Tourism brings huge benefits to host destinations and its populations. The money spent by tourists often injects much-needed funds into local economies and provides jobs – and career prospects – in areas where jobs could otherwise be scarce. However, tourism on a mass scale can be detrimental - destroying the local environment, threatening ancient traditions and cultures, and bringing little real economic benefit to local people.

In terms of global warming, carbon dioxide emissions from air travel, road transport and accommodation - and we encourage our guests to act responsibly when using energy or buying air travel and balance the environmental impact of travelling with the huge benefits that sustainable tourism can bring to local people.

Native Escapes is committed to offering sustainable tourism options that is sensitive to host cultures, benefits local economies and informs visitors about local cultures and the environment. Our itineraries have been fully researched and developed on the five principles below, which we believe will provide authentic, rewarding holidays that give a real appreciation of local cultures and environments for our guests.

Each of the itineraries we put together have been put together on the basis of the following principles:

Excellent, small, hospitable and authentic accommodation. Examples of the accommodation used includes luxury permanent tents, allowing guests a very comfortable but 'in-the-bush' experience, a luxury ranch which shares its home with a big cats foundation (with objectives to rehabilitate orphaned or injured cats back into the wild), or luxury lodges beautifully situated on game reserves in the thick of the African bush. Most accommodation chosen is small and owners will personally welcome guests and give advice on what to do locally.

Excellent Guides, giving guests a real opportunity to learn about local customs, the environment they are travelling through and wildlife they will see. Usually local to the area themselves, the Guides are passionate about their country and keen to pass on their knowledge. Their trained eyes and ability to speak local language / dialects makes all the difference when wildlife spotting and getting the low-down on what’s where from the locals.

Lots of activities: we aim to help guests make the most of their holiday, with a full menu of optional activities, but would always aim to ensure that recommended activities organisers are operating eco-sensitively. Examples might include a fly-in trip to a Himba tribe, eco-quad biking down the sand dunes, taking a dolphin-spotting cruise, a hot-air balloon flight over the desert, a visit to a tribal witch doctor or an evening star-gazing - with champagne - through telecscopes. Things that can't be done too easily back home!

Inside glimpses at local life: each of our group itineraries offers an insight to local customs or visits a charitable project supporting the local environment or community. The funds that are paid to visit these projects support their work and there are opportunities for guests to contribute further if they so wish. See individual itineraries for details but examples include a visit to a ‘big cats’ conservation project and a visit to a local school.

Eco-Tourism: we aim to make minimal impact on the environments we visit. Our logo is intentionally representative of our philosophy as we aim to leave only footprints behind.

The companies we work with in each destination have all signed up to our Responsible Tourism Policy and most have their own projects running to benefit local communities. Each group itinerary includes an eco-tourism statement which explains the benefits that visitors bring to the areas visited.

All lodges and accommodations used - being small - benefit the local communities by employing local people and ensuring that profits stay local.

Our itineraries aim to get off the beaten tracks, away from the main crowds to give a more priviledged – and usually far more rewarding – experience. We encourage guests to interact with local people, and believe that greater understanding between cultures promotes better social harmony. Getting to lesser-visited areas provides much-needed economic benefits to communities not on the main tourist maps.

Highlights of our trips may often be the more simple things: watching the sun set over the African bush, sitting round the evening fire with a drink, contemplating the mass of stars after dark, seeing the colourful hues change over the desert at sunrise, and falling asleep to the sounds of the African bush.

We ask our guests to respect local customs and traditions by ensuring appropriate dress and behaviour, heeding the advice of their Guide when around wildlife, buying locally made products (but avoiding products made from endangered plants or wildlife – if in doubt, ask your Guide), use water sparingly and turn off power when not using (eg air conditioning, lights, etc).If wishing to take photographs of local people, we advise that permission is sought and a small payment offered.