Animal welfare
We are in continuous discussion with our partners regarding their animal-based activities; we research the experiences included on all tours on our website, and will remove those that don’t adhere to our standards. We also welcome feedback from clients over their interaction with animals while on the ground.
In general, we believe in the incomparable experience of seeing animals in the wild. The majority of the animal excursions we promote allow visitors to observe wildlife in an open, natural environment such as national parks, reserves, jungles or forests. We also offer visits to well maintained, trusted and legitimate conservation or rescue centres.
Elephant riding
We condemn elephant riding, and have taken steps to remove any elephant centres which offer rides from our website. We strongly recommend alternatives if you’d like to observe these magnificent animals. The ideal scenario is seeing them in the wild, but there are also legitimate centres where elephants rescued from unethical tourism practices are able to live out the rest of their lives in a more natural state. We are committed to offering reputable conservation centres on our platform.
Zoos vs Conservation Centres
There are differing opinions on what counts as an ethical zoo, or whether zoos are at all ethical as a concept. The most important thing is that any wildlife establishment must be operating with the animals’ best interests in mind. Rescue, conservation and education, when it’s legitimate and well executed, is a defensible, but imperfect, motivation for keeping animals in private grounds.
Use of animals for transport
Animals that tourists use for transport (for example horses and camels) should be well looked after by reputable providers chosen by the local travel partner. It is your prerogative at any time to refuse to undertake any transport or tour using an animal which you feel might result in its distress or discomfort. Please tell us if this happens and we will investigate the matter on your behalf.
Animals used in festivals or rituals
Across the world many animals are still used in religious ceremonies, traditional festivals or rituals. If these kinds of events upset you or you disagree with them, we would advise you to not attend such events, and to inform your trusted local expert of your preferences in the planning stages of your trip.
Let's reimagine travel, together
Sustainability and ethics in travel is complex and there are often no easy solutions, but we are committed to learning and improving in collaboration with our local partners and you, our customers, to offer you the best possible travel experience.
If you have any topics or questions you’d like to raise, please get in touch: