Gondwana Ecotours is introducing a new 10-day camping safari in Tanzania. Guests will visit four national parks (Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti), get to know the Maasai Tribe, photograph amazing landscapes, spot the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant), and explore dense jungles.
(New Orleans, LA) — Gondwana Ecotours is introducing a
new 10-day camping safari in Tanzania. Guests will visit four national parks
(Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti), get to know the Maasai
Tribe, photograph amazing landscapes, spot the Big Five (lion, leopard,
rhino, buffalo, and elephant), and explore dense jungles. This trip
is full of culture and opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography.
There will be a maximum of 18 guests on the tours, scheduled for July
13-22, 2020 and August 8-17, 2020 starting at $2,995 USD per person not
including international flights
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime safari with
extraordinary wildlife viewing opportunities,” said Gondwana Ecotours
Founder, Jared Sternberg. “We also pay Carbon Offsetting for each
guest and donate to the Maasai Community Development Initiative on their
behalf.”
One of the major highlights of this safari is visiting the Maasai, one of
Africa’s most famous and historic tribes. Travelers will sing and dance with
members of the tribe and tour a traditional hut. Another
unforgettable moment is exploring the Ngorongoro Crater at sunrise before
the crowds arrive. It is home to many lions and some of the last black rhinos
in the world.
“We will enjoy picturesque picnic lunches in the parks near hippo pools,
giraffes, baobab trees and beautiful lakes,” said Sternberg.
“This safari is full of amazing wildlife and culture, and offers an
opportunity to witness one of the most spectacular mass migrations on the
planet.”
What’s Included in the Tanzania Camping Safari Ecotour:
All accommodations and equipment (4 nights at hotel, 5
nights camping)
All meals except for arrival and departure days
All National Park entrance fees in Tanzania (Arusha,
Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti)
Unique activities with the Maasai tribe (dancing, singing,
home tour and cultural exchange)
Guaranteed window-seat in a private Toyota Land Cruiser with
a local guide/driver
Carbon Offsetting for each guest and donations to the Maasai
Community Development Initiative
Chef-prepared meals and clean drinking water throughout the
safari
All activities and excursions, including safaris and guided
hikes
andBeyond travelers on the “Travel With a Purpose in Tanzania” program visit Ololosokwan Clinic, primary school, and Meirowa School, and can join a group of school children on a game drive and conservation lesson.
andBeyond, a leading luxury experiential travel company, has launched philanthropic-focused itineraries in Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa to give guests a first-hand look at its core ethos of caring for the land, wildlife, and people. The activities range from adopting an elephant at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Kenya to participating in local school conservation lessons in Tanzania to visiting the Grootbos Green Futures College in Cape Town, an organization that provides educational training to unemployed young adults in the city.
Tanzania: Travelers on andBeyond’s 9-day Travel with Purpose in Tanzania tour start the adventure off in Arusha before heading to andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge to explore the Mayoka and Moya communities by bike, and the new science labs at Kilimamoja School, funded by the Africa Foundation. The excursion continues to andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, perched above the edge of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater, before ending at andBeyond Klein’s Camp on the Serengeti. Here, travelers will visit Ololosokwan Clinic, primary school, and Meirowa School, and can join a group of school children on a game drive and conservation lesson.
Kenya: andBeyond’s new Travel with Purpose in Kenya 12-day itinerary weaves travelers through the Kuku Group Ranch at the foot of the Chyulu Hills in Nairobi, Lewa Downs Conservancy in Laikipia, and the Masai Mara to learn about and engage in various conservation projects. Highlights include a private visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi to adopt an elephant, feeding giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, and a Maasai community visit led by the African Foundation Program Manager, in which travelers can interact with a Maasai family and visit a traditional boma.
South Africa: andBeyond’s Travel with Purpose in South Africa journey is a 10-day excursion spanning from andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve to Cape Town to the Cape Whale Coast. At andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, travelers take an excursion with Africa Foundation to visit projects in the Mduku and Mngobokazi communities, and assist in an exclusive rhino notching experience. Travelers then head to Cape Town for a half-day tour of Uthando, a non-profit that supports various community projects (day care, urban agriculture, environmental, and youth development programs), followed by a half-day tour of the city to explore Table Mountain, Greenmarket Square, and Company Gardens. The tour continues on to the Cape Whale Coast (known for its prime whale watching location), where travelers will have the option to explore the Grootbos’s Green Futures College or the Siyakhula Organic Farm, visit the African Seabird and Penguin Sanctuary, and of course enjoy a whale watching excursion.
In addition to these opportunities for travelers to engage in voluntourism, andBeyond offers Small Group Journeys affording the opportunity to explore Africa, Asia’s and South America’s extraordinary landscapes in the company of an intimate group of like-minded safari enthusiasts, on a set itinerary. The newest is Land Rover Expeditions around Patagonia Lakes, and another around Chile/Argentina Wine & Country. Snow Leopard Expeditions (India) is on many travelers’ bucket lists and Botswana Mobile Camping Expeditions is THE way to see Botswana for the adventurous.
Also, andBeyond owns and operates lodges and camps in Africa. New lodges opening in 2018 include Bateleur Camp in Kenya, Tengile River Lodge in South Africa, Phinda Homestead in South Africa, Phinda Vlei also in South Africa.
Guests travelling to &Beyond lodges in Africa can take advantage of “Fly Me” offers where the entire package price, including flights, is known; others who build an itinerary lodge by lodge, can benefit from long stay discounts. And for couples who have recently celebrated their nuptials, there is a Honeymoon Offer where a partner only pays 50%.
Asia travelers also can take advantage of long stay and “Fly Me” offers on some Indian itineraries, showcasing the best of the region at great deals.
Established in 1991, andBeyond is one of the world’s leading luxury experiential travel companies, designing personalized high-end tours in 15 countries in Africa, five in Asia, and four in South America. andBeyond also owns and operate 29 extraordinary lodges and camps in Africa’s iconic safari and island destinations. In addition, andBeyond operates small group, set-departure expeditions throughout Africa and Asia. This enables us to positively impact more than 9 million acres of wildlife land and 2,000 kilometres of coastline.
Costa Rica: Chiquita Glamping & Pacuare River Raft vacation is the latest of over 30 “online-only” trips featured on Austin Adventures’ award-winning website.
BILLINGS, MT –The best of all worlds, including creature comforts while glamping in the wilderness, come seamlessly together on Austin Adventures’ new 8 day/7 night Costa Rica: Chiquita Glamping & Pacuare River Raft vacation. This is the latest of over 30 “online-only” trips featured on its award-winning website: https://www.austinadventures.com/.
With its newest Costa Rica program, year-round departures are flexible and may be arranged when it best fits participant’s own schedule, on a space-available basis. The per person double rate (based on a party of four or more) is from $3,998 for the core experience. Options exist to customize the itinerary to the guests’ wishes.
This luxury trip, without a lofty price tag, brings curious travelers to a country on the forefront of land and wildlife conservation. Over 25 percent of the country has been protected by the establishment of preserves, sanctuaries, refuges, and national parks. Costa Rica also offers one of the most biodiverse places in the world, Carara National Park located in the transition zone between Costa Rica’s wet southeast and hotter, drier northwest. The adventure begins here as guests explore the river basin of the River Tárcoles, which hosts one of the largest remaining populations of wild scarlet macaws in the country.
Guests then journey by boat to Isla Chiquita Glamping Resort, far off the usual tourist track. Home for three pampered nights, each large platform tent accommodation is equipped with a king bed, day bed lounger, private shower and bathroom with double sinks, and spacious lounging deck with stunning ocean views. From this isolated island, guests visit Curú National Wildlife Refuge with pristine beaches and abundant wildlife while gliding through the still waters of a protected bay in a kayak or on a stand-up paddleboard, watching tropical birds soar overhead. One morning guests transfer to Tortuga Island where white sands contrast with brilliant Caribbean blue waters. Snorkeling is popular here, as guests marvel at surprisingly colorful crabs and lobsters as well as vibrant tropical fish.
A local flight back to mainland beckons guests to engage in the premier whitewater rafting adventure in Costa Rica – on the Pacuare River (rated by National Geographic as one of the Top 10 river trips in the world). Here they visit the Cabecar Indian village and meet with the largest indigenous tribe in Costa Rica. A family of the community shares traditions they have used for centuries. After zip lining comes more rafting, leading to the deluxe, eco-sensitive Pacuare Lodge, accessible only by whitewater raft. Located at the center of a series of over 1.2 million acres of wildlife reserves, the lodge is both secluded and beautiful. Guests may opt to dine 60 feet above the forest floor in a platform built on the branches of a century-old Kapok tree. This lodge enjoys National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World status.
