The AARD Wolf Africa Adventure Guide To
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Aardwolf Africa Adventure strives to collaborate with world leaders in responsible tourism to give back to nature in return for engaging with its flora and fauna. We work towards community empowerment projects such as skill development programs in schools, health clinics to empower the rural masses residing close to the national parks or conservation areas.
We make sure communities benefit from complete or partial possession of land primarily set for nature tourism. Many communities are compensated for loss of livestock through predators. Former poachers have turned themselves in and contributed their services positively in community development by accepting positions of trained guides or game scouts for foreign tourists.
The park fee that tourists pay on their visit to these conservation areas includes conservation fee that goes straight to the communities or the management of the confined areas to be used in their development.
The camps & lodges have been developed to rely on solar power in order to conserve power and use it efficiently. To stop the usage of single use plastic in the lodges and campsites there are plans to replace these items with more sustainable products.
Eco-Tourism is a vital industry in Kenya and is not just a major foreign exchange earner but also a major player in the conservation of wildlife. By promoting responsible travel it creates job opportunities for the local people and also facilitates reduction of over reliance on other economic sectors such as agriculture.
AARDWOLF ADVENTURE IMPACT
Aardwolf Africa Adventure believes responsible tourism begins with us. We therefore train our guides and staff to inform our guests about some basic regulations and guidelines to help protect our environment as follows
- Do not overcrowd a wild animal or create stress to an animal.
- Do not drive off-road to avoid causing countless damage to the environment
- Keeping in mind animal rights and acting accordingly.
- Do not manipulate the hunting patterns of the animals
What do we gain from this you would ask? Well, all good things come around and contributing fairly to the environment is like gifting nature. By doing things right we are gifting our children and grandchildren the joy of experiencing the serenity of nature and wildlife which is quick to dissipate.
Even small gestures like throwing the garbage in the bin, maintaining necessary proximity from the wild, not disturbing the ecology goes a long way in sustainable or responsible tourism in Kenya. We, therefore, request our guests to follow the prerequisite guidelines of Aardwolf Africa Adventure regarding cleanliness and safety that will be provided to you by your guides to assist you in giving back to the environment.
VOLUNTEERISM
What many of our clients choose to do on their tour to Kenya is to participate in volunteering programs that are undertaken by different NGOs. This form of tourism is quite a popular trend today and many youngsters especially are coming up to chip in their talents, skills, and labor to the service of the rural communities. These volunteer programs include teaching at primary level schools, skill training programs to empower women, teaching at blind schools or working for the disabled, working towards educating the tribal communities, etc.
Many of these volunteers choose multi-day, single-day, or longer-term visits to the local community villages and work with various NGOs towards the empowerment and upliftment programs of these communities. These volunteers can also work on managing natural resources. This means they motivate other tourists to act sustainably and work towards preserving their immediate surroundings.
These developments in preserving the biological resources and improving the behaviour of tourists trickle down eventually to the families and households living in and around these conservation areas and who are accustomed to living by nature. Aardwolf Africa Adventure safari strongly supports responsible tourism in Kenya.
GOOD CAUSES WE SUPPORT
Conservation
Aardwolf Africa Adventures makes sure its sustainability projects are intended towards conservation as it is an essential component of sustainable maintenance. As a leading tour operator we strive towards shielding…, our wildlife and its surrounding environment to the fullest. This is our highest of priorities and all tourism services at camps or safari vehicles are provided keeping in mind the sustainability goals of conservation of the ecosystem.
Community
With local community support, anything is possible as people are at the heart of every sustainability issue. Therefore uplifting the people who live in the places we operate is the primary focus of our responsible tourism plan. We make sure the rural masses directly benefit from the tourism revenue. As the only way possible to break the cycle of poverty is education, we dedicate our support towards community education to empower the masses.
Culture
In the fast pacing globalizing world preserving the primary cultural heritage and traditions is a daunting task. But we work towards communities who can impact responsible tourism program by rejoicing in different traditional festivals of their communities. We work towards creating awareness among the visitors regarding the traditional aspects of the communities. With their consent, we also attempt to showcase their music, artwork, dance, etc to the tourists to save their culture.
HOW WE CAN HELP
- Try to be silent around the animals always and refrain from disturbing them.
- Try to stay low profile if possible
- Avoid wearing colored clothes, choose neutral colors that merge with the environment.
- Avoid littering around as it is harmful to the environment and the wildlife in general.
- Do not impede into the flora and fauna territory by
- Asking your tour guide to take you too close to the animals, thus putting them under pressure
- Plucking plants and flowers
- Asking your safari driver to deviate from the usual track
- Creating noises to attract or scare wildlife.
- Don’t scare away from the wild as even the largest will move silently away if given the chance
- On the game drive, it is advisable to obey all game laws and regulations
- Do not purchase, or deal with, any items, which are sheltered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as it is against the law.
- While purchasing locally crafted gifts do not push over the prices while bargaining.
- Avoid giving sweets, pens, etc. to children on the street as it encourages them to beg.
- Before taking pictures of someone ask them beforehand as a matter of courtesy.
- Dispose of waste in the garbage tins and avoid littering.
FUTURE GOALS
With our responsible tourism program that works towards empowering the people of different communities. We dedicate our efforts towards giving them a zero-footprint, and community-friendly environment that includes camps and lodges that operate on sustainable power and resources. Aardwolf Africa Adventures strives to provide a neutral and eco-friendly zone to the wildlife and the people around. We are working towards eliminating poverty and working towards community development in Kenya.
REVIEWS & TESTIMONIALS
