Step inside local culture: National Geographic Journeys
Built on meaningful encounters, local guides, and the freedom to roam, a new line of trips from National Geographic and G Adventures promise a new way to experience the world
Gear-up for National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures, a new collection of trips that promise to get to the heart of travel. The action-packed tours are limited to 16 guests, who'll have the chance to discover local cultures through the lens of National Geographic scientists and storytellers.
Intended to be more accessible than the current National Geographic tours, the initial 70 trips will be available to book on 15 December, with departures from 5 January 2016. Behind-the-scenes experiences will include pot throwing at a women's co-op in Belize, joining a researcher on safari in South Africa to learn about a National Geographic-sponsored initiative to protect big cats, and brushing up your cooking skills in the home of an Indonesian chef.
G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip says, "What we're excited about is to interpret everything that National Geographic does, and give people the opportunity to give back through their holiday — tourism can have a positive impact if done the right way." Many tours will also feature visits to projects sponsored by G Adventures' non-profit organisation Planeterra, which aims to develop sustainable projects that support local communities.
National Geographic president and CEO Gary Knell adds, "I think it's very important that this is a natural extension of National Geographic's mission, and putting an army of travellers out there to learn and change the world in positive ways is really exciting for us."
One incredible itinerary is the 14-day Costa Rica trip, which involves meeting with a researcher from the Sea Turtle Conservancy, co-founded by a National Geographic grantee. Guests will also have the option to play an active role in tropical reforestation by planting trees at a National Geographic-supported research project, while other activities include zip-lining above the rainforest canopy, making tortillas with a local family and soaking in volcanic hot springs. The trip costs from £1,429 per person, including all transfers, guides, accommodation and some meals.
Every one of the programmes will have National Geographic-specific content. "This will allow the brand to be more accessible than ever before in terms of a travel context, and we expect it to expand significantly," explains Bruce Poon Tip.
As Gary Knell says, "Travelling the world should not be for elite audiences — this is somewhere in between independent travel and highly curated travel."
National Geographic Journeys trips are available to book from 15 December 2015