After two nights at the lodge and a final morning on the river, guests are transferred back to San José for a last overnight at Hotel Grano de Oro, a “Tropical Victorian” house which features a world-class restaurant. Airport transfers are offered the next morning.
For more information please see https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/costa-rica-isla-chiquita-pacuare-lodge/.
This is one of multiple programs Austin Adventures offers in Costa Rica where it has enjoyed relationships with top tourism purveyors for over 15 years.
“Costa Rica has always been our top selling international destination,” says Dan Austin, Founder and President of Austin Adventures. “We’re always on the lookout and open to what our well-established in-country contacts have to share when it comes to new, unusual and cutting-edge adventure opportunities. Together, we look for experiences away from the usual tourist track and crowds. The key is developing tour itineraries that appeal and captivate our brand of intrepid travelers.”
In the print version of its catalog, Austin Adventures features 65 separate destinations representing over 100 published tour options with over 40 also offered as a Family-Focused version. The website also showcases over 30 additional trips and destinations (not included in the catalog) outlining core itineraries that can be customized upon customer request. These online-only programs include, in addition to the Costa Rica vacation:
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/arizona-havasupai/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/ireland-kerry-county/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/ireland-family-kerry-county/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/scotland-family-scottish-highlands/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/scotland-scottish-highlands/
To help plan, Austin Adventures’ 2018 catalog is available upon request. Order ONLINE or call 800-575-1540 or email [email protected]. For a full roster of 2018 trips that is frequently updated visit http://www.austinadventures.com.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Wildland Adventures is offering a series of trip giveaways, the first being a trip for two to Thailand and Cambodia.
SEATTLE, WA – To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Wildland Adventures is offering a series of trip giveaways, the first being a trip for two to Thailand and Cambodia. The online contest is underway and concludes at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 3, 2017.
Interested travelers may enter the Wildland Adventures Thailand & Cambodia Trip Giveaway by visiting the company website at http://wildtripgiveaway.com/ and completing and submitting the online entry form. Additional entries can be earned by referring friends or by visiting a number of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram as explained on the contest page.
“Thanks to our intrepid travelers, we continue to expand our global community. What better way to express our gratitude and celebrate 30 years of ‘Going Wild’ than to give away a trip to Thailand & Cambodia, welcoming two lucky winners into our family of adventure travelers,” Kurt and Anne Kutay, Directors
Joining this birthday bash are two highly respected travel partners. The winning duo will be outfitted with a load of travel gear from Eagle Creek and prAna. Included from Eagle Creek are two Expanse Carry-Ons and two Expanse Flatbed 29” luggage pieces. prAna will donate four items of prAna travel clothing to each person.
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), of which Wildland Adventures is a charter member, is also helping promote this festivity through their consumer website www.adventure.travel. Adventure.Travel showcases the best adventure companies and stories inspiring travelers to explore the world in a passionate and responsible way.
The Trip Giveaway winner and guest will have time to build their excitement over the Thailand & Cambodia Trip where travel may be scheduled from Aug, 30, 2017 to May 31, 2018. Upon arrival in Bangkok (flights not included), a Wildland Adventures guide will meet them at the airport and help settle them in to the first of several boutique hotels they’ll enjoy enroute.
The sights of old and new Bangkok reveal themselves while bicycling through the city and then cruising by boat the Chao Phraya River, virtually the city’s lifeline. After absorbing Bangkok’s cultural treasures comes a visit by car and long tail boat to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya dating to the 15th century. Moving from ancient history to tropical jungle reveals one of Asia’s largest intact monsoon forests, home to several hundred wild elephants, as well as tiger, leopard, Asiatic black bear, sambar deer, gibbon, macaque, and several species of hornbill.
Although the pleasures of Thailand are far from exhausted, this tour next brings guests to theThai-Cambodian border and on to Siem Reap’s Angkor Archeological Park, visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking and one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, if not in the world. Stretching over some 400 square kilometers, the park contains the magnificent remains (think Angkor Wat) of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. In the course of a bike ride along the Siem Reap River are children waving in small villages where cyclists see palm wine and sugar production, basket weaving and rice farming before transferring to the airport for the flight home.
