The Dream List

By Brook Wilkinson and Kathryn Maier

updated 11:07 a.m. ET Dec. 13, 2007

You can delve deeper into an unfamiliar culture when you're able to gain access to places, events, and people that are normally off-limits. Below are 40 examples of such extraordinary experiences worldwide, ranging in price from $80 to $12,000. Because of their nature, these opportunities are subject to change and even cancellation. Not all are available every day, some only in limited quantities, and most cannot be booked à la carte but only as part of a larger itinerary. This list is not exhaustive, either: The very act of publicizing some rare experiences offered by the most well-connected travel firms would burn the bridges that make them possible. (Prices quoted are estimates for two people and include just the elements listed.)

AFRICA

Egypt
Inside Seti's Tomb
History, The Arts
Take a private tour of the burial chamber of Seti I; discovered in 1817, it hasn't been open to the public for more than 20 years. Known as KV 17, the tomb is considered one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the Valley of the Kings—appropriate for Seti I, a pharaoh whose reign in the fourteenth century b.c. coincided with a high point in Egyptian art and culture. You will be guided by Mansour Boraik, the director of antiquities at Luxor. Avoid July and August, the hottest months of the year. Cost: $2,224. Source: Carrie McDougall, Cultural Crossroads, Barre, Vermont (802-479-7040; carrie@culturalcrossroads.com; culturalcrossroads.com).

Kenya
Age of Innocence
Local Traditions
Witness the Eunoto, a tribal ceremony in which young Masai warriors become junior elders in an elaborate ritual lasting three to four days (the rites conclude with the now ex-warriors having their ocher-stained hair shaved by their mothers to mark their passage into manhood). Special permission from the elders is required for guests to be present. Following the ceremony, which occurs approximately ten years after the males are anointed as warriors, the men will be allowed to marry and have a family. Cost: $12,000, including four nights' accommodation. Source: Cindy Fernandez, Abercrombie & Kent, Oak Brook, Illinois (800-554-7094, ext. 362; cfernandez@abercrombiekent.com; abercrombiekent.com).

American Gladiators
Local Traditions, Sports
Watch a Masai mini-Olympics—a private demonstration of spear throwing, rungu tossing (similar to a hammer throw), and archery—in the remote Loita Hills, preferably from July through October. You can even join in on the competition if you're brave enough! The Masai traditionally use these weapons to protect their cattle, and today you'll often see Masai askaris, or security guards, keeping watch over tourist camps, spear or bow in hand. Afterward, take part in a traditional feast and watch as women demonstrate beading techniques. Cost: $2,500. Source: Kent Redding, Africa Adventure Consultants, Denver (866-778-1089; kent@adventuresinafrica.com; adventuresinafrica.com).

Back to School
Philanthropy, Wildlife
On the northern boundary of Masai Mara National Reserve, spend four days at the Koiyaki Guiding School, the first institution dedicated to training Masai to be bronze- and silver-level safari guides (see "World Savers," September 2007). Join the students in classes on wildlife management, native cultures, tracking skills, anthropology, and ecotourism. Your visit will also fund a full scholarship for one student during the next school year. Just make sure you don't arrive during a school break (April, August, or December) or May's heavy rains. Cost: $4,000, including three nights' accommodation in student housing. Source: Linda Friedman, Custom Safaris, Bethesda, Maryland (866-530-1982; linda@customsafaris.com; customsafaris.com).

Madagascar
A Hidden Tribe
Local Traditions, Wildlife
Live three days with the Antandroy, considered the fiercest and most tradition-bound tribe in the country. The "People of the Thorn Bush," as they are known, inhabit a harsh land that has kept them largely separate from other Malagasy peoples. Meet with the ombiasy (local healer), learn how to use a piletse (zebu-hide slingshot) and a lefona (spear), take a zebu cart to the local market, and visit ancestral tombs deep in the forest, where you'll also likely encounter rare lemur species. The prime season is April through September. Cost: $3,120, including three nights' accommodation in a mobile tent. Source: Daniela Bonanno, Absolute Travel, New York City (800-736-8187, ext. 308; dbonanno@absolutetravel.com; absolutetravel.com).

South Africa
A Royal Performance
Local Traditions, Politics
Sit in King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu's enclosure at the eNyokeni Palace to watch the Reed Flute Dance, a full-day procession of 10,000 Zulu maidens that happens on the first weekend in September. You'll have a prime seat from which to witness each woman presenting the king with her reed during this ancient ceremony, and your guide—a personal friend of the royal family—may even snag you an introduction to the king himself. Cost: $2,600, including two nights' accommodation. Source: Daniela Bonanno (see Madagascar).

AMERICAS

Slide show   Tango time It’s the perfect time to visit Argentina's colorful, energetic capital city. more photos

Argentina
Artists of Argentina
The Arts
Get a two-day education in twentieth-century Argentine art, including visits to the back rooms of two leading Buenos Aires art galleries, two of the country's most distinguished privately held collections, and two studios of living artists such as Luis Felipe Noé and León Ferrari. You'll be accompanied by a bilingual art historian and privately chauffeured for seven hours each day. Cost: $2,388. Source: Vanessa Guibert Heitner, Limitless Argentina, Buenos Aires (202-536-5812; vanessa@limitlessargentina.com; limitlessargentina.com).

MORE FROM DESTINATIONS

Destinations Section Front

Africa and Mideast Asia Down Under and beyond Europe Mexico South America Tropical getaways U.S. and Canada Destinations Section Front   Add Destinations headlines to your news reader: