OunTravela’s ethical charter
Last update: January 2025
This charter is intended for partners (rental agencies, local guides and any other services offered on ountravela.com) and OunTravela readers.
OunTravela’s partners are committed to respecting our ethical charter. This is written into our books and partnership contracts. We also encourage all our future readers to apply these rules of good conduct to their next trip.
The OunTravela team will take action against the partner and terminate the partnership in the event of malicious behaviour that contravenes our charter.
The aim is to showcase local guides and agencies who take responsibility for the environment and local populations.
Topics covered include (under construction):
- Plastic pollution
- Water usage
- Protecting flora and fauna
- Consumption patterns
- Politeness and respect for customs
- Animal abuse
- Gifts/tips
- Motorized travel
Plastic pollution
In Central Asia, there are few waste treatment plants and often everything is burnt on site. To limit the scourge of plastic pollution, here are our recommendations:
- Limit the use of plastic bags.
- Minimize your consumption of packaged goods. Buy fresh produce at markets or directly from farms.
- Take your incinerable waste to the next town.
- If there’s garbage in your path, take a few minutes to pick it up, especially if you’re motorized, you have no excuses.
- Bring hazardous waste such as batteries back to your country.
Water usage
Stop or reduce your consumption of bottled water. Bottles of mineral water are sometimes transported by truck over dangerous roads.
- Other solutions exist, such as filters or disinfectant tablets… But the simplest solution is still to boil your water!
- Use your hotel shower water sparingly. Don’t forget that many of the inhabitants don’t have running water; they often have to fetch water from the river, which is precious and scarce. Glaciers are melting visibly and water tables are scarce and tapped.
- Use dry toilets wherever possible. For example, there is no sewage collection in Ladakh and villagers use river water for drinking and cooking.
- When bivouacking, don’t relieve yourself near rivers.
- Use biodegradable products to clean your dishes and clothes when camping.
Protecting flora and fauna
As tourism advances, so does animal habitat.
- Do not approach or feed wild animals.
- Don’t ride off the beaten track. You risk damaging pastures and fragile ecosystems.
- Don’t hide your garbage in bushes or groundhog burrows.
- Respect the regulations in force in nature reserves or parks (no camping, fires, fishing, etc.).
- When paying entrance fees (park, restricted area), ask for a receipt (to avoid misappropriation of these funds).
Consumption patterns
As a general rule, opt for family-run accommodation (guest houses, B&Bs, etc.) rather than hotels, and buy local.
Similarly, pay for services provided by local communities (guides, cooks, muleteers, porters, housekeeping…). It’s the best way to make them benefit directly from tourism dollars.
Buy locally-made souvenirs. Learn about the practice and limits of price haggling. The same goes for tips.
Bargaining is a cultural part of the commercial tradition in some countries. Refusing to do so is often misinterpreted and can contribute to an increase in the cost of living. On the other hand, it’s important to bear in mind that sums of money that are insignificant to the visitor can be of great importance to the recipient.
Politeness and respect for customs
It’s important to learn about the local people and their way of life, heritage, religion, environment and economy. We encourage you to learn a few words in the language of the destination, as this makes exchanges more interesting and your effort will be much appreciated.
Don’t take photos of local residents without first asking their permission.
Animal abuse
Horse trekking is one of the most popular activities in Central Asia. Many cases of animal mistreatment have been reported, particularly in Kyrgyzstan. We want to put an end to this abuse of animal exploitation. Before setting off on your trek, please check that your horse has hooves and no wounds.
As a general rule, check the horse’s condition before setting off. If you have any doubts, don’t hesitate to talk to the guide and ask to change horses.
Gifts and tips
Donations and gifts are not innocent gestures. They can sometimes take on a condescending or inappropriate connotation.
- Gifts, donations and tips that are too large, given the general standard of living in the country visited, destabilize the local economic balance.
- Children who receive money for photos or begging are no longer in school, and earn more money than their fathers: this can create major distortions in family structures (lack of respect for fathers and elders).
- Some gifts can be dangerous when distributed randomly, particularly medicines. Hospitals and dispensaries, where they exist, are often better placed to deal with them. In the same way, sweets have consequences long after we’ve gone (tooth decay).
Motorized travel
If you have a car, unfortunately nothing can compensate for your vehicle’s CO2 emissions. Here are a few ideas for optimizing the use of your vehicle:
- Travel together and make the most of your seats! It’s very simple, but your impact will be divided by the number of people in your vehicle.
- Pick up your litter and any other garbage you come across along the way. It’s a good thing there’s more than one of you, so picking up litter on a bivouac spot will only take 5 minutes!