The Kutays three decades ago birthed a new travel concept they call The Wild Style. This means consciously choosing to travel deeper, not farther; to experience a world that craves our understanding and compassion rather than our judgement; to visit communities that seek to welcome us rather than entertain us.
“Today we feel at home in the pivotal global movement to build inter-personal, inter-cultural and environmental bonds among the people and the places we travel,” said Kurt Kutay. “Over the course of our 30-year journey, we have held firm to a truth that travel may be the most important path to a growing global community which sustains – rather than degrades — life on earth. We do this not between nations but through conscientious individuals and communities who care about Mother Earth, economic inequities and social injustices.”
For more information on these and all of Wildland Adventures’ worldwide offerings, availability and reservations call 1-800-345-4453 or email [email protected]. Visit http://www.wildland.com/.
Natural Habitat Adventures has a new trip to photograph polar bears in the remote Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska, where they roam the shoreline along the Beaufort Sea.
BOULDER, CO– Natural Habitat Adventures, the world’s leader in sustainable travel and ecotourism since 1985, is introducing an exclusive new seven-day opportunity to photograph polar bears in the remote Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska, where they roam the shoreline along the Beaufort Sea.
The expedition, Photographing Polar Bears in Alaska’s High Arctic, debuts in August 2017 with three departures for eight guests each: Aug. 21-27, Aug. 24-30 and Aug. 27-Sept. 2. Similar dates are tentatively set for 2018. The per-person double rate from $10,895 includes private chartered roundtrip air from Fairbanks (gateway city) across the Arctic Circle to Kaktovik, flying over the vast Yukon River Valley and glaciated Brooks Range; six private 3-hour boat excursions (limited to just four passengers per vessel) to photograph polar bears and other Arctic wildlife at eye level; accommodations; all meals; and more.
Kaktovik, an Inupiat village of 250 people located on Barter Island in the Beaufort Sea on the edge of the coastal plain, is Alaska’s premier location to view polar bears. Sightings have been increasing in the region over the past few years as bears spend more time on land due to waning sea ice. Nat Hab has operated popular polar bear adventures in Churchill, Manitoba, since the 1980s; this new trip is the company’s first polar-bear-focused trip in Alaska.
The expedition, which takes place at 70 degrees north latitude, is also Nat Hab’s most northerly adventure. Guests fly over the Arctic Circle before landing on Alaska’s North Slope on the edge of the Beaufort Sea. This immersion in the far north provides an unusual chance to witness the impacts of climate change while learning about changing polar bear behavior and how local people face challenges to their age-old subsistence lifestyle.
Guests travel with a Nat Hab Expedition Leader who is an Arctic naturalist and polar bear expert as well an accomplished wildlife photographer offering guidance for all ability levels. Boats are skippered by local resident guides who are intimately familiar with polar bears and their behavior, ensuring a thorough interpretive experience.
The itinerary, exclusive to Nat Hab and its conservation partner World Wildlife Fund, also includes a full day of exploration in Fairbanks, including a visit to the University of Alaska’s Museum of the North and the university’s Large Animal Research Station.
“No other major travel company offers an all-encompassing Alaska polar bear experience like this one, with such an immersive focus,” explains Ben Bressler, Nat Hab founder and president. “Along with multiple extended excursions to view and photograph the bears, we include all the elements to safely and comfortably get you there and home—including internal chartered flights. Once you arrive in Fairbanks, we’ve got your every need covered.”
For information on all of Nat Hab’s trips, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations, call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE to order a copy of the 2017 catalog.
Natural Habitat Adventures is a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism. Since its founding in 1985, the company has offered eco-conscious expeditions and wildlife-focused small-group tours to the planet’s most remarkable nature destinations. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s itineraries are artfully crafted experiences that are far from “typical.” Trips are guided by professional naturalist Expedition Leaders, and Nat Hab enjoys a longstanding reputation for hiring some of the world’s best guides. Conservation is at the forefront of everything NHA does, and its philosophy is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting natural resources and wildlife. NHA is the travel partner of World Wildlife Fund, sharing a mutual commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the world’s wondrous natural places. Nat Hab has donated more than $2 million to WWF and will continue to donate 1 percent of gross sales plus $100,000 annual through 2018 in support of WWF’s mission.
