Sustainable Travel. We know, two words that don’t exactly drum up reams of excitement when you’re planning a holiday.
But before you exit this page hear us out:
Doing things the right way makes your holiday more special. And guess what? You don’t need to worry about how to make that happen, that’s where we come in.
Making travel better has been at the heart of everything we’ve done since day one. When we started out, tick-box tourism was on trend – but we knew that didn’t resonate with how we viewed the world.
It’s pretty simple really. Travel that is good for the community, the environment, the people = a much better experience for you.
At the end of the day, truly exhilarating travel, soul-stirring, breathtaking, lifelong memory-making travel, is based on respect, compassion and consideration for everyone and everywhere.
Proof is in the pudding
We’re B Corp Certified, recognised as part of a growing community of companies that place sustainability at the heart of what they do. We are certified by SP Sustain in Sustainability Management for Tour Operators according to criteria set out by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Fundamentally, we believe that travel done with care and compassion is a tremendous force for good. When you travel with ETG, every trip is centred around quality, responsible and sustainable travel – that’s a promise.
The ETG Approach
Give Back Experiences
This is where things get exciting. We try and include what we call a ‘Give Back’ experience in each holiday – an experience which is certified positive in ways beyond the purely economic. Why? Because we want you to experience for yourself how travel, done with care and compassion can be so much more enjoyable and positive.
They make travel a two-way street. It’s not voluntourism or experiences designed solely for raising money. Instead they are often a tour, a stay or an excursion where your participation benefits the community or region in a specific way which is not purely economic.
Think ethical elephant adventures in Thailand or learning to cook momos with a family in Nepal. Our Product Team work hand in hand with our on-ground partners to curate a bank of wonderful experiences which make a positive contribution to the places we go.
Nepal
Community Homestay Experiences
Experiencing a community homestay in Nepal is like being let in on the country’s best-kept secrets.
The landscapes are staggering, of course, but what will really stick with you is how warmly the host families welcome you into their homes.
Spending time with the communities dotted around Nepal – whether that’s in the rural reaches of Kathmandu Valley, amid the Annapurna Region or down the river from Chitwan National Park – is as genuine and memorable as travel experiences go.
It’s a privilege to slot into the rhythm of their distinctive day-to-day life and get an insider’s glimpse into their cultural traditions. From rolling up your sleeves to help cook family meals to trying your hand at local handicrafts with your gracious hosts, there are plenty of chances to really connect with the people and transcend language barriers.
While you can visit a community as a day trip, we urge you to stay a night or two in a homestay to experience true cultural immersion.
We’re so proud to work with our partners out in Nepal as this social enterprise not only enriches your adventure but also empowers local families – especially the women – through sustainable tourism.
It’s a beautifully balanced experience that’s unforgettable, personal, and powerful.
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Elephants & Mahouts Experience
Venture into the hills and forests of Mae Sot, near the Thailand-Myanmar border, to stay with a rural Karen Hilltribe community and observe elephants living in their natural habitat.
The experience is facilitated by The Mahouts Elephant Foundation, an organisation dedicated to conserving and protecting elephants in Thailand and the local communities that coexist with them. Tourist visits contribute to the foundation’s growth and ability to continue their work and research. They also provide an incredible opportunity for guests to walk with free elephants and be immersed in traditional life in a rural Karen village.
Guests are welcomed to the community to experience their unique culture and get involved with local traditional crafts like weaving and basket-making. After getting acquainted with the village, join one of the resident Mahouts and set off into the 90 square km of protected, untouched forest where the elephants live. Your Mahout will help you track and observe the adopted elephants, offering the truly unique experience of seeing elephants as they should be – roaming, feeding, and socialising in the wild.
The experience is as much about the local community as it is about the elephants they look after. Visitors will also spend time in the village, getting to know the residents and experiencing life in the mountains.
This really is the best way to see elephants in Thailand, and the conservation work done by Mahouts Elephant Foundation is helping secure the future of these majestic creatures and change and improve the current practices of elephant tourism.
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Delhi, India
Old Delhi Street Food Tour
Take a street food tour of Old Delhi, negotiating the noisy labyrinthine lanes of Chawri Bazaar and Chandni Chowk by cycle rickshaw. Visit selected food stalls to sample the myriad of dishes on offer such as thick and juicy jalebis; aloo chaat crispy fried potato cutlets dipped in chutneys; and parantha flatbreads generously stuffed with vegetables, spices or even dried fruits. For dessert, try the deliciously creamy phirni which is served in earthenware pots, and end your walk with an exotic fruit-flavoured Kulfi ice cream. This is a wonderful chance not only to experience some true culinary delights but also to go behind the scenes and meet some of the chefs, bakers and families who have been providing fabulous food here for generations.
Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An Social Enterprise Lunch
Most ETG experiences include a lunch, and we design the experience to ensure you steer clear of ordinary tourist buffets and focus on flavours of the local cuisine. We also like to ensure at least one such meal during your holiday is taken at a social enterprise restaurant. Typically, establishments that collaborate with local community programs, offering vocational training that creating life-changing employment opportunities for marginalised youth. Beyond the skills they teach their trainees, these restaurants serve lovely home-cooked food and are a platform for cultural exchange – where you can chat with staff members and learn about local customs.
During our walking tour of Hoi An, we invite you to experience lunch at STREETS. Since 2009, they have been providing culinary and hospitality training to disadvantaged youth. By dining here, you get a delicious lunch and support a project that provides trainees with nutritious food, housing, clothing, uniforms, a supportive community, and access to basic medical care.
We began including social enterprise restaurants as part of an initiative we call “One Meal At A Time”. We started this in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar and have since expanded it to include restaurants in Sri Lanka, Laos, India, Indonesia and Thailand. We are confident of the positive local impact these restaurants have and of the way in which they can also enhance your experience of our destinations.
Lombok, Indonesia
Bonjeruk Community Village
‘A Day in the Life of Bonjeruk’ is an excellent community tourism initiative in a rarely visited corner of Lombok.
The morning begins when you meet one of the local women who guide the tours, who’ll accompany you on a two-hour walk around the village, where you’ll see how traditional weaving and cooking are still practised.
Take a walk through the paddy fields before you arrive at the open-air lunch setting, where you’ll help make some satay before enjoying the finished product for lunch. There’s an optional scenic bicycle ride in the surrounding area after you’ve eaten.
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Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Lunch at a Social Enterprise Restaurant in Ubud
Most ETG experiences include a lunch, and we design the experience to ensure you steer clear of ordinary tourist buffets and focus on flavours of the local cuisine.
We also like to ensure at least one meal during your holiday at a social enterprise restaurant. Typically, establishments that collaborate with local community programs and offer vocational training, which create life-changing employment opportunities for marginalised youth.
Beyond the skills they teach their trainees, these restaurants serve lovely home-cooked food and are a platform for cultural exchange, where you can chat with staff members and learn about local customs.
Community
When people take the time to interact, swap stories, learn from each other and enjoy each other’s company, travel takes on a new dimension – it becomes a two-way experience.
And that’s why we place locals and local communities at the centre of every trip. Travel that delivers the everyday economic benefits of tourism for everyday people, and at the same time, extraordinary interactive experiences for you.
Take our guides for example. These are the real champions of your trip. Who better to give you behind the scenes access to a destination or share insider’s tips about where to eat. By hiring local people, we can ensure you get the most out of your adventure.
Suppliers and accommodation
Amazing immersive holiday experiences don’t just create themselves. Especially over an area as vast, varied and very, very wonderful as Asia. It takes tenacity, it takes teamwork, and it takes close collaboration with local partners and the people who work with them. We meet regularly; to develop our experiences further, share in training and skill-building, and help each other to remain sustainable and inspired. Consistent, in-depth conversations on how we can promote and support responsible travel in-country lead to great projects like our Tip-Inclusive initiative, which ensures all guides are paid fairly.
We also strive to work with small, community owned accommodation – and in the case of larger hotels, where possible we only choose those that promote a sense of place and culture, invest in society and contribute to environmental preservation. Many of our local partners have worked with us since inception and we’ve all grown together within the industry.
For this reason, the ETG approach to partnerships has always been a long-term collaboration.
Environment
Let’s address the elephant in the room. We know that our travel experiences wouldn’t be possible without air travel, which significantly impacts the climate and environment. However, we’re dedicated to playing our part because we believe that travel, done with care and compassion, is a tremendous force for good.
While travel can’t be wholly carbon emissions-free, we’re starting to do what we can to reduce emissions with our Carbon Roadmap. Where we can’t reduce further, we aim to mitigate them as far as possible through our partnership with Seatrees. We purchase carbon credits for every holiday booked with ETG and every trip taken by ETG staff. We absorb the cost into the holiday. A non-profit program, SeaTrees regenerates ocean environments by planting and preserving underwater ‘blue-carbon’ or carbon-sequestering marine ecosystems, including mangrove and kelp forests, seagrass, coral and ridge-to-reef watersheds. There are many additional social benefits, too, for the regions we cover.
Conservation
Sad but true, many wildlife experiences in Asia really don’t have the best interests of the animals at heart. Never afraid to lead by example we were one of the first UK tour operators to outright boycott them. This also makes your holiday experience better. Who wants to go and see a sad elephant being made to work? Not us.
