Top 10 Iconic Travel Experiences

1. Surfing in Hawaii, USA

Learning to surf here i s specia l. Polynesia was the b ir thplace of surfing he e na lu (wave sl id ing)

was f i rst observed here by Europeans in the 18th century but Hawai i remains the focal point for the

world s coolest l i festyle. Plenty of surf schools and instructors wi l l pat ient ly teach you how to

read the ocean for swell , paddle into a wave and, cr i t ica l ly, learn to stand and r ide at beginner spots

such as Waik ik i Beach and Puena Point. Between sessions you can watch the pros shred heaving monsters

at reef breaks such as Pipel ine, Off the Wal l and Sunset Beach. Learn to bottom turn with the Waik ik i

Beach Boys; two-hour lessons cost US$99 and run twice dai ly from Monday to Saturday.

2. Cooking in Hanoi, Vietnam

On the banks of the Hoi An River, the Red Br idge Restaurant and Cooking School is one of many

restaurants of fer ing courses to meet the growing demand for tutor ia l s in qual i ty Vietnamese cu is ine.

One-day and hal f-day cooking tours wi l l match your cul inary sk i l ls, f r om non-existent to cordon bleu.

Start ing with a t r ip to a local market, where you l l se lect ingredients and learn by observing street

vendors, you l l then return to the restaurant for an expert demonstrat ion before putt ing your new-

found knowledge into pract ice. Expect to serve up r ice-paper ro l ls and marinated beef, decorated with a

pineapple boat. Classes usual ly last about three hours, inc lude four dishes and cost around US$40 per

person. Take a camera so you can remember each dish you master.

3. Archaeological research trips at Crow Canyon, USA

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center of fers up t o 11 tr ips annual ly for those wi l l ing to get their

hands d ir ty as they dabble in amateur archaeology. Vis i tors accommodat ion is in one of 10 hogans ,

circular log cabins buil t in the tradi t ional Navajo sty le, at the centre s 28-hectare campus. The

campus is part of a s i t e that was occupied by Ancestra l Puebloans of Mesa Verde more than 1000 years

ago. The tr ips, last ing seven to 10 days, a l l ow v is i tors to explore the land in re lat ion to what is

known about the region s i nd igenous occupants, through studying the in teract ion of l ight, landscape

and archi tecture, or part ic ipat ing in a d ig. F ind out more about resources for teachers and students at

www.crowcanyon.org.
 4. Yoga in Rishikesh, India

A tr ip to the b ir thp lace of yoga is an obvious choice i f you re looking for a myst ical exper ience

ins ide and out. Not only does yoga promote relaxat ion through meditat ion; research conducted by the

Universi ty of Texas has revealed i t can help al lev iate the negat ive side ef fects of cancer t reatment.

At Rishikesh, in the serene footh i l ls of the Himalayas, specia l retreats inv i te novices to pract ice

stretching, breath ing and contemplat ion a longside qual i f ied yogi masters. Depending where you s tay you

might a lso be encouraged to help out in the organic garden and cook for the group, in between soul-

enr iching excursions into the mountains. Ashrams o f fer courses to sui t your level, from a few weeks to

three months; get a feel for sereni ty at www.yogashramrishikesh.com.

5. Spanish in Patagonia, Argentina

The smal l town of Bar i l oche, surrounded by g lacia l lakes, forests and the val leys and mountains of

the Andes, is so inspi r ing you l l probably learn more Spanish here in a month than you might

elsewhere in a whole year. Somet imes cal led the Switzer land of South America , Bar i loche is the base

for most Patagonian language schools, so there s a lways a good mix of internat ional students should

you wish to s lack of f f rom speaking Spanish. There are p lenty of opt ional excursions too, from nearby

ski ing at Cerro Catedral , South America s premier downhi l l resort, t o a refreshing day tr i p through

th ick forest to the g lor ious Cntaros waterfa l l. Select courses from one-week intensives to six weeks

of pr ivate tu i t ion; v is i t www.spanish inbar i loche.com.

