Travel your way with G Adventures

Travel is anything but one-style-fits-all. Your dream of exploring the jungles of the Amazon makes your urbanista best friend itchy, while her plan to wander the shops and galleries of Paris has you snoozing. But…do you really want to travel alone? Wouldn’t you prefer great companions to share the adventure with you?

G Adventures might have the answer – for you, your urbanista buddy, your parents and even your older sister, brother-in-law and the kids, whether your dream destination is Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Central America, Europe, North Africa & Middle East, North America or South America. Featuring group trips comprised of like-minded travellers - all of whom want to discover and experience much more than they would on their own – G Adventures offers you the choice to dive right into new travel-based friendships or simply enjoy having someone to hike beside once in a while.

To get a first-hand view of the G Adventures experience, I talked with Terrilyn Kunopaski, editor-in-chief of Canadian Traveller Magazine, who recently travelled to Sri Lanka. In addition to providing opportunities for unique, interactive experiences, the National Geographic tour Terrilyn chose was also part of G Adventures’ community development initiative worldwide.

“The tour I did,” she explained, “offered access to experiences you might never have otherwise. For example, we stopped at a local family’s home where a mother and son gave a coconut demonstration, showing us how to make milk, rope, and even shingles. Because there were so many ways they could use it, they called coconut the fruit of life – I’d never heard that. It was fascinating to see how this family had built a business from educating travellers.”

Terrilyn’s trip was great for active adventurers. “travellers needed to be willing and able to move and keep up, because this wasn’t a slow-paced tour. There was a lot of hiking up hills and mountainsides, so you needed to be able and have a bit of stamina. People wanted to see as much as possible in a short time.”

The most important feature of the trip, says Terrilyn, was the G Adventures CEO (Chief Experience Officer) who was informative and totally honest about local culture and history, making him an ideal guide who pointed out gems that weren’t on the local tourist track.

“He was always flexible.  If we wanted to see something or stop for photos, he was very accommodating. As long as time allowed, he was great about making any adjustments we wanted.”

Like many Sri Lanka visitors, Terrilyn loved the local cuisine. “The food was incredible. While I was a bit worried about going to a new country and not knowing whether I’d like the flavours, the meals were amazing. It seemed everything used was organic – the local people are very respectful of their own produce and the curries and spices were great. We ate mostly at hotel buffets, which meant there were lots of North American-style options - but I always found the authentic Sri Lankan food was delicious – although there was a bit of heat with it!  Sri Lankan food is very similar for all meals but at breakfast, there were always eggs and bacon too. “

Another great feature of the trip was the opportunity to visit one of G Adventures’ Planeterra project sites.  A non-profit organization that helps empower local people to develop their communities and conserve their cultures, Planeterra, alongside G Adventures, creates humane and supportive systems that bring underserved communities into the tourism world.

Says Terrilyn, “We spent an afternoon at a shop and café run by women – a really great place where people who have mental or physical disabilities can work.  The people there prepared high tea for our group - a really special experience.  It was an opportunity to support local people - women in particular – and it was a fantastic immersion in something very local.”

Though the National Geographic group tours are very popular, G Adventures also has a huge range of other choices, in locations around the globe, including rail tours, marine-based trips, trips for families and even private tours. The choices seem limitless but your CAA travel advisor is ready to provide the advice that will help you choose the tour best suited to your personality and vacationing style. Together, you can determine where, when and what type of trip will bring your travel dream to life and you’ll be packing your bags before you know it!

CAA Niagara’s Travel Consultants have the expertise to plan your vacation with ease. Visit your local CAA Niagara branch, call 1-800-263-7272, or book an appointment online with a CAA Travel Agent to get started.