Big Five Tours & Expeditions Launches Collection of Trips for Children Ages 5-11

The journeys are tailored to young travelers with superb educational experiences in culturally-rich locales such as Ecuador, India, Kenya and other areas of South America. Each Precious Journey offers opportunities for younger guests to learn and discover distinctive cultures, while sharpening their interest in disciplines such as geology, zoology, archaeology, among others. These real-world journeys create adventure travel legacies for the next generation of travelers for years to come.

"The more we looked, the fewer opportunities we found for families to enjoy authentic journeys that welcome children as a vital part of the travel experience, providing them with real-world experience," noted Ashish Sanghrajka, President of Big Five Tours & Expeditions. "I have two young kids, so I know how much planning is required for international travel with family along for the ride," added the far-flung family travel expert. "We weighed a wide range of considerations and issues to assure that each Precious Journey stands out in the adventure travel industry while being fun, adventurous, educational, instructional and safe from start to finish."

Select Precious Journeys from Big Five Tours & Expeditions include:

• Ecuador: From Machalilla to Zuleta - This 10-day South American journey delights and enlightens children with an insight into what it takes to be an anthropologist and archaeologist as they are guided through Machalilla National Park. Children, and their parents, will join an archaeologist working at Agua Blanca, once home to pre-Columbian cultures, and witness site excavations, work with field equipment and learn how sites are explored. The young travelers on this trip will also discover the world of marine biology and snorkel the cerulean waters of Drake's Bay as they enjoy a day at Isla de La Plata, a wildlife sanctuary for seabird and marine life, with a naturalist guide. Crowning the journey is an opportunity to make new encounters, and friends, as they visit local artisans and craftsmen in the traditional farm and community of Hacienda Zuleta; and venture on hikes, biking tours and horseback rides as they search for the endangered Andean Condor. Rates for this tour start at $2,880.

• India - Saving Tigers - On this 12-day dynamic adventure, children will achieve a deeper appreciation and understanding of the wilderness, eco-systems and habitats as they garner knowledge of what it takes to be a naturalist, ultimately leading to a greater appreciation of the importance of sustainability for nature and humanity alike. The itinerary includes a three-day Junior Naturalist program in Satpura National Park, where children will learn how to use equipment, the basics of ecology, identify species and the basic techniques of nature photography. There will also be an evening spent under the Indian sky in a star bed on stilts (a.k.a., Machaan), and another in a luxury tented camp before a day spent tracking tigers, deer and bison on safari. Children and their parents will also enjoy encounters with locals in Dharvi at colorful markets and local schools, opening their eyes to diverse cultures and a world of possibilities. Rates for this tour starting at $5,350.

Additional Precious Journeys in the collection include: Kenya: Kids, Cats & A Treehouse and Costa Rica & Nicaragua: Tarzan Swings, Aero Bunks & Monkey Bridges.

Every client is precious to Big Five, which has been leading eco-conscious luxury adventure for 42 years and now travels to more than 45 destinations across five continents. Precious Journeys are laid out according to the company's evaluation of myriad details to meet the needs of families with young travelers: from inoculations, air travel, driving times and altitude to local dining and culinary customs, minimum nights at each stop, as well as age-appropriate amenities and activities.

Visit website: https://www.bigfive.com/series/precious-journeys/