19
JOURNEYS magazine
Volume I, 2016
Peru, Tanzania Safari Experience,
and Costa Rica Adventure. The
India by Rail tour, for instance,
uses trains run by the national
rail system and customers get to
travel across the country like the
locals do.
G Adventures also offers
dierent service levels and travel
styles for different tastes and
budgets. For example, its YOLO
tours are geared towards 18-30-
something travelers, and can include
overnights in campsites and hostels.
National Geographic Journeys, on
the other hand, are built to appeal
to a more mature audience with
higher-end accommodation and
more inclusions.
“What is consistent across all
our travel styles is that we look
at accommodation as more than
a place to lay your head,” says
Russell. “As such, we use local-
and family-run hotels and choose
accommodations with local charm
and character as often as possible.”
All G Adventures small group
tours are led by one of what the
company calls its CEOs, who are
there to run the tour and serve
as the guide. G Adventures also
intentionally includes a bit less than
a traditional group tour would,
according to Russell, because it
believes the more that is included
in a tour the more cookie cutter
the whole experience becomes.
African Travel’s soft adventure
itineraries are quite “soft” when it
comes to accommodations. “Most
of our accommodations are four-
and five-star, though we can
customize anything,” Zani says.
What should you look for in a
“soft” adventure travel experience?
You want to have the opportunity
to fully immerse yourself in the
local culture and landscape instead
of experiencing the destination
from the window of a bus. In the
end, find a trip where you actively
participate in the adventure as
opposed to just being a bystander.
Photographer: Steve Greenwood; © Visit Salt Lake
RIGHT
One of G Adventures’
most popular destinations,
Peru, is peppered with
Incan sites, but none so
famous as the “lost city”
of Machu Picchu.
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Featuring world-renowned
game parks, UNESCO
World Heritage Sites,
cosmopolitan cities and
African culture, African
Travel’s
Popular Journeys
are easily customizable
according to your special
interests.
