Myths and Mountains’ Laos with a Heart Tour Named One of National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” for 2015

The travel magazine’s ninth annual selection will be published in the May 2015 issue

Myths and Mountains’ new Laos with a Heart tour was just selected as one of National Geographic Traveler’s 2015“50 Tours of a Lifetime”. Myths and Mountains is an award-winning experiential tour operator offering active lifestyle trips to Asia, Southeast Asia and South America. The ninth annual list of tours will be featured in the print, online and tablet versions of the May 2015 issue.

“Traveler’s philanthropy – giving back to the people and countries that have provided so much pleasure to our guests – has been a hallmark of Myths and Mountains trips to Asia, South America and Southeast Asia,” said Dr. Antonia Neubauer, President of Myths and Mountains. “We feel tremendously honored that National Geographic Traveler has recognized our effort both to provide adventurers with an opportunity to get inside the Laotian culture, while simultaneously supporting NGOs in Laos that are contributing to the country.” 

National Geographic Traveler’s selection process was highly competitive and the editorial team worked long and hard to find 2015’s most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided, and most sustainable tours.

“This year marks 10 years of our editors selecting the world’s best guided tours,” said Norie Quintos, acting editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveler. “In that time, the types of immersive and experiential trips have only multiplied; tours are going farther and deeper than ever before. The trips and operators we selected are a model for the rest of the travel industry: They open the world to travelers and at the same time leave a positive impact on the destinations and its people.”

The new, experiential Laos with a Heart tour gives travelers a unique opportunity to give back to local people and their communities while traveling through this simply beautiful country. Use zip lines to scour the forest in search of illusive Black Gibbon at the Gibbon Experience, a conservation project funding forest protection and local programs in Bokeo Nature Reserve. Visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center, an institution preserving and interpreting traditional arts and lifestyles of the country’s diverse ethnic groups. Participate in a book party with Big Brother Mouse, an organization getting high quality books to rural readers who have often never seen a book before. Spend a day at the Elephant Village, a sanctuary geared toward protecting and rehabilitating elephants. Move on to the Plain of Jars where UXO Laos will show guests how the team clears unexploded WWII ordinance for agriculture, hospitals and communities. An optional stop is the COPE Center, a provider of free prosthetic, orthotic and rehabilitation services. These activities are only a few of the many adventures offered on this amazing tour.

National Geographic Traveler magazine surfaces the best tours and outfitters for travelers as part of the magazine’s mission “to propel readers out of their armchairs and into the field.” National Geographic Traveler has the largest audience of any travel magazine, with more than 8.5 million readers.

The May issue arrives in homes and on the website April 9^th. The print issue will hit newsstands April 21^st and the tablet issue will be available starting April 29^th.