(Cody, WY) – Celebrated climate change scientist, Dr. Sarah Aciego, co-founder of Big Chill Adventures, has unveiled a new tour of Panama. Slated for February 11-18, 2017, highlights include: visiting the Kuna & Embara Tribes, snorkeling pristine coral reefs, white-water rafting, horseback riding, hiking an active volcano, hot springs soaking, lodging in a cloud forest treehouse, and sampling coffee from the shade-grown coffee plantations (starting at $3,600 per person).
“From volcano to beach and all points in between, Panama offers amazing landscapes, cultures, culinary delights and biodiversity,” said Aciego. “The cloud forest hosts the largest number of bird species in Central America and the sloths, turtles and monkeys round out the amazing fauna.”
Other highlights include visiting the Panama Canal, exploring old sections of Panama City, boating to Yandup Island where the Kuna people live and work, discovering uninhabited islands where guests can snorkel pristine coral reefs, hiking to the Lost Waterfalls, visiting a coffee plantation, staying in a cloud forest treehouse, and trekking Sendero de Los Quetzales.
Big Chill Adventures was founded by climate change scientist Dr. Sarah Aciego and professional photographer Mindy Cambiar. Dr. Aciego has led multiple scientific expeditions to Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska and the Canadian Rockies, and her research has resulted in 20+ publications on ice and climate. Their specialized expertise and intimate knowledge of some of the world’s most beautiful, and forbidding landscapes offers an opportunity for an extraordinary experience.
Enjoy unique wine and food tastings and festivals at the Fourth Annual Coastal Discovery & Stewardship Celebration along the CA Highway 1 Discovery Route (PRNewsFoto/CA’s Highway 1 Discovery Route)
Featuring a Free Film Festival at Hearst Castle Theater, Announcing New Locations on The Whale Trail, Attend the Third Annual BlendFest on the Coast, Wine Tasting Events along the Pacific Coast Wine Trail, Wildlife Viewing & Stewardship Travel, and Special Lodging Packages in Coastal San Luis Obispo County
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.– The 10 destinations along California’s Highway 1 Discovery Route(H1DR) in San Luis Obispo County from Ragged Point and Cambria to Avila Beach and Oceano are serious when it comes to the annual Coastal Discovery & Stewardship Celebration. Coastal San Luis Obispo County along with California State Parks and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary welcome visitors to immerse themselves in the local marine culture, coastal heritage and natural attractions along the iconic CA Highway 1 Discovery Route through a series of events and activities January 13-February 28, 2017.
Enjoy special marine focused events, unique wine and food tastings and festivals and stewardship travel activities where you learn more about dedicated Marine Protected Areas and how to make a difference on vacation.
“Throughout the annual Coastal Discovery & Stewardship Celebration guests are invited to explore marine life from abalone to elephant seals, learn about nature preserves, participate in fun citizen science activities, and enjoy the many seaside hikes found on the Central Coast,” says Katie Sturtevant, Stewardship Travel Director. “There are more than 40 must-do activities the whole family will enjoy.”
These special events and activities are designed to connect visitors with the land, wildlife, history, people and culture along the H1DR. Must-see attractions and must-do events include a Free Film Festival at Hearst Castle Theater, the 3rd annual wine tasting event BlendFest on the Coast, the fun Bird Sanctuary & Wildlife Day, elephant seal docent-led educational walks, hands-on citizen science programs at San Simeon Cove and many others. Take a whale watching adventure, a planned pier and beach walk, or learn about H1DR marine birdlife with the free SeaPhoto App from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Visitors will appreciate the Wildlife Viewing and Stewardship Tips when they visit the new Whale Trail (www.TheWhaleTrail.org) locations and will delight in special wine tasting room pairings from 11 wineries located along the Pacific Coast Wine Trail, and numerous Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley and Avila Beach wineries as well.
BOULDER, CO – Natural Habitat Adventures has introduced a new opportunity to get behind the scenes and assist with panda care on its China nature adventures. Guests can enjoy a one-day volunteer experience at a Chinese research base that has helped pull giant pandas back from the brink.
The optional caregiver opportunity takes place at Dujiangyan Panda Valley, China’s newest facility for panda research, education and conservation located outside Chengdu. It is included on both Nat Hab’s Wild Side of China Nature Odyssey and Wild Side of China Photo Adventure.
