JAPAN
Mastering Manga
Take a two-hour private lesson with a master of manga (Japanese comics, the print version of anime), a passion of Japan's pop culture. You'll learn to draw the cartoon figures' expressive eyes and distinctive hair with an instructor from Kyoto Seika University, and have a private tour of the Kyoto International Manga Museum with a curator and translator. Cost: $1,200. Source: Ashley Isaacs Ganz (see also "Teatime," Japan). BEST FOR: Families with kids in their early teens, who are likely already fascinated by manga and anime. BUT BEWARE: This is not Manga 101—you should have some familiarity with the art's aesthetic before you attempt to draw your own.

MONGOLIA
Power to the People
Spend two days with Tsetsegee Munkhbayar, the winner of the prestigious 2007 Goldman Environmental Prize and a 2008 National Geographic Emerging Explorer. Just a few years ago, Munkhbayar was a yak herdsman on the steppes of Mongolia when he founded the Onggi River Movement, a grassroots environmental organization working against 37 gold mining companies with operations in the Onggi Basin. Thanks to his work, all but one of the companies have shut down operations, and the once-dry river is now flowing again. You'll drive along the Onggi with Munkhbayar and visit the reseeding projects he's initiated to prevent erosion along the banks. Cost: $7,000, including a donation to the Onggi River Movement. Source: Jalsa Urubshurow, Nomadic Expeditions (609-860-9008; jalsa@nomadicexpeditions.com; nomadicexpeditions.com). BEST FOR: Greenies who want one-on-one time with a true hero of the grassroots environmental movement. BUT BEWARE: The river and reseeding projects are much more impressive in spring and summer.

MONGOLIA
Birds of Prey
Spend two days with a Kazakh eagle trainer as he prepares for the annual Golden Eagle Festival. You'll learn how the hunter improves his bird's speed and accuracy and will spend time with his family as they tend livestock and construct a ger (you can even stay in one). Cost: $4,500. Source: Jalsa Urubshurow. BEST FOR: Travelers who want a glimpse of the routine of daily life for traditional Turkic people. BUT BEWARE: Accommodations are fairly basic.

NEW ZEALAND
The Art of War
Spend a day learning about Maori warfare and weaponry. Your guide, a descendant of a legendary Maori war chief, will take you to a historic fortified village (where you'll tour some private homes) to learn about the 5,000 Maori who lived at the site—and about the times of war and the tactics used to defend it against rival tribes. Next, you'll visit the Auckland Museum, where an expert in Maori art will show you different kinds of weaponry and explain the designs on them. After lunch, your day will end in a sea-cliff cave, where you will undergo a traditional wero challenge (to ascertain whether you, the visitor, came for war or for peace) and will have the chance to learn how to use the rakau (fighting stick). Cost: $1,050. Source: Donna Thomas, New Zealand Travel (215-741-5155; nztravel@aol.com). BEST FOR: Travelers who have some knowledge of Maori culture and want an in-depth exploration of it. BUT BEWARE: You must be able to walk 30 minutes—on sand—to reach the cave where the wero challenge takes place.