All ETG wildlife experiences are meticulously planned so that every tour carefully considers the welfare of the animals. We include animal welfare standards in supplier contracts and carefully vet any operators we work with. We also actively seek out organisations and guides working at the forefront of conservation and sustainability.
To help you get the most out of wildlife spotting opportunities without putting animals at risk, we provide detailed guidelines such as this Four Paws Animal-Friendly Traveller guide.
Some of our ethical wildlife experiences
Muscat, Oman
Dolphin Watching & Snorkelling in the Sea of Oman
Pods of dolphins are commonly spotted frolicking around Oman’s shores, from Muscat you don’t have to go far from land to watch them glide through the water. There is a good chance you’ll spot a variety of dolphins dipping above and below the ocean on an early morning boat ride.
Cruise along the coastline, enjoying spectacular views of the Muscat peninsula from the ocean before docking in the calm waters of Bandar Khayran, a natural harbour, for some swimming and snorkelling. This is a great spot for a picnic lunch and you can spend much of the day relaxing on one of the beaches, dipping in and out of the water.
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Kinabatangan River, Borneo
Kinabatangan Wildlife Safari
The Sungai Kinabatangan, stretching 560 km from Sabah’s mountainous southwest to the Sulu Sea near Sandakan, is Malaysia’s second-largest river and one of Southeast Asia’s richest wildlife habitats. Known as a sanctuary for rare and endangered species, it offers exceptional opportunities to spot iconic animals such as Borneo’s endemic orangutan, pygmy elephant, proboscis monkey, crocodiles, and an impressive variety of birdlife, including hornbills and kingfishers.
Life along the Kinabatangan revolves around its waterways. With few roads, boat travel is the primary mode of transport and the best way to explore the rainforest’s hidden corners. A river cruise takes you deep into this wild and atmospheric ecosystem, where dense jungle lines the riverbanks and wildlife is often visible at close range.
However, the region also reveals the environmental challenges faced by Borneo. The abrupt borders between pristine rainforest and palm oil plantations serve as a stark reminder of habitat loss and the global demand for resources. Despite these threats, the Kinabatangan remains a stronghold for wildlife, particularly as you travel upstream to the more untouched areas near the tribal village of Abai or further towards Sukau.
To fully appreciate the river’s diversity and to increase your chances of seeing orangutans and other rare animals in the wild, we recommend spending at least two nights exploring different stretches of the Kinabatangan by boat. The experience of seeing these remarkable creatures in their natural habitat is nothing short of unforgettable.
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Elephants & Mahouts Experience
Venture into the hills and forests of Mae Sot, near the Thailand-Myanmar border, to stay with a rural Karen Hilltribe community and observe elephants living in their natural habitat.
The experience is facilitated by The Mahouts Elephant Foundation, an organisation dedicated to conserving and protecting elephants in Thailand and the local communities that coexist with them. Tourist visits contribute to the foundation’s growth and ability to continue their work and research. They also provide an incredible opportunity for guests to walk with free elephants and be immersed in traditional life in a rural Karen village.
Guests are welcomed to the community to experience their unique culture and get involved with local traditional crafts like weaving and basket-making. After getting acquainted with the village, join one of the resident Mahouts and set off into the 90 square km of protected, untouched forest where the elephants live. Your Mahout will help you track and observe the adopted elephants, offering the truly unique experience of seeing elephants as they should be – roaming, feeding, and socialising in the wild.
The experience is as much about the local community as it is about the elephants they look after. Visitors will also spend time in the village, getting to know the residents and experiencing life in the mountains.
This really is the best way to see elephants in Thailand, and the conservation work done by Mahouts Elephant Foundation is helping secure the future of these majestic creatures and change and improve the current practices of elephant tourism.
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Gujarat, India
Gir Wildlife Safari
Set off on a captivating safari into the Gir National Park, a sanctuary that has evolved into the last bastion for the endangered Asiatic lion since its establishment in 1965. The heart of the park, a 259-sq-km core area declared a national park in 1975, serves as a haven for these majestic creatures and has a remarkable success story of lion conservation – numbers surged from less than 200 in the late 1960s to an impressive 674 in the 2020 census.
The park’s dense forests and rolling hills create a picturesque backdrop for an immersive safari experience. Traverse the undisturbed landscapes, keeping watch for the revered Asiatic lions and a diverse range of wildlife, including chital deer, four-horned antelopes, gazelles, crocodiles, and the elusive leopard. The park is a paradise for bird enthusiasts with over 300 species of endemic and migratory birds.
Chiang Mai
ChangChill Ethical Elephant Sanctuary
ChangChill is an ethical elephant sanctuary in the hills, roughly 90-minutes west of Chiang Mai. We love this sanctuary as it has a strictly hands-off policy, meaning you can observe the elephants in their natural element, relaxing, eating, playing and interacting exactly as they would in the wild.