On both panda-focused itineraries, travelers have the rare chance to spend a day with panda keepers, enjoying pandas at close range while assisting with tasks that are part of the daily care routine, such as feeding pandas and cleaning enclosures.
This intimate contact comes in the context of a celebratory victory for conservation, as China’s giant panda population was recently downgraded from endangered to vulnerable. While giant pandas are still at risk, their numbers continue to rebound. More than 1,800 were counted in the wild in China’s 2014 survey, a jump of 17 percent since the 2003 national census.
Top naturalist Expedition Leaders provide insight into this success story on Nat Hab’s two 12-day itineraries, which offer the most panda-intensive and nature-centered exploration of China provided by any travel company. In addition to visiting three different panda research bases, guests are immersed in the giant panda’s wild native habitat, including two days in a remote mountain nature reserve in Sichuan Province that few tourists ever see.
On this rare expedition into the Minshan Mountains, walks and wildlife drives in this virtually unvisited preserve provides reveal the panda’s native environment, including lush bamboo forests, river gorges and waterfalls.
Because wild pandas are highly elusive, guests are not likely to see them, but approximately 60 live within this densely forested 100,000-acre sanctuary. The reserve is rated as a Grade I global biodiversity hotspot by World Wildlife Fund and is home 430 different mammal species including golden monkeys, Tibetan and rhesus macaques, musk deer, muntjac, serow, wild boar, blue sheep, and endangered moon bears and red pandas. More than 2,400 different plant species and 150 bird species are also found in the park, including the golden pheasant.
Both itineraries also include Jiuzhaigou National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and UN Biosphere Reserve, containing some of China’s most dramatic wild landscapes. Guided walks showcase steep peaks, ravines, forest, meadows, marshes and a multitude of lakes and waterfalls. The park’s most distinctive feature is its terraced limestone pools filled with turquoise water that flows in crystalline cascades from ledge to ledge.
Each departure is led by a Nat Hab Expedition Leader who has trained with WWF scientists and researchers, along with a top Chinese naturalist guide. Travelers benefit from a breadth of expert scientific knowledge, authentic cultural insight and attentive personal service. Photo tour departures feature personalized guidance from an expert professional photographer.
This unique itinerary also offers an unusual chance for Western visitors to witness rural Chinese life. In the Gansu Muslim village of Qing Xi, guests stroll among 300-year-old wooden buildings from the Qing dynasty. On an overland journey onto the Tibetan Plateau, they traverse a landscape dotted with fluttering prayer flags and chortens and share lunch with a Tibetan family. And on a visit to a small farm, they learn about a WWF-supported bio-waste project that uses agricultural by-products to create cleaner cooking fuels, reducing local wood consumption and preserving habitat for pandas and other wildlife.
The per-person rate, based on double occupancy, starts at $10,495, for both regular and photo departures. 2017 season departures are: April 2, April 6 (Photo Tour), April 16, April 20 (Photo Tour), May 1, May 4 (Photo Tour), Sept. 3, Sept. 17, and Oct. 7 (Photo Tour). Dates also available for 2018.
For information on all of Nat Hab’s trips, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations, call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE to order a copy of the 2017 catalog.
Natural Habitat Adventures is a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism. Since its founding in 1985, the company has offered eco-conscious expeditions and wildlife-focused small-group tours to the planet’s most remarkable nature destinations. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s itineraries are artfully crafted experiences that are far from “typical.” Trips are guided by professional naturalist Expedition Leaders, and Nat Hab enjoys a longstanding reputation for hiring some of the world’s best guides. Conservation is at the forefront of everything NHA does, and its philosophy is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting natural resources and wildlife. NHA is proud to be the travel partner of World Wildlife Fund, sharing a mutual commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the world’s wondrous natural places. Nat Hab has donated more than $2 million to WWF and will continue to donate 1 percent of gross sales plus $100,000 annual through 2018 in support of WWF’s mission.
Trek through remote rural regions of North Vietnam on this 10 day Adventure Life Vietnam tour. Start your trek in White Hmong villages and continue through Red Dao and Co Lao minority communities for 6 days and 5 nights. Stay in the villages in tents or small guest houses and interact with the locals who rarely see foreign visitors.
Bed n’ Breakfast and homestay accommodations like AirBnB has been garnering a lot of attention around the idea of living like a local when you travel, of experiencing a new place just as locals do. It’s a style of travel that engenders a sense of belonging rather than overshooting or just passing through. Being in a neighborhood, rather than a commercial district with other visitors also adds another special ingredient to the travel experience: authenticity.
