganda being a predominantly primate country, most of our safaris will have an element of Gorilla or and Chimpanzee trekking which are definitely highlights of Uganda Safaris and Tours therefore once with the primates:
- Do not approach or touch primates especially babies
- Do keep your distance at all times, a cough or a sneeze is enough to transmit diseases
- Do not feed or leave behind food. Anything you hold in your hands or grab from your bag can be interpreted as food.
- Do keep an eye on your personal belongings.
- Do not chase away primates
- Do not scare them by unexpected movements, loud noises and bright lights (or flash photography)
- Do not stare or smile at primates
- Do respect animal’s natural behavioural patterns
- Do not support activities that may humanize primates