6. Calligraphy in Kyoto, Japan

Anyone looking to make their mark us ing the tr adi t ional characters of Japanese cal l igraphy wi l l f ind
the course run by the Women s Associat ion o f Kyoto s imultaneously frustrat ing and rewarding.
Cal l igraphy wri t ten in Japanese is not at a l l easy, so you l l need to keep focused i f you want to
make your instructor proud. After receiv ing a lecture about the h istory of the Japanese l i terary art
form, you wi l l be shown and to ld how i t s done. Then i t s over to you, grasshopper, as you sketch
your favour i te Japanese character, such as the symbol for peace or love , before adding your
signature. One lesson is enough to ensure you p i ty Japanese school k ids forever. WAK JAPAN
(wakjapan.com) of fers courses based in Kyoto; book onl ine for a d iscount.

7. Mountain biking in Marin County, USA

Thanks in large part t o the p ioneering ef forts of b ike designer Joe Breeze, Marin County, and in
part icular Mt Tamalpais, has become famous worl dwide as the b ir thplace o f mounta in b ik ing. Located just
north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Br idge, there s no more rugged or excit ing arena to
develop a passion for downhi l l r id ing. Throughout summer, count less t our operators, cater ing to k ids,
women, amateurs and pros, of fer tu i t ion and guided tra i l r id ing, inc l uding b ike h ire and transport to
the start of hundreds of t ra i ls among more than 2550 hectares of redwood groves and oak woodlands.
Trai ls range from the gent ly s lop ing and v isual ly spectacular to the you-must-be-kidding-me s teeply
insane. For tra i l maps, customised tours and b ike h ire informat ion v is i t www.mountainbik ingmarin.com.

8. Kung fu at Shaolin Temple, China

Every year foreigners can apply to at tend c lasses at the Shaol in Temple, amid the beaut i ful Song
Shan mounta ins in China s Henan province. Trainees at the 1500-year-old monastery, the b ir thplace of
kung fu, embark on a steep learning curve led by extraordinar i ly d iscip l ined warr ior-monk tutors.
You won t not ice who you re shar ing a dorm wi th, as the gruel l ing regime starts at 8.30am (Chinese
students begin at 5am) and lasts unt i l a t least 7pm. For inspirat ion, watch the coaches prepare for
dai ly tour ist performances, in which they snap i ron bars with their heads and break g lass by throwing
a p in at i t. Vis i tor opening hours are 8am7pm dai ly, a l l year; www.infohub.com offers a 10- to 30-day
tra in ing tour for budding Bruce Lees (around US$2000).

9. Bush-survival skills in Esingeni, Kenya

I f you can last a one-week surv ival course in Kenya s pr is t ine wi lderness, then chances are you l l
emerge feel ing more human than you ve ever fe l t before. Qual i f ied f ie ld experts lead smal l -group
tours from the Esingeni Bush Camp, based on a pr ivate game reserve. Part ic ipants learn how to construct
a shel ter, make a f i re, locate and prepare food, and extract water from p lants. You wi l l a lso be taught
how to navigate us ing t he stars as you traverse the countryside, which i s abuzz with unfami l i ar s ights,
sounds, smel ls and animals. Anyone who has imagined what l i fe was l ike before the agrar ian revolut ion
can f ind out here. Book a f ive-day bush survival course at www.conservat ionacademy.co.za; i t costs
around KES3500 per person.

10. Stove building in Cadmalca, Peru

At the Cadmalca Community Lodge in Peru s remote northern h ighlands, a s imple but potent ia l l y l i fe-
saving ecoproject a l lows t ravel lers to do something chal lenging and useful, whi le becoming immersed in
a cul ture they would otherwise f ind d i f f icu l t to access. In return for being lodged and shown around
by a local host fami ly, v is i tors wi l l source the construct ion mater i als for a cooking stove that s
ideal ly su i ted to h igh a l t i tude condi t ions and then bui ld i t. The stoves have been shown to help
reduce ser ious respiratory condi t ions associated with cooking over the open f i res that are contained
in the major i ty of mounta in huts. Tours last seven days and depart f r om Lima; book before you arr ive
and expect to pay around US$1000.

Comprehension questions.

1. Where is the b ir thplace of surf ing?

2. What the research conducted by the Univers i ty of Texas has revealed?

3. What the part ic ipants can learn from bush-survival course/