PHOTO: General Tours offers Journey to South Africa and Victoria Falls.

G Adventures Has New Family Travel Brochure

Following a 300 percent increase in family travel in 2014, G Adventures is offering seven new trips in its family catalogue and a selection of 24 in total. New for 2014 is the “Burma Family Adventure,” which visits Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda and the limestone caves of Pindaya. It also includes biking around Bagan, chilling at Inle Lake and hiking in the hills around Thandwe.

Also new, the “Namibia Family Adventure” gives parents a chance to play with their kids in the tallest sand dunes in the world at Sossusvlei and includes time for flamingo watching at Walvis Bay and cheetah watching at Etosha National Park. The “Western USA Family Experience” takes families hiking in Zion and Bryce national parks, horseback riding at a cowboy ranch, and on tours to Canyonlands National Park and to the Grand Canyon. The new “Amalfi Family Adventure” includes a cooking class, the ruins of Pompei and a boat ride to the Isle of Capri and a hike in the hills of Tre Calli.

India for the Younger Set

Greaves Tours introduced a new tour of India that breaks the mold of standard introductory tours of India by exploring the southern part of the country and including active and adventurous elements. The 16-day tour, called “Young at Heart – Southern Exposure,” was designed for 30- to 40-year-old travelers, but since its release the company has seen a strong response from all age groups.

The itinerary includes stops in Mumbai, Coorg, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Kochi and Hyderabad. Activities include zip-lining in the rainforest, mountain climbing, touring a coffee plantation, learning the craft of pottery making, touring of temples and markets, visiting the Bylekuppe Tibetan settlement and Dubare Elephant Camp, cruising on a rice boat in Kerala, and participating in a cooking demonstration of Kerala food.

Pleasant Holidays Adds Panama

Pleasant Holidays now counts Panama among its destinations, including Panama City, Gamboa Rainforest, the beach resorts of Playa Blanca and Playa Bonita, and two guided itineraries. The program focuses on the high points of Panama, the Panama Canal and the local culture. The company is offering eight properties ranging from five stars to three stars, including the Panama Hilton (pictured). The guided programs are offered in both Superior and Deluxe versions.

Panama Guided Vacations operate every other Saturday through Dec. 6 with guaranteed departures, no minimum number of passengers. “Treasures of Panama” is a seven-night escorted tour with two nights in Panama City, two nights at Gamboa Rainforest Resort near the canal and three nights’ beach hotel accommodations in Playa Bonita.

“Panama Explorer” is an eight-night guided tour with two nights in Panama City, two nights at Gamboa Rainforest Resort near the Panama Canal, one night at Los Mandarinos in Anton Valley and three nights at a beach hotel in Playa Blanca.

The packages include nonstop flights on American Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines, which are available from cities nationwide.

General Tours Includes Grootbos in South Africa Trip

General Tours World Traveler added a two-night stay at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in Western Cape, South Africa, to its “Journey to South Africa and Victoria Falls” program. The 12-day package includes a safari with morning and afternoon game drives at a private reserve next to Kruger National Park, a sunset cruise and guided tour of Victoria Falls, a day in the Cape Winelands and a three-night stay in Cape Town.

Grootbos was added to the program because it is said to have one of the richest marine habitats in the world. It’s located on the southern coast of South Africa near where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. The stay at Grootbos includes expedition under the guidance of a marine biologist in search of Cape fur seals, great white sharks and southern right whales that live in the area.