This photo of a Bhutanese schoolgirl comes courtesy of Geographic Expeditions, which is offering $1,000 per person off one of its Bhutan journeys.

by Wendy Perrin

I'm bushed. I'm beat. I'm bleary-eyed. And yet I'm blogging. At 11:45 at night. Why? So that you, Dear Reader, won't miss out on a deal that was just announced this evening: The ten premier adventure travel companies that make up the Adventure Collection are offering special rates for late-2009 and early-2010 itineraries. Some are nature expeditions, some cultural discoveries, but all are transformative experiences offered by top companies that rarely discount, so jump on 'em. A complete list of offers, with much more descriptive detail, is available at the Adventure Collection's blog, a.k.a. Don's Place, but here's a taste:

* BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THE SEA OF CORTÉS Lindblad Expeditions is offering savings of $500 per person, plus free round-trip airfare (Los Angeles/La Paz/Los Angeles), on select Jan.-Mar. departures of its Among the Great Whales expeditions.

* COSTA RICA Backroads is offering savings of $500 per person on the Dec. 27 departure of its Costa Rica Family Multisport adventure, which includes biking, rafting, and kayaking from the Arenal Volcano to the Pacific coast.

*FIJI OARS is offering a $500-per-person discount for groups of four or more on its Highlands to Islands: The Ultimate Fiji Explorer trip, from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

* BHUTAN Geographic Expeditions is offering savings of $1,000 per person on its Nov. 9 departure of The Essence of Bhutan--a trip designed by Brent Olson, the Bhutan specialist on my list of top travel planners.