Tips for
Responsible Travels
Making destinations better places for people to live in and for travelers to visit
Respect
cultural differences
“Carefully consider your every action.
This is your holiday but it is their everyday lives.”
Responsible Travel Pledge
I pledge to be a responsible traveler.
I take this pledge as a guest to your home, to preserve
and protect your beautiful and unique Asia.
I vow to tread lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully.
I shall not take what is not given.
I shall not harm what does not harm me.
The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.
Learn how to say ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘thank you’ in the local language. People highly appreciate it!
In Thailand, Laos, Cambodia
and Myanmar a respectful
way of greeting another
individual is to bow the head
slightly with both hands
pressed together at the chest,
as if in prayer.
Asian societies remain fairly traditional and are attached to old customs.
Avoid showing affection in public as
it is considered quite offensive – sorry, no kissing!
Don’t point or gesture with your feet
or put your feet up on furniture. Avoid
touching someone on the head.
When using a toothpick, use one hand
to cover your mouth.
Present money and gifts with both
hands and accept them the same way.
Always let the oldest be served first and bend slightly in front of elders.
Don’t curl your fingers to beckon
somebody over or point it at
another person’s face. Asian
people generally use a subtle
downward waving motion to
summon someone.
Don’t touch people of the
opposite sex.
Learn about culture and customs, the more you know about your destination the better you will appreciate and understand it.
When faced with strong cultural
differences, the first thing to consider is
whether you would act this way in your
home country.
Try to understand their aspirations
We admire the rural beauty of traditional bamboo houses or the sight of a farmer harvesting his rice field. However, we
tend to forget that these houses offer little comfort, are vulnerable to extreme weather conditions and that too much strenuous work reduces life expectancy.
Like most people, locals aspire to develop
economically and have access to the
same material possessions that we take
for granted. You may provide a balanced
view of development by expressing
that modernity is best when enhancing
traditional ways instead of denying it.
Each country has many different ethnic groups, each of which may have its very own etiquette and taboos. Always listen to the advice of your guide.
Cultural diversity and exoticism is what you came looking for so accept the
differences and enjoy it! Do tell locals about your own culture, most are just as
curious as you are to learn about other cultures.
Take some time to chat with the locals first. The photo will become a shared memory which you can send back to them.
Answer questions
Be prepared to answer, on numerous
times, personal questions like: “Where are you from? Where are you going? Are you married? How old are you? etc...” Most people are simply trying to be friendly, to practice their English skills or start a conversation.
Do note that privacy has a very different
meaning in Asia.
Locals will never criticise you, but will be embarrassed and politely keep their opinions to themselves.
Many cultural sites, even those in ruins are sacred grounds. It
is forbidden to walk or climb anywhere out off regular footpaths, to scrawl or scribble on monuments, and to collect stones or any parts of the monument or site.
Contact with monks
Show respect to monks, novices and nuns, don’t offer to shake hands, avoid stepping on a monk’s shadow.
Ladies, do not sit next to, or hand anything
directly to Buddhist monks.
Show respect by not taking photos or disturbing
monks during prayer times.
Don’t sit with your back or feet towards
Buddha’s image.
Handle Buddha images or sacred objects with
respect; avoid placing them in inappropriate
places (on the floor for example).
Be sensitive observe the way people around you dress (eg: they often swim in clothes) and adjust your behaviour and clothing according to where you are.
On the beach or at sea, nude sunbathing or swimming is
not accepted.
In forests and jungles: long pants/skirts and sleeved
shirts are strongly recommended to limit insect bites and
sunburn.
In rural spots such as waterfalls and rivers avoid bikinis
and swimming suits, keep your tee shirt on and may be a
sarong as well to cover your legs.
In urban settings you may see women dressed in skimpy
clothing; do not consider this to be the norm. Wearing
mini-skirts, mini-shorts, going braless in tight clothing is
often considered offensive, especially in rural areas. Men
should avoid walking around bare-chested.
In temples and religious sites both men & women should cover their shoulders and legs, and shoes and hats should be removed. It also applies when entering houses and some shops.
Ethical Travel
#TravelEnjoyRespect
Do not give gifts, money or sweets to children or buy anything from them – although you might think it helps. It
only encourages them to stay on the streets where they have little hope of a better life and are vulnerable to all sorts of abuse. These children are often exploited by local mafias.
Our guides have been trained
to react appropriately when
confronted by such situations,
should you witness a child
being at risk, please tell your
guide
Children are not tourist attractions.
Visiting children centres, orphanages or schools is forbidden
in western countries. Research has shown that short-term visits (including volunteer tourism) can be harmful to a child’s development and emotional balance.
UNICEF, Friend’s International and an increasing number
of children organisations are now campaigning to stop what
has become an exploitative practice that turns children and
disadvantaged communities into tourist commodities.
Ask yourself: would you allow complete strangers to approach
your children, take pictures of them, or give them candies?
If you wish to learn more,
please visit:
www.thinkchildsafe.org
If you wish to alleviate poverty and provide better life opportunities
for children and their families, we recommend you to do it through registered organisations.
Of course, it’s not easy to assess the reliability of an organisation in a foreign country. In response to traveller’s requests, EXO Foundation offers a list of carefully selected projects you can trust
www.exofoundation.org
When you give through EXO Foundation,
we guarantee that 100% of your donation
accrues to the project of your choice, as we
cover all overhead costs.
Consumer behaviour
TRAVEL can be used as a FORCE for GOOD
Local transport
The diversity of local modes of transport adds to the charm of travel. You might be annoyed sometimes by endless calls to use tuk tuks or cyclos but be patient. A polite ‘no, thank you.’ will suffice.
