Have you been planning backpacking with your best-friend for the longest time? Are you also yearning to retreat into lush green landscapes, away from the city’s hustle bustle? Do you plan to use your hard earned leaves to visit your dream destinations this year?

If this resonates with you, we are sure you’ve been bitten by the travel bug too. Travelling is all about learning and unlearning on the move. Traversing places different than our daily life idyll. Seeking refuge in spaces that evoke a sense of comfort away from home. Immersing in different cultures and appreciating the diversities. Travelling indeed can be a life enriching adventure.

Studies around the world speak of the health benefits of spending time outside in nature, green spaces, especially forests. It helps us to de-stress and take a much deserved break from the everyday monotony of life. But as much as we want to explore places, we often turn a blind eye to the environment in which are placing ourselves.

Globally, of all the solid waste generated, 14 per cent is produced solely by tourists every year. This share amounts to 4.8 million tonnes. If numbers put you off, there are some examples for which we don’t have to go too far. Manali fondly known as the backpacking capital has turned into a dump yard. This year 2,000 tonnes of waste was left behind by tourists during the peak holiday season. Everyday, tourists were producing thrice of what is generally produced as garbage on any other day in the town.

Many of the natural springs in the Himalayas are drying up, many perennial springs which are the only source of drinking water for its people have now become seasonal. Tourism is only aggravating this stress on land and water with the locals having to suffer. Water bodies like Indus and Pangong lake in Ladakh are bearing the brunt of tourism after movies like Three Idiots hit the theatre. The least polluted parts of the country are now swarmed with tourists and the waste that accompanies them.

But does that mean that one stops travelling? Of course, not! As the saying goes- “if we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of feet”. But clearly there is something wrong in the way we are doing it. In our drive to feed our wanderlust, we are only becoming inconsiderate towards our environment.

We are forgetting that these destinations are living eco-systems. We are forgetting that places are not just lands meant for outsiders to revitalize. They are home to people who have been living in these environments much before these places were put on the map or stirred any social media buzz. We forget that they are also home to the flora and fauna that make these destinations so rich and distinct.

We love travelling as much as you do, but we, at Encamp Adventures have pledged ourselves to do it more responsibly this time. In this pursuit, we have planned to cater services that are zero-waste in nature (for nature!). Our “Zero-Waste Campsite” has been carefully designed keeping in mind all that has been said above. We are trying to create a group of conscious and responsible travellers, travellers with not just memorable take-aways but also the ones who give back in their own little mindful ways.

Not only will you be staying amidst nature; you will be doing so without the guilt of harming the environment. We adopt responsible measures in cutting down on plastic waste, utilizing composting bins, using eco-friendly and reusable products instead of disposable plastic, and many more. All you got to do is join us in our endeavour in making camping more fun and environment friendly. There’s so much we can do, if we come together and care for our nature. So, come join us. Travel light and travel right with Encamp Adventures!