In fact, several travel companies have been offering this form of culturally immersive travel for years. Here’s a geographically diverse sampling of 8 “Live Like a Local” Trips, provided by travel expert Steve Snyders:
Homestay with the Aymara people in Peru –
On this Adventure Life trip, you’ll explore Lake Titicaca, a geographic landmark at the crossroads of the Andes and the Andean plateau and the world’s highest navigable and South America’s largest lake. You will also have the opportunity to interact with the local community whose roots date back to ancient cultures that settled in this area. Their hospitality opens a door to share with their families and allows a homestay opportunity on Amantani Island. http://www.adventure-life.com/peru/tours/1556/lake-titicaca-with-homestay
Homestay with Amazon Tribe –
With Gondwana EcoTours, venture deep into the rarely accessed Amazon Rainforest to meet the indigenous Achuar tribe of the Ecuador. Contact with this tribe was only made in the 1970s, and their culture is more intact than most of the world’s tribes. Hike volcanoes, visit remote waterfalls, spot tropical birds and other exotic wildlife, learn about flora & fauna, kayak Amazon waters, and stay at one of the most remote, ecologically responsible ecolodges in the world. http://gondwanaecotours.com/tour/amazon-rainforest-ecotour/
Camp in a Village Campground en route to Machu Picchu –
Along a less traveler route to Machu Picchu, immerse yourself in the village life while overnight in the Cachiccata community’s village campground. Ths Adventure Life trip includes a group service project in the Cachiccata community combined with visit of Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. On this trip, you get to work, side-by-side with the family members cleaning, repairing, and restoring homes, planting native trees, and visiting school and supporting a healthy breakfast project. You will stay in the community campground each night to immerse ourselves in the village life.
With Ciclismo Classico, join a family-run farm in the heart of Tuscany for an exciting cycling and epicurean adventure dedicated to the “Slow Food” movement. This exclusive six-day Tuscany tour includes some of the most beautiful bike rides in Italy and a complete cultural immersion into the Tuscan lifestyle on an energy-independent Italian agriturismo. http://www.ciclismoclassico.com/trips/tuscany-green-toscana-verde/
Homestay with Nomads in Siberia and Mongolia –
Beautiful and exotic, Siberia and Mongolia are worlds away from the traditional beaten path. On this trip with MIR Coporation, explore the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, then fly to the red sands of the Gobi Desert. Celebrate a country Naadam Festival, far from the glitz and ruckus of the capital. Wind your way through the remote Barguzin Valley to homestays in rural Ust-Barguzin. In Siberia, take to the waters of great Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake on earth, and ride a section of the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway.
On this Adventure Life trip you get to explore a rarely-encountered slice of Southeast Asia on a circuit starting in Thailand and visiting Cambodia and southern Laos. Visit rural villages along the Mekong River, wander through jungle-covered ruins from the ancient Khmer Empire, and support local community-based tourism projects as you learn about rural lifestyles in northern Cambodia and southern Laos and the efforts to preserve national treasures and ruin sites. View wildlife in national parks, kayak through wetlands, and explore limestone caves as you visit lesser-known destinations in these heritage-rich countries during this Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos tour.http://www.adventurelife.com/cambodia/tours/9395/communities-conservation
Camp with Inuit Dogsledders in Greenland –
Travel to West Greenland with Big Chill Adventures and explore and photograph fantastic landscapes of pristine beauty, exotic, arctic wildlife and northern lights. This all-inclusive seven day, eight night adventure will be a splendid introduction to the highlights that Greenland has to offer: calving glaciers, palatial icebergs, dogsledding on sea ice after spending the night in a hut with Inuit family. The wildlife and access to the giant Greenland Ice Sheet in Kangerlussuaq is unmatched. http://bigchilladventure.com/trips/greenland-spring-in-the-arctic/
Homestay in rural villages of Vietnam –
Trek through remote rural regions of North Vietnam on this 10 day Adventure Life Vietnam tour. Start your trek in White Hmong villages and continue through Red Dao and Co Lao minority communities for 6 days and 5 nights. Stay in the villages in tents or small guest houses and interact with the locals who rarely see foreign visitors. Learn about the North Vietnam culture and see firsthand what daily life is like for so many in these rural mountain areas. Enjoy breathtaking scenery from rocky landscape to lush green jungle and rice paddy farmlands as you hike to the furthermost northern point in Vietnam. This active Vietnam trip was designed for those wishing to experience the off-the-beaten-track side of Vietnam.
