G Adventures Launches Partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute

Adventure travel company, G Adventures has long been a leader when it comes to socially responsible tourism and animal welfare, and its latest collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute even further sets the company apart.

The Jane Goodall Institute was founded in 1977 and is at the forefront for protecting Great Apes and their habitats, while still supporting the needs of local communities. Primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall is most well-known for her pioneering research on chimpanzee behavior, which changed the perception of human and animal interactions. She’s formally supported the Animal Welfare Policy that G Adventures introduced last year, which ensures the protection of animals during all G trips. This also includes the initiative to remove elephant trekking or riding on trips, including trained performances.

On World Tourism Day this week, the company announced the “Jane Goodall Collection with G Adventures” at an event in Toronto, which consists of 20 trips endorsed by Dr. Goodall. All of these tours have an emphasis on wildlife-friendly tourism and range from eight to 20 days, with a starting price of $599 (excluding air).

G Adventures is also continuing their collaboration with National Geographic to offer “National Geographic Journeys” that’re trips geared toward research initiatives and positive community impact.

“It’s an honor to work with Dr. Jane Goodall, but more importantly to continue her legacy by helping raise awareness of her work with our travelers. She has been an inspiration for me since starting G Adventures 26 years ago,” says G Adventures founder and CEO, Bruce Poon Tip. “As a social enterprise we are well known for our work with people and local communities in the places we visit. However, as the United Nations prepares to welcome 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, my team and I also wanted to highlight the work we are doing to protect the animals with whom we share our planet.”

Check out a sample of some of the tours offered as part of the Jane Goodall collection:

• Experience Borneo (starting in 2017): In Sungai Kinabatangan travelers will take a river safari in search of wildlife and visit the nearby oxbow lake with a professional guide to seek out proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, macaques, and gibbons. In Sepilok they will enjoy an afternoon visit to the orangutan rehabilitation center. There’s also the opportunity to travel to Libaran Island by boat to have a guided tour of the island’s turtle hatchery and learn about the turtle conservation program. Priced from $2,449 per person for an eight-day round-trip from Kota Kinabalu.
• Highlights of Madagascar: Isolated from mainland Africa for millions of years, most of Madagascar’s plants, reptiles, and primates are found nowhere else. Join expert guides to observe its famed and diverse lemurs, walk through ancient baobab forests in search of wild geckos, chameleons, birds, and insects; swim in hidden blue canyon pools; and take to the seas to spot migrating whales and dolphins. Priced from $2,099 per person for a 14-day round-trip from Antananarivo.
• Galapagos Island Hopping: Highlights include a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, staying in the G Adventures-supported community guesthouse on Floreana, taking guided walks to observe birds and other wildlife; a wildlife boat excursion to ‘Islote Tintoreras’ to view breeding white-tip reef sharks, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, rays, and penguins; plus a visit to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. Priced from $2,499 per person for a nine-day round-trip from Quito.
• Kenya Safari Experience: This eight-day adventure in Kenya is the ideal introduction to safari life. Ride on daily wildlife safari drives in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro, be introduced to the Maasai way of life, and learn about rhino conservation from the National Geographic-associated Kenya Wildlife Service. Priced from $2,879 per person for an eight-day round-trip from Nairobi.

Editor’s Note: All prices exclude airfare and are in USD.

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