Starting in mid-July 2012 Footprint Travel welcomed three large groups of student-volunteer-adventurers. The groups are all from UK high schools. As the arrival date nears, Mr. Thanh, Footprint’s co-founder and product development manager, visited the remote villages the school groups planned to visit.

It has taken the better part of two days for Mr. Thanh to travel to the ethnic minorities villages. Located in Mai Chau, Pu Luong, and Moc Chau, some of the areas are not accessible by car. Still, final preparations were necessary to ensure that the trips were successful.

Among the activities planned for the student volunteers, Footprint helped facilitate the building of 24 eco-stoves in three villages, and a composting toilet for a elementary school in another. The plans also included repairing a local kindergarten.

Footprint Travel is renowned as a local responsible tour operator who designs, plans, coordinates, and facilitates educational and volunteer trips. The company has been in operation since 2001 and has worked with international NGOs, international high schools and universities, as well as community groups and corporations in creating tours that ‘give back’. As the company slogans suggests, this type of tourism demonstrates true value in travel.

For more information about Footprint’s Educational and Volunteer Tours you can visit their website. They are also highly recommended on TripAdvisor.