INTRODUCTION 10 We can also offer Extra Accommodation, Adventure Travel Insurance& Flights designed by experience, led by experts At Imaginative Traveller we handle all aspects of your journey ourselves. We have direct control over quality, itinerary and accommodation and good customer relations resulting in EXCELLENT feedback. We have more than 150 dedicated and passionate staff from over 30 nationalities, carefully selected for their experience and passion in leading our multi- cultural groups. This ensures our travellers get an authentic, in- depth travel experience and a unique insight into a place. " We aim to have a positive impact on all the places we visit." destination managers Unique to Imaginative Traveller! Our Destination Managers actually live in and are passionate about the region they represent. Using their in- depth personal local knowledge they design your journey from start to finish and will be on hand in the unlikely event that a problem occurs. • Experience• Knowledge • Passion• Dedication Our tour leaders are second to none. They are there to make sure you have the most rewarding travel experience possible. Each tour leader is put through a rigorous application and training process to ensure you only travel with the very best. We use a mixture of local and non- local tour leaders as we find both bring different strengths and attributes. In addition we also use local guides on parts of your journey for their expert knowledge on a specific location. tour leaders Sameer Rathore, our top guide in Rajasthan, recently made the final in Wanderlust's Paul Morrison Guide of the Year 2008 ( at the time of going to print results had not been announced). Sameer has proved so popular that we have decided to launch a special tour, ' Sameer's Rajasthan'. If you want to enjoy Sameer's firsthand knowledge of his homeland - whether as a first time visitor or as a repeat client then turn to page 86 for further details. Sameer Rathore - Guide of the Year

11 INTRODUCTION responsible travel Responsible Travel has always been of huge importance to us. Our Responsible Travel Fund supports ongoing projects worldwide and we are extremely proud to have donated significant amounts over the years. Much of this has been through donations made during booking - for every £ 1 you donate we will match it ( up to £ 1000) making a dramatic and valuable contribution. www. imaginative- traveller. com/ responsible- travel Over the years Imaginative Traveller has supported numerous small local projects and set up several initiatives designed to benefit the areas we visit. We have ongoing environmental and humanitarian projects in Egypt, India, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Bolivia and Guatemala. www. imaginative- traveller. com/ projects Our volunteer tours are a superb way to combine an exciting adventure holiday whilst immersing yourself within a community or project. Get involved! our projects volunteer tours climate care There is an increasing public awareness that the burning of fossil fuels is changing the world's climate. At Imaginative Traveller we believe that travel has many benefits, for the communities who depend on tourism for their livelihood, for the National Parks that are protected to encourage visitors, and for travellers who have the opportunity to gain a much greater understanding of other cultures. So, although we appreciate the benefits of reducing unnecessary travel, we do not think that to stop travelling completely is the answer! As part of our Responsible Travel Policy we are now offering our travellers the opportunity of offsetting the impact of carbon emissions from their international flights through ClimateCare. For each tonne of carbon that our travellers offset, ClimateCare will ensure that a tonne of carbon is reduced through their accredited emissions reductions projects. For each tour we have included a recommended amount, calculated by ClimateCare, for those wishing to offset their international flights. These are based on direct return flights from London Heathrow. For those travelling from other countries, or who are interested in more information about the projects developed by ClimateCare please visit: www. jpmorganclimatecare. com Imaginative Traveller is constantly looking at other ways we can reduce our emissions. In the future we aim to be able to offer our travellers the chance to offset their entire tour, including transport and accommodation.