Be sure to always agree on the price before
taking any form or local transport.
For the best sightseeing experience, walk,
cycle, take a cyclo or a rickshaw.
Buy locally made food & handicrafts directly from local craftsman and markets.
Scan this QR code below to
find a list of shops supporting
community projects that
help to directly improve
the livelihoods of the most
disadvantaged people.
Bargain within reason and with a smile!
Keep calm, be patient
Whatever the situation, try to stay calm, firm and courteous and speak without raising your voice.
Becoming angry is considered
a major weakness and local
people will be embarrassed
for you.
‘Saving face’ is a subtle
but important aspect
of personal dignity and smiling often can help to open cultural doors.
Criticism is not as easily
accepted as it is in western
countries and should only
be made when also giving
praise.
With patience and a broad smile you will not only get a better price but also enjoy the art of negotiation – that is very much part of markets in Asia. Whatever you buy, be mindful that it is part of their livelihood.
Do not buy any wild animals either dead or alive.
For example, sometimes local people will try to sell you caged birds to be set free that helps to bring good luck. However, by paying for it you only encourage them to capture more.
Do not purchase historical artefacts, souvenirs made of shells, corals, precious wood or any endangered species.
Trading of elephants, tigers, primates, marine
animals alive or dead and animal parts such as
meat, ivory, bones, shells is illegal.
Other wild animal parts such as turtle, pangolin,
monkey, red tuna, seahorses, shells, coral and more
should not be purchased.
Do not buy any furniture made of timber or other
natural materials taken from the forest and the
natural ecosystem.
You risk putting money into the hands of the mafia and catching diseases. What you may see as a glitzy entertainment has a gloomy backstage. Most men and women involved are part of a larger network of human traffickers.
Pedophilia is strictly forbidden. Violators will be pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, even after they return to their home countries.
This includes
the various shows in hostess bars, street prostitution etc...
Respect
the environment
“Leave only your footprint”
Asia’s tremendous economic growth has taken place at the expense of its environment and precious biodiversity. Let’s do our best to help keep our planet healthy & beautiful.
Plastic
disposal is a major problem in Asia.
When ordering a drink, ask your guide to help you order without a plastic straw. If a glass is not clean using a straw does not make it
any safer.
Avoid wrapping your luggage
in kilometres of plastic wrap;
protect them with locks and carry
precious items with you.
Take your own bags with you when shopping
– Say no to any kind of plastic or styrofoam food boxes.
Bottled water is easy to find, but unfortunately recycling facilities are not.
Use a refillable bottle or simply
refill a plastic one.
You’ll find water fountains in
many places through the Refill My
Bottle mobile application.
Avoid leaving any rubbish behind, especially when trekking or visiting rural villages. Ideally pick up any rubbish you see littering
the forest, the sea or beach, protect Mother Nature.
Smokers, please keep your
cigarette butts with you
until you find the next
dustbin.
Organic waste such as food scraps should not
be scattered or buried in National Parks and any natural areas. This may introduce non-endemic seeds into the local ecosystem. Carry back all your waste with you.
Bring back used batteries
to your home country,
there is no reliable
recycling processing here.
Toilet facilities
Please always use the toilet facilities provided. If there are none, go at least
50 metres away from water sources and people’s homes.
Cover everything and carry any sanitary
napkins or baby diapers back with you in
a bag for appropriate disposal later.
Avoid throwing waste on a fire as it might
offend the local community – many locals
consider fire to be sacred.
In your room, use air-conditioning sensibly. Turn it down when you leave your room or even at night when a fan is sufficient.
Turn off taps and switches when not in use. You can choose not to have your towels and bed linen changed daily, just follow the signs!
Wherever water is heated with cut
timber, avoid hot showers it will
invigorate your blood circulation.
Ask your driver to open windows to cool
down with fresh air in rural areas.
WATER IS PRECIOUS, HELP SAVE IT.
Natural
areas
“Look with your eyes,
bring back memories, and leave things just as they are.”
When snorkeling, be aware that touching coral formations hinder their growth – and note that coral cuts are prone to infection. Do not collect nor buy any coral or shell.
We want to protect wildlife and promote conservation, we therefore recommend a sensitive approach to all animal attractions, such as elephant camps, primate centers, tiger zoos or marine wildlife attractions.
An easy rule of thumb for you: places where
animals have to perform in an unnatural way,
or are chased or lured are not recommended!
Please do respect animal’s natural behavioral
patterns.
Animals should always have access to food
and water, and live free from pain, discomfort,
fear or stress.
Never feed or touch wild animals on land or underwater.
Never stare or smile at primates.
If you visit an elephant camp and
you see see an elephant forbidden to
eat grass, walking on concrete, under
the sun, carrying over 150kgs, or
performing unnatural activities such as
painting, playing football etc... Refuse it!
This is particularly important during the wet season, when it is all too easy to create new tracks in order to get a better footing. When this happens the trail soon becomes a series of footpaths that turn into erosion gullies.
Be aware that some tropical plants are stinging or
poisonous, avoid touching what you don’t know.
In limestones caves, do not touch formations as natural body oils hinder
their growth and discolour the limestone. These have taken thousands of years to shape into what you can see today!
Reduce deforestation by avoiding
unnecessary use of scarce firewood such
as limiting beach bonfires.
On nature treks, when you need to bathe
in streams or lakes, limit soap usage and/or
use organic soap and shampoo.
Detergent powder is even more harmful
to the natural ecosystem, so avoid using it
when possible.
No Plastic Bags, Please!