At Phima Voyages, we encourage travelers to be open, informed, and eager to immerse themselves in other cultures. You’ll see, it’s not that hard to be a responsible traveler.
There are a few rules to follow during your stay:
Culture
- Listen to your guide. He will give you lots of information about traditions and customs. You will thus be sure not to make any mistakes during your stay.
- Learn and respect traditions.
- Ask before taking a picture with people.
- Think before you haggle – one dollar less may not make a difference to you, but a big difference to the seller.
- Learn some basic polite words in the language of the country you are about to discover. It will be a lot of fun for the locals.
Hiking / Nature / Animals
- Stay on hiking trails to protect nearby nature.
- Do not walk on the ruins of archaeological sites.
- Do not pick plants or flowers.
- Help preserve the natural environment. Protect flora and fauna and their habitat, do not buy products made from endangered plants or animals.
- Respect wild animals and their natural habitats. Buy products that aren’t made from endangered plants or animals.
- Always bring your rubbish from your daily excursion to the hotel in the evening. Don’t leave anything behind.
- Research well before doing any activity with animals (hiking an elephant or swimming with dolphins/turtles, touching or carrying a sloth).
- Travel with a water-filtering water bottle like Lifestraw (especially in a country like Peru where tap water is not drinkable).
Souvenirs / Gifts
- Do not buy illegal souvenirs (of archaeological origin, herbs or protected animals).
- Buy your souvenirs from artisans – you will have a story in addition to your gift 😊
- Do not give gifts to children. Ask your guide to introduce you to a person of authority (a teacher or the mayor) where you can leave gifts and they will be distributed later.
- If you would like to support a local association, let us know. We will put you in contact with pleasure.
Hotels
- Know where your money is going. Choose owner-operated hotels, as well as restaurants and shops.
- Try to realize your expenses in the local economy, in order to make people benefit directly from your visit.
- Choose hotels with an eco-responsible approach.
- Take short showers so you don’t waste water.
Respect / Exploitation
- Let us know if you have witnessed any suspicious or abnormal behavior (regarding drug or child trafficking or sexual exploitation).
- Respect children and girls.
