What to Expect: The 15-day Earthwatch Institute expedition to Namibia starts with orientation at the Cheetah Conservation Fund research center. After that, it's working days from 8 a.m. to sunset; tasks include feeding resident cheetahs being nursed back to health for release into the wild. Volunteers help tag cats caught by farmers, conduct ecology assessments in the area, and work with the community on other conservation efforts. One recreational day is scheduled, with side trips available to national parks. Accommodations are in rondavels, traditional African dwellings. Beds, bedding, towels, and mosquito nets are provided, but volunteers bring their own toiletries; communal bathroom facilities are detached. Meals are served in a communal dining facility.

Where: Headquarters of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Elandsvreugde, Namibia: This 14,000-acre property is midway between the southern African country's capital, Windhoek, and Etosha National Park, Namibia's premier game reserve.

Basics
Phone: 800-766-0188
Web: earthwatch.org
Cost: $3,846, including lodging and meals

Photography

Why: Because that rig was meant to shoot more than your kid's soccer game

What to Expect: Nevada Wier, an award-winning National Geographic photographer and a fellow of the Explorers Club, leads this first-time 13-day expedition that begins in the markets and temples of Old Delhi. Next, ride the rails south to Rajas-than, where you'll stay in Pushkar, a holy city with more than 400 temples. The November trip will get you here just in time to join thousands of Hindu pilgrims at the city's camel festival. After stopping in Jamba, home of the nature-worshipping Bishoi tribe, the expedition moves to Jaisalmer. Before returning to Delhi, train your lens on Jodhpur's ancient Mehragarh Fort and Clock Tower Bazaar. Students must bring their own digital SLR camera, but accommodations are provided at each stop, as is the flight from Jodhpur to Delhi.

Where: Delhi and Rajasthan, India: From India's frenzied capital city, the expedition travels southwest—and back in time—to Rajasthan, where fortresses protecting holy sites rise out of the desert and palaces built for the maharajas cling to mountainsides.

Basics
Phone: 888-966-8687
Web: nationalgeographicexpeditions.com
Cost: $7,685, including lodging and meals

Cooking

Why: Because for you, cooking is the quickest way to the heart of a country

What to Expect: Four hands-on classes of increasing difficulty are led by instructor Ana Garcia, chef and owner of the elegant Roposado restaurant in nearby Cuernavaca. Students learn their way around a mortar and pestle and manipulate masa into tortillas to create authentic Mexican cuisine. Guided trips to the town market help foodies learn about locally sourced produce as well as how to pick out the best fresh ingredients. Field trips to Cuernavaca and the Tepozteco pyramid round out the week and add a dash of history. Accommodations are at La Villa Bonita, a six-room inn with a small swimming pool and terraced gardens overlooking the town. The International Kitchen school also offers programs in France, Spain, Italy, and Morocco.