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Metal Man
The Arts, Local Traditions
Meet Huan Carlos Pallarols, a world-famous silversmith whose clients have included Pope John Paul II and the Prince of Wales. The Pallarols family has been working with silver for six generations. Juan Carlos will show you around the family's San Telmo workshop and reveal the techniques he uses to create his works of art, which blend southern European traditions with South American images. Cost: $640. Source: Cindy Fernandez (see Kenya).
Paddle with a Pro
Sports
Spend a day kayaking around the southern tip of Patagonia with Norberto Mendez, who was on Argentina's 1988 Olympic kayaking team. Polish your paddling technique with this former national champion while he leads you through the Beagle Channel, which winds around the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and attracts a wide variety of wildlife, from penguins to sea lions to Antarctic fur seals. Time your trip to correspond with the Southern Hemisphere's summer (mid-October through mid-March). Cost: $1,000. Source: Emmanuel Burgio, Blue Parallel, Potomac, Maryland (800-256-5307; info@blueparallel.com; blueparallel.com).
Brazil
Football Fever
Sports
Watch a soccer match in the Maracanã Stadium—one of the largest in the world—with Marcelo Gonçalves Costa Lopes, a member of Brazil's 1998 World Cup team. Gonçalves, as he's known in Brazil, will take you onto the turf of this famous stadium before the game, invite you to his VIP box to watch the match, and then introduce you to players from some of South America's top teams afterward. Cost: $7,000. Source: Emmanuel Burgio (see Argentina).
Guatemala
Magic Carpet Ride
The Arts, Local Traditions
Enter the closely guarded workshop of Antigua's most celebrated alfombra family. Alfombras are street carpets made of dyed sawdust, flowers, and pine needles that are laid along the route of the religious procession during Holy Week celebrations here. For the past half century, the Armas family has been creating these works of art, and their alfombras have been the subject of a National Geographic film. In multiple visits to the workshop during the week before Easter, you'll talk to the family and see the carpet in different stages of construction. Cost: $500. Source: Jim Kane, Culture Xplorers, Kansas City (215-923-6800; jim@cultureexplorers.com; cultureexplorers.com).
Peru
Incan Insights
History
See archaeological work being carried out at Machu Picchu on a private tour with chief archaeologist Alfredo Mormontoy Atayupanqui, who has supervised the ruins since 2001. Atayupanqui will give you insights into the history of Machu Picchu, the mystery surrounding its purpose and its demise, and the current research being done in the complex. As recently as this past July, Atayupanqui and his team discovered five new areas of terraces and paths near the citadel. The weather is best from mid-May through October. Cost: $536 for a group of up to eight. Source: KC Cruz, Abercrombie & Kent, Oak Brook, Illinois (800-554-7094, ext. 353; kcruz@abercrombiekent.com; abercrombiekent.com).
United States
The Dino Hunter
Wildlife, Philanthropy
Go on a summertime dinosaur dig in Montana with Jack Horner, world-renowned paleontologist and technical adviser to Jurassic Park. Cost: $5,000, including a donation to the Museum of the Rockies. Source: Bill and Pam Bryan, Off the Beaten Path, Bozeman, Montana (800