Llama trekking in Tilcara in the Jujuy Province of Northern Argentina. Photo courtesy of Caravana de Llamas

In light of Responsible Travel Week 2011, we at Gunyah – specialists in short-duration experiential packages for independent travellers eager to connect with local people – have selected our favourite local travel experiences. We want to inspire travellers to seek out more meaningful travel experiences, the kinds that can only come through real contact with locals and genuine enjoyment of local culture and tradition.

Llama Caravans in Argentina
Stretch your legs by trekking with llamas in the Jujuy Province of Northern Argentina. No, you don’t actually ride these long-necked beasts of burden; you trek alongside them in the traditional style of the ancient Andeans.

Give a Little on a Tour in Vietnam
Responsible travel in its truest form, Bloom Microventures in Hanoi, Vietnam, allows you to really get off the beaten track and interact with local community members who who have benefited from microfinance loans.

Yakkity Yak in the Himalayas
After a very bumpy and long bus journey to the north of bustling Kathmandu, Nepal, and a further four days of trekking along a yak trail through misty valleys, you arrive at Kyanjin Gompa, a tiny village in the remote Himalayan foothills.

Smile for a Week at Crocodile Creek
Watch out for the elephants as you drive along the dusty road to the Crocodile Creek Community Village, an accommodation and community project in Livingstone, Zambia.

Aboriginal Cave Paintings Rock!
Discover one of the oldest cultures in the world in tropical North Queensland, Australia, on a walk with a Nugal-warra elder, Willie Gordan, who started his own company, Guurrbi Tours, in 2003.

Real Local Culture in the Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina
High in the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies the village of Lukomir, where the locals share the very traditional way of life they maintain.

Continue reading about each of these local travel experiences on The Travel Word blog