Many visitors to Thailand want to experience elephants on their trip but don’t know how to do so in an ethical way. Although there has been progress in prioritising elephant welfare in Thailand over the past decade, there are still parks with questionable practices, such as riding the elephants or chaining them up when not in public. ChangChill’s philosophy is that “elephants can simply be elephants”, so they are free to roam around their eight acres of land without being disturbed by humans.
ChangChill (meaning ‘relaxed elephants’) offers half-day or full-day packages, including plenty of chances to see the sanctuary’s elephants in their natural environment. After a quick introduction to the organisation and a safety briefing, you are led into the forest to search for the elephants. This trekking can be challenging, so isn’t suitable for anyone with mobility issues. The expert guides will teach you about elephant behaviour and conservation as you trek through the jungle, before reaching a mud pit where elephants like to roll around and cool down on hot days.
The day continues with more chances to see the elephants going about their business and getting to know the mahouts and the Karen tribe they originate from. In between observing the elephants, your guides will show you how to prepare some healthy snacks for them and give you a crash course in Thai herbs picked straight from their organic garden.
We thoroughly recommend ChangChill to anyone who wants an educational elephant experience with the confidence of knowing that both the elephants and their carers are treated well.
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Madhya Pradesh, India
Satpura National Park Safari
If you enjoy visiting wildlife sanctuaries without the crowds, Satpura National Park, deep in Madhya Pradesh, could be a great option. It’s very much the wildlife connoisseurs choice: access is not easy and there are only a few accommodation options (though they are very good!).
Satpura is the only park in India where a variety of safari options are available to you. In addition to the usual Jeep safari; canoeing and boating safaris are also possible, as are walking safaris through the core area of the park. This, combined with the fact that the park attracts very few other visitors, means that you’ll get a much richer and more immersive wildlife experience.
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Kalimantan
Orangutan Feeding at Camp Leakey Research Centre
Indonesian Borneo, or Kalimantan, to take its proper name, has the highest number and greatest density of orangutans in the world. Camp Leakey, found in the rainforests to the west of Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan, is one of the best places to see for yourself the attempts to preserve this population and protect the forest against the ever-more aggressive loggers.
Established in 1971 by Dr. Biruté Galdikas and her then-husband Rod Brindamour, Camp Leakey is a world-renowned research facility predominantly focused on orangutans. However, it also has far-reaching projects on other endangered primates, such as the proboscis monkey, and studies on the rainforest ecosystem as a whole.
Home to a population of ‘ex-captive’ orangutans and their offspring, Camp Leakey offers guests the opportunity to get close to these wonderful animals and experience their behavioural techniques firsthand. The park’s eco credentials are fantastic, and its history of reintroducing orangutans into the wild is impressive.
After an early breakfast at your lodge, a 2.5-hour cruise up the Leakey River will take you towards Camp Leakey – an orangutan research and breeding centre. You will be led by a local Ranger and your guide on a trek through the jungle to the feeding platform, where you will be able to see and help with the feeding of the orangutans. You will also have time to explore the centre’s little museum, where you will start to get a feel for and understanding of the tragic destruction that is going on all around this beautiful wilderness.
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The Deep South, Sri Lanka
Elephant Transit Camp
Established in 1995 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation, the centre’s primary objective is to rehabilitate orphaned elephant calves for ultimate release back into the wild. Supported by the Born Free foundation, the Elephant Transit Camp is gaining an excellent reputation for its sterling conservation work and the elephants here appear to be unexploited for their tourism or domestic uses.
Charitable Partnerships
Throughout the years we have donated to a number of charity partners. At the moment we are proud to work with Share the Wonder who works with national government organisations (NGOs) and responsible travel organisations in Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar to create educational, fun day trips for local children. Share The Wonder’s ethos is based on the belief that every child should have the opportunity to experience and understand the wonders of travel, environment and culture. Days out include traditional puppet shows, interactive workshops on environmental issues and urban farm experiences with nutritious lunches.
We are also big supporters of the work done by ‘Women in Travel’ and as well as mentoring work in the UK, we have donated to help fund the first cohort of ‘Women In Travel’ mentorship programme in Sri Lanka.
Transparency and accountability
Ultimately, it’s all about being the most sustainable operator we can possibly be. To help achieve that, and to be held accountable for our progress, we will continue to report honestly and accurately on the good and the bad.
As a B Corp, we must make an Impact Report each year and submit it to our board of directors. Here is our 2023 Impact Report.
In Our Travellers’ Words
Hemjakot Homestay
Travelled with teenage kids to experience a taste of Sri Lanka
With ETG, we have visited extraordinary places
Experience in Nepal
Experience Travel Group live up to their name