Natural Habitat Adventures’ new Round Iceland adventure explores this curious island of glaciers and geysers, hot springs and waterfalls, frigid fjords, flowing lava, puffins and whales.
BOULDER, CO – The word has gotten out about Iceland’s astonishing natural wonders. This curious island of glaciers and geysers, hot springs and waterfalls, frigid fjords, flowing lava, puffins and whales is now a hot destination for adventure travelers. Avoiding the crowds is the emphasis on Natural Habitat Adventures’ new ‘Round Iceland’ adventure, a comprehensive 11-day exploratory journey circling this small Nordic nation lying between the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean.
Trip dates in 2016 are July 9-19 and July 23-Aug. 2, and in 2017, July 9-July 19 and July 23-Aug. 2. Each departure is limited to no more than 12 travelers.
Nat Hab’s newest nature immersion introduces Iceland with a complete loop around the island, exploring the fjord-indented coast and penetrating the wild interior where people are few and elements of traditional culture endure.
“While there are some small-ship cruises that circumnavigate Iceland, to our knowledge, no one else offers such an extensive and multifaceted exploration as this,” said Ben Bressler, Natural Habitat Adventures’ founder and president.
Nat Hab utilizes different modes of transportation to add variety and adventure, including excursion boats, a private mini bus with a window seat for all guests, 4×4 vehicles including a “Super Jeep” for rugged overland travel, and two short flights — one privately chartered — to maximize efficiency and give more time on the ground to explore.
A Nat Hab trademark is a focus on less-explored, less-touristed areas. Guests will experience places far off the heavily traveled track, including the remote Westfjords. Here, two private boat excursions offer opportunities for whale watching and viewing puffin and seal colonies, while a 4×4 excursion inland may reveal Arctic fox. The little-visited east coast showcases a tranquil region of mountains, forests, fjords and fishing villages.
Other itinerary highlights include a Super Jeep tour to Askja Volcano crater; a private Zodiac cruise among bobbing blue icebergs in Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon; hiking or an optional glacier walk in Skaftafell National Park; an overnight stay in Hveragerdi, Iceland’s hot springs capital; a tour of an Icelandic horse farm; and visits to several dramatic waterfalls including Mongufoss, Skogafoss and Dettifoss, Iceland’s largest cataract by volume.
On display throughout the itinerary are waterfalls, volcanoes, lava fields, geothermal features such as bubbling mud pots and steaming geysers, grazing Icelandic sheep famed for the warmest wool in the world, and the hospitality of a hardy, welcoming people whose lineage traces back to the arrival of the Vikings in the 9th century.
Meals are a highlight, featuring abundant fresh seafood, local lamb and greenhouse-grow Icelandic produce, among varied options. In the less-traveled locations, accommodations are selected for their proximity to natural areas and a high standard of hospitality that is genuine and authentic.
The per-person double occupancy rate is from $11,995 and includes accommodations, meals, transportation, and the services of a dedicated Nat Hab naturalist Expedition Leader plus local guides.
The trip begins and ends in the capital city of Reykjavik, the heart of Iceland’s cultural, economic and governmental activity. It is among the cleanest and greenest cities in the world and the site of the first permanent Norse settlement in Iceland in the 9th century.
For information on all of Nat Hab’s trips, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations, call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE to order a copy of the 2016 catalog.
Natural Habitat Adventures is a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism. Since its founding in 1985, the company has offered eco-conscious expeditions and wildlife-focused small-group tours to the planet’s most remarkable nature destinations. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s itineraries are artfully crafted experiences that are far from “typical.” Trips are guided by professional naturalist Expedition Leaders, and Nat Hab enjoys a longstanding reputation for hiring some of the world’s best guides. Conservation is at the forefront of everything NHA does, and its philosophy is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting natural resources and wildlife. NHA is proud to be the travel partner of World Wildlife Fund, sharing a mutual commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the world’s wondrous natural places. Nat Hab has donated more than $2 million to WWF and will continue to donate 1% of gross sales plus $100,000 annual through 2018 in support of WWF’s mission.
