Natural Habitat Adventures has run nature trips since 1985, from polar bear tours in Churchill to wolf quests in Yellowstone. Its new line puts people at the center instead, and one stop in Vietnam sits you down for tea with a monk who studied under a Zen master.
The new line is the vision of Finlay Bressler, son of founder Ben Bressler, who manages it as director of Nat Hab Cultural Journeys. “I grew up exploring wild places my dad would bring me to with Nat Hab,” he said. Still, he’s “always been drawn to people and their relationship with the land.”
20 Itineraries Across 18 Countries
Nat Hab Cultural Journeys launched with 20 itineraries across 18 countries, and groups top out at 12 guests. The company designed the itineraries for cultural immersion, with fewer stops and longer stays. Fourteen are open for booking for 2027 travel, with six more for travel in 2028.
Dinner in Hoi An, Tea in Hue
On the Vietnam: An Intimate Portrait itinerary, you’ll share a private dinner at chef Duc’s home in Hoi An. He’s a former Vietnam War refugee who built an international cooking career before returning home.
Duc’s mother shaped his hospitality. She was a duck farmer who fed a family of 10 and welcomed a steady flow of visitors.
In Hue, you’ll sit down for tea with a monk who studied under Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. The conversation covers Buddhist philosophy and how it fits into modern life.
Truffles in Piedmont, Perfume in Provence
The company said the goal is to draw attention away from mass tourism destinations and steer tourism money toward communities often hit by economic strain and climate change. Other highlights in the new catalog include:
- In Italy’s Piedmont region, you forage alongside a local truffle hunter and his dog.
- In Spain’s Basque Country, you eat dinner at a private gastronomic society.
- In Mysuru, India’s silk production center, you watch weavers at work.
- In Provence, you join a workshop on making perfume.
- In the Moroccan Sahara, you stargaze from a nomad camp.
- On the Nile in Egypt, you drift aboard a private dahabiya with eight cabins and go ashore to meet local farmers and dine in a family home.
Pick a Trip by the People You’d Meet
Pick the person you most want to meet first, then the trip. Finlay Bressler said luxury on these trips includes a group “small enough to gather around someone’s table.” Nat Hab picks its expedition leaders for their knack for connecting guests with local communities, and it chooses intimate lodgings for their character and sense of place.