Except offering a great sailing week, gathering of interesting people and good organization, at Naleia Yachting we want to help become travelers become more aware of how to travel responsibly. Fundamental to our values is kindness, respect and care for others. This is mirrored in our respect for the natural world that we encounter on our travels. All the tips below come in as easy to implement attitudes, and require only a tiny amount of effort. We believe that keeping below advice in mind, you will make your travels more sustainable and more enjoyable at the same time.
We ask you to take a few minutes to see our recommendations to ensure we all have an enjoyable, positive and most sustainable sailing week we can.
Before we go:
- Try to plan your trip well ahead and take the opportunity to share transportation to and from your destination with others!
- Sharing rides on blablacar.com, using trains or busses instead of flying are the more sustainable choices. Sometimes it is not possible, we know J
- Do not over-pack! This is advice many Naleians wanted us to share after their week. Please check our free packing guide to check the essentials that you will need.
- We ask that you only bring cosmeticsthat are bio-degradable to help the environment (e.g.: soaps, showers gels, deos,…)
- Think about a recipe that you would like to cook on board. It adds to the fun of sharing your culture and getting to know other country’s kitchens!
On-board:
- We ask you to save resources. For one, treat water as a precious resource and use responsibly (e.g.: do not waste water while doing dishes or showering). As a second, we avoid using electronic equipment not needed for sailing (let us be honest, how often are we staring at our smartphones without any real purpose behind it?) Third, do not buy too much food and avoid wasting it. Last but not least, we ask you to keep eating meat to the minimum that still keeps you happy. The resources needed for growing life stock are so much higher than growing veggies, that in order to save resources, we recommend eating meat responsibly and not carelessly.
- Please bring a refillable water bottle for drinking water. This enables the crew to buy big canisters of drinking water and refill the bottles instead of having to buy many small bottles that can be brought on deck during sailing. That way we save a lot of plastic.Avoid buying unnecessary plastic products, like drinking straws, stirrers, plates etc. We will provide reusable cutlery on board.
- Respect for each other is essential. We are all different and bring different strengths to the team. This is what helps create the special magic of a sailing week! Be open, positive, and respectful of others, care for your crewmates and you will have a fantastic week!
- Respect the environment. Do not pick flowers or under-water plants for no reason, do not litter (neither above nor below water!) and do not kill animals (maybe except for when you want to eat them).
- We sail by the power of the wind whenever possible and avoid using fossil fuels.
On-shore:
- It is great to buy local products. You can support local economies more if you buy food on the local market instead of the supermarket. If there is only a supermarket around, check if it is possible to distinguish local from imported products.
- Choose local restaurants, cafés, shops over international chains of restaurants or coffee places. First of all the taxes stay in the country, second of all people are usually paid better. In both aspects the local economy benefits.
- Avoid plastic and choose products with the least single-use packaging possible. For example, buy apples which you can just weigh and put into a bag that you brought with you instead of pre-packaged apples.
- When we visit National Parks and other specially designated areas of outstanding natural beauty, please follow the signs for respecting the natural environment, including guidance for how to protect the wildlife.
- We prioritize visits to places that will directly benefit the local people. Please think when you are buying souvenirs, for example, to support local crafts and handmade items where the money goes directly to local people.
- Be curious about other people’s way of life, (both your crew mates and the strangers on shore). Interact with locals and learn about the places we visit from people who live there permanently. Bear in mind however, that although people are generally friendly and happy to talk, we should avoid asking unnecessary favours or being a nuisance to the residents (e.g.: being noisy at late hours).
After the trip:
- Take your new skills and experiences into your everyday life. The world needs more positivity and people with the confidence to take on new challenges!
- We hope sailing gave you a fresh perspective on the importance of protecting our natural world, having seen some of its magnificence during your trip and having met people who truly care for nature.
What do you think about the points above? Would you like to share your tips for sustainable and responsible travel? Feel free to comment below and starta a discussion.
Stay Awesome,
Naleia Yachting Team
Check where and when do we sail this year