the Adventure Lifestyle magazine

Sixty years ago Jacques-Yves Cousteau invented the Aqualung, allowing him to stay underwater longer in order to explore and conduct diving research. To increase public awareness (and finance his trips), he started filming, and writing about, his undersea investigations. Cousteau's films brought a glimpse of these fascinating environments, and a sense of exploration, to people who were bound to one place. Now, through organized educational expeditions, most of us have access to the latest technology and some of the world's most remote places. We can board a ship to Antarctica and study the architecture of icebergs with underwater cameras, or we can volunteer our diving skills to survey coral reefs in the Philippines-limitless arenas of human study are now available to us through organized travel. Of course, you could venture out on your own to learn about the indigenous tribes of the Amazon, but ... good luck! Going with an outfitter or volunteer organization can give you access you may not otherwise have to expensive equipment, experts, and local political or cultural groups. Structured trips come in three different packages: there are ones that teach you a skill, ones that give you a closer look at the ecology or culture of an area, and others put you to work on a project. These experiences can be arranged under the auspices of volunteer work, responsible tourism, ecotourism, safari, cultural experience, expedition or exploratory travel, adventure travel, or educational travel, but they all turn your destination into an unconventional classroom, teaching you about something you've always wanted to know in detail, and exposing you to things that you may never have noticed on your own. Travel focused on learning has become increasingly popular, and now there are outfitters who will facilitate yoga practice in India, Greece, Fiji and Puerto Rico, or help you hone your photography skills in New Mexico, France, and Botswana. If you are more interested in a specific culture or geographic area, you will find hundreds of tour operators to show you the highlights of Iceland, China, or Egypt. Many specialize in a specific region and offer customized tours such as Asia Transpacific Journeys and the MIR Corporation, which focuses on Russia and the countries surrounding it. Cultural experiences are usually more interesting if you have a local guide, and the opportunity to meet other locals. For a more in-depth exploration of political movements and advocacy work within a country, you can go with an outfitter such as Global Impact, which devotes one day of its expeditions to meeting and working with women's cooperatives in Kenya, doctors in Kathmandu, or the downtrodden in New Haven, Connecticut. An organization such as Wild Wind Tours, an aboriginal-owned, eco-adventure service, will teach you about the history and ecology of native lands in Ontario. If you crave a hands-on experience, volunteer conservation and archaeological organizations will train you to record the behavior of river otters in Chile, search ruins in Rome, or test water quality in Bohemia. Whether you go on a posh wildlife safari with Natural Habitat Adventures, an outfitter that arranges exclusive lodge accommodations in Honduras, or with an outfitter such as Adventure Life, which likes to add homestays to its itineraries in Peru, it is impossible to travel without learning something new. Independent educational expeditions were popular with the 19'" century upper class in Britain and the United States. Intrepid travelers would explore the world, traveling by sea, and keep elaborate diaries, which became books such as Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. The National Geographic Society was formed in 1888 in Washington, D.C. "for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge." The Society sponsored research and exploratory expeditions for the lucky few, and reported on these trips to the public in its magazine. Since those beginnings, the world has become increasingly more accessible. Pioneers such as Lars Lindblad came on the scene in the late 1950s, one of the first taking large groups on expeditions to some of the most intriguing places in the world. Today there are hundreds of options-travel companies taking knowledge seekers allover the world, some of the most popular destinations being the Galapagos, Asia and the poles. Although today's opportunities for learning adventures may be more abundant and varied than in the past, they can still cost quite a bit. Exploring Morocco's cities and mountains for 14 days with the outfitter Imaginative Traveller costs $710, plus airfare, while a weeklong stay at a cosmonaut training center in Russia is priced at more than $36,000. When choosing a trip, make sure you are committed to learning more about the particular species, activity, or region you'll be visiting. To get the most out of it, read as much as you can before you go, and take advantage of your guide's knowledge and training. Whether you venture to Antarctica to learn about arctic ecology or Madagascar to study lemurs, make sure to pack plenty of patience with your camera. Many educational trips involve long periods of waiting-for whales to surface, for example-or several failed attempts before getting something right- such as wildlife photography. Learning is hard work, but it's worth it . • 22

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