Handspan Adventure Travel, Hanoi Handspan Adventure Travel, Vietnam Handspan Adventure Travel
Ecotourism: With a mission
Ecotourism
has often been lauded for its role in preserving ecosystems, but
Handspan Adventure Travel has a different focus, using tourism to
improve quality of life as well as environmental conditions. Guides
frequently come from the small villages where the company operates and
return to teach families about hygiene; those families are offered the
opportunity to host guests if they create a sanitary outhouse, house
animals in a structure apart from the main dwelling, and provide
mattresses with mosquito nets. The endeavor quickly pays off for most
with a better home, a stipend from Handspan, and tourists who will
spend money on water, beer and handicrafts.
Today, the difference between the villages and homes that host trekkers and those that don't is astounding
As
a group of three trekkers and a guide approach the village of Ban Ho, a
gaggle of unabashed young girls streams down from the huts and
terraces, calling out in awkward English syllables, "You buy from me,
you buy from me?" These girls sell pillowcases, bracelets and other
talismans of hill tribe life. Here, the houses are built on stilts sunk
into concrete foundations; some homes have generators and Fans to stir
the sultry air.
In villages
across the river, reachable only by a rickety footbridge, the children
stare shyly out from behind trees and walls, having rarely encountered
Westerners. The school consists of a rough piece of wood leaning
against a doorway, marked up with chalk.
Handspan
Adventure Travel was started in 1997 by three college graduates from
Hanoi who wanted to offer "unique and exalting tours while maintaining
the natural and human resources of Vietnam." All guides speak fluent
English and have a college degree in tourism. While the company has
grown significantly in the past eight years, the experience is still
decidedly personal and sustainable, with group size limited to six on
most treks to prevent damage to the ecosystems and to respect village
culture.
The company offers a range of adventures, from sea kayaking or cruising Ha Long Bay to mountain biking in
the Mekong Delta, trekking in Sapa to single-day excursions to cultural
sites. Prices generally include meals, lodging and transportation, and
range from $32 for single-day trips to $95 for three-day/four-night
treks with home stays and $254 for three-day/four-night mountain biking
trips.
While these trips are a
bit pricier than typical stays in Vietnam tourist dollars are sorely
needed by these remote villages and contribute to important
improvements in health and environmental conditions. And, as you
follow water buffalo down muddy trails and walk across paddies in a
thousand shades of green, you will know that it is well worth the price to take the less-traveled path.
The
number of tour companies in Vietnam is increasing exponentially, and it
is now possible to find an ecotourism outfitter for nearly every type
of adventure--from lounging on remote islands on the coast to paddling
some of Vietnam's wildest rivers. In most cases, tours do not need to
be booked very far in advance, if at all, and rates are often cheaper
when booked in-country. Conservation organization Fauna and Flora
International released Vietnam's first ecotourism map (available at
www.fauna-flora.org) in 2005, detailing the country's many national
parks and nature reserves.
Written by: REBECCA SANBORN is a Yale University graduate student and E intern who recently visited Vietnam.
Ha Noi Head Office: 80 Ma May Ha Noi.
Phone: +84 4 3926 2828
Fax: +84 4 3926 2383
Email: info@handspan.com
Website: www.handspan.com
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