Conscious Travel Tips: How to Embrace Sustainable Travel in Tanzania and Beyond

Our Hadza host in Lake Eyasi, Tanzania

Expanding Horizons Through Sustainable Travel and Empowering Indigenous Women

Traveling to remote places to meet local people offers a powerful opportunity to connect with cultures we might never encounter otherwise. Through sustainable travel in Tanzania and beyond, we can make meaningful decisions by consciously listening to the voices of those we visit. Women play a vital role in tourism, yet their voices often go unheard. Limited access to education and formal training hinders their full participation. In the context of sustainable travel in Tanzania, empowering indigenous women is especially important—enabling them to express themselves, represent their communities, and advocate for a better future not only strengthens their roles in tourism but also preserves their cultural heritage. Empowering indigenous women strengthens their communities, as they pass down their rich culture and language to future generations. In the context of sustainable travel in Tanzania, involving more women in decision-making helps ensure that policies reflect the needs and priorities of families, women, and marginalized groups. Practical innovation thrives on diverse perspectives, and it is crucial that we listen to and amplify women’s voices. As part of our mission to maximize the positive impacts of tourism, we focus on raising indigenous women's voices to ensure their concerns are addressed and their contributions are recognized within the broader landscape of sustainable travel.

Besides listening and learning from others, exploring humanity through traveling develops empathy, which is essential to reduce the distance between us and others without any judgment. We work with Maasai and Hadzabe indigenous communities in northern Tanzania, where we bring travelers to experience and share the lives of indigenous people. Cultural immersion can bring many values in our lives. We can learn from other’s experiences, their unique way of life, and different perspectives. It’s the interactive exchange that makes all the difference. We need to advance human understanding.

How Travel and Tourism Can Empower Women Through Sustainable Travel in Tanzania

Ethical tourism has the potential to create pathways towards poverty alleviation for women and local communities in developing countries. In Tanzania, our indigenous partners, working alongside Maasai and Hadzabe women’s groups, have discussed how sustainable tourism can bring positive change to women’s lives and communities. Through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, these indigenous informants gathered vital data about the challenges faced by these women. Many expressed that significant improvements in their lives could be made at the familial level, particularly with access to healthcare and essential commodities like clean water. Sustainable travel experiences not only benefit travelers but also have the power to uplift and empower indigenous women, fostering long-term community well-being. Indigenous populations, particularly in remote and isolated regions, often face higher rates of disease due to limited access to essential services. For instance, many Maasai women we’ve interviewed spend up to three to four hours each day just to fetch water. Healthcare is similarly out of reach, as medical services are distant and costly. Additionally, most indigenous women speak only their native languages, making it necessary for them to have an escort when traveling to nearby towns or cities for medical treatment. These challenges highlight the importance of sustainable tourism in providing support to these communities and improving access to healthcare and basic needs.

Visit Natives empower Maasai women who hosts travelers in their homes in Maasai villages

We continue our work to invest in healthy indigenous communities by purchasing health insurance for indigenous families to have free access to health care. With every trip booked with us, one indigenous family gets free access to health care services that also covers free medication. On the next stage, we start to plan how we can help the indigenous communities to have access to clean water. Join our trips, travel for a cause, and let's do more good together. You can travel and explore indigenous cultures' sustainable, conscious, and authentic way in Norway and Tanzania. Good experiences are all about real connections. On our trips, you can observe and participate in indigenous women's real-life, gather around a campfire to have women talk, and create deep relationships with people hosting you. Photo credits to Kairi Aun, a talented photographer with whom we have had the pleasure to travel with and document indigenous women's stories.