Opera Starring You
Attend a training school to learn about Peking opera, a traditional art form that combines music, singing, mime, dance, martial arts, and acrobatics. Recruited students attend in lieu of junior high and high school, and you'll visit some of their classes, talk with teachers and students, and watch an acrobatics training session before donning a traditional costume and elaborate makeup to try your hand at a musical piece or dance. Cost: $1,100. Source: Gerald Hatherly, Abercrombie & Kent (852-2865-7818; hatherly@abercrombiekent.com.hk; abercrombiekent.com). BEST FOR: Anyone with a flair for the dramatic and the performance bug; to prep, watch Chen Kaige's epic Farewell, My Concubine. BUT BEWARE: Visits are restricted during exam periods (Dec. and late May–early June), the Chinese New Year holiday, and summer break (July–Aug.).

INDIA
A Royal Birthday Bash
Attend the birthday party of Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, the first openly gay member of India's royal class. Held at the prince's ancestral palace outside Mumbai, the two-day celebration is a festival of India's art, music, and food, with live entertainment and a socially diverse and international guest list—including artists, Indian celebrities, and often several Bollywood actors. You'll also be granted a short visit with the prince himself. Varying with the Indian calendar, the birthday festival is held on a weekend in September or October. Cost: $1,800, including two nights' accommodation and a $500 donation to the prince's charity dedicated to HIV/AIDS education and prevention. Source: David Rubin, DavidTravel (949-723-0699; davidrubin@davidtravel.com; davidtravel.com). BEST FOR: Social, high-energy types who are enthralled with India's culture and want an immersion in it like no other. BUT BEWARE: This experience is not for wallflowers—you'll need to introduce yourself to other partygoers and be comfortable in a crowd of strangers.

JAPAN
Teatime
Spend a morning at a tea plantation in Shizuoka or Uji—two of Japan's most renowned tea-growing regions—with a tea expert and an English interpreter. You'll walk the fields, learning how to select and handpick the leaves. You'll also tour the processing plant to see how the leaves are dried and packed, learn about different grades and types of tea, and, if you like, take part in a tea ceremony. Cost: $2,600, including transportation by bullet train and private car. Source: Ashley Isaacs Ganz, Artisans of Leisure (800-214-8144; info@artisansofleisure.com; artisansofleisure.com). BEST FOR: Passionate tea quaffers interested in learning the fine points of sencha and gyokuro. BUT BEWARE: Though this trip is available year-round, try to time yours to when the leaves are being harvested (late April–early May).