Privacy :

Avoid wandering into areas that are private. If you really need to get close, ask your guide to help negotiate permission so that you are not disturbing someone’s work or privacy. Take your guide’s advice on how to behave, and on appropriate ways of showing appreciation.

Response to begging :

Check with your guide for advice on how to respond to begging and about appropriate gifts. It is usually better, for example, to give school materials or local food treats as a group, through the leader, to the school head or village head; just handing out sweets encourages children to be a nuisance by begging, and may well ruin their teeth in a place where there is no dental service.

Principal local and regional economic activities :

Responsible tourism development recognizes that whatever is proposed should be in line with overall national and regional development priorities; scarce local resources should not be diverted to create something either solely for the use of resources should not be diverted to create something either solely for the use of visitors or largely for the benefit of outside interests. In our operations we look for how to achieve the maximum economic benefits to the local communities.

Souvenirs :

Buy locally made crafts and support local skills; many artifacts, which claim to be locally made, are actually imported, which can lead to local skills being lost. Do not simply buy on price but on value to you ; bargaining for a lower price is often the accepted and expected custom, but don’t drive a hard bargain just for the sake of it.

Local Products :

Buying local products can boost local income, but check that what you are buying is produced in a sustainable way and that it is actually for sale. It is not unknown for local people to be pressured into selling household or ritual objects just to oblige the tourist.

Local Services :

Try local food and specialities. Many rural areas around the world are under threat from a reduction in their agricultural base. By eating locally produced goods you will help the local economy.

Technology :

Do not make an extravagant display of wealth, ostentatious jewellery and technological gadgetry can be an incitement to robbery, as well as accentuating the gap between rich and poor.

Endangered species :

Tourism has a large role to play in the conservation of endangered species, and one way in which we help is through visiting managed conservation areas such as National Parks. You can often increase this help by purchasing souvenirs from the official park shops. However, never buy products that exploit wildlife or aid the destruction of species and habitats. In particular, do not buy souvenirs made from endagered species, for example ivory; doing so will only encouraged the trade.

Rubbish disposal :

Consider what you really need to take with you. Waste disposal systems in many countries are ill equipped to deal with the increased pressures which tourism brings, and a few simple measures can make an enormous difference to the effect you have whilst on holiday. Here possible remove the wrapping of packaged goods before you leave; unwrap soaps and take bottles out of boxes. Pick up your litter as you would at home : - bottles, cans, plastic, cigarette butts, apart from being unsightly, can be deadly to wild animals.

Human Waste :

Where any toilet facilities exist, however unsavory, they should be used. Where they do not, always bury your waste and make sure it is never near a water source, as this increases the risk of water contamination and diarrheas, from which countless children in developing countries die every year. All tour leaders will brief you thoroughly on this issue.

Game driving/viewing :

Avoid damaging vegetation by keeping to the roads and tracks, and do not encourage drivers to behave irresponsibly. Be careful not to start fires with discarded cigarettes, and do not drop litter. Always maintain suitable distances from wildlife, and make sure that your guide respects an animal’s escape distances. Never feed animals and obviously never attempt to touch them.

Water Issues :

Try to take environmentally friendly detergents and shampoos for hand and hair washing, and use as little as possible. This will help to keep water supplies, rivers, streams and the sea free from pollution. Remember that in some places water is a very precious commodity and should not be wasted, so use a minimum for showering and washing. If it is necessary to boil water, do not use a fuel resource in limited local supply, such as wood in a deforested area; if purification tablets are a suitable alternative to boiling water, use them instead.

Social Issues :

We hope that those who choose to travel with Far Out do so with a genuine desire to learn more about the people of the host community.