TORONTO — G Adventures’ National Geographic Journeys 2018 lineup now includes 83 small-group tours with the addition of new destinations include Borneo and Mongolia, as well as less-travelled wildlife parks in Tanzania and Botswana.

Travellers will have the opportunity to spend time with a nomadic family in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert and try traditional archery, meet with Buddhist monks and yak farmers and learn from park rangers about efforts to reintroduce native Takhi horses to the wild, says G Adventures. A new tour in Borneo will have travellers encountering orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys and other unusual wildlife on excursions to nature reserves and a wildlife rehabilitation centre.

National Geographic Journeys’ repertoire of African safaris now includes lesser-known parks of southern Tanzania, where expert guides will discuss wildlife conservation in areas including Ruaha National Park and Selous Game Reserve – places that have some of the greatest concentrations of lions in the world. In Botswana, travellers will get up close to one of National Geographic’s important initiatives on a visit to a field camp of the Okavango Wilderness Project.

“These tours combine travelling for fun with travelling for good, and they have a strong appeal as travellers become increasingly conscious about the impact of their vacation decisions,” says Nancy Schumacher, Head of Travel and Tour Operations at National Geographic, adding “we’ve collaborated closely with G Adventures to design enhanced hands-on experiences and capture National Geographic’s long history of exploration and discovery. When travellers go on our trips, they help support the work of our explorers and scientists, as a portion of our proceeds go directly to the nonprofit National Geographic Society.”

The National Geographic Journeys line offers hands-on exploration with an emphasis on storytelling, local immersion and social good, notes Schumacher. These itineraries, priced from $1,249, are designed for travellers who appreciate having flexibility and choices, but value the structure and security that come with group travel. Each trip is filled with opportunities to forge meaningful connections with local people and cultures and is led by a local G Adventures guide and, whenever possible, travellers visit projects and community initiatives associated with National Geographic or G Adventures that improve local livelihoods and protect natural or cultural heritage.

“Travel agents and customers alike have been so enthusiastic about our National Geographic Journeys trips this past year, using words like ‘amazing,’ ‘organized,’ ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘fun’ to describe their adventures,” says Bruce Poon Tip, Founder, G Adventures. “That positive feedback, along with encouraging growth in our sales, are what inspired us to expand our offerings to these new destinations. We cannot wait to introduce travellers to even more life-changing experiences together in 2018.”

New tours for 2018 include:

• Best of Borneo (12 days, from $4,599) – “Connect with your wild side on a 12-day journey into the unusual and awe-inspiring landscapes of Borneo,” says G Adventures. Experience the otherworldly limestone cliffs of Mulu National Park and its famed bat exodus, encounter the orangutans of Matang, set off on a river cruise in search of elusive Bornean pygmy elephants, and discover the Lipad mud volcano, where wildlife gather.
  

  Photo courtesy of G Adventures

• Discover Mongolia (14 days, from $5,599) – Discover one of Asia’s most under-explored regions on a new two-week adventure through Mongolia. Follow a Lama Buddhist monk through the Erdene Zhu monastery; visit the dramatic Flaming Cliffs, where a treasure trove of dinosaur eggs and bones have been found; and spend time with a family of nomadic camel-herders.
  

  Photo courtesy of G Adventures

• Southern Tanzania Safari (six days, from $4,499) – Get off the usual safari track for a whirlwind week of wildlife-viewing in the southern circuit of Tanzania. The national parks and reserves visited in this region, including Ruaha and Selous, are remote and much less frequented by travellers, offering exceptional exploration. Watch for herds of elephants, towers of giraffes and zeals of zebras on a safari experience that will feel like your group’s alone.
  

  Photo courtesy of G Adventures

• Botswana & Zimbabwe Safari (10 days, from $6,499) – Experience the ultimate wildlife adventure on a safari trip through some of the top wildlife reserves in southern Africa. Keep your camera at the ready for the lions and elephants of Hwange National Park. Fly to the panhandle of the Okavango Delta to meet with a researcher from National Geographic’s Okavango Wilderness Project and cruise along the banks of the Chobe River to watch elephants drink along its banks.
  

  Photo courtesy of G Adventures

For details and a listing of all new trips visit gadventures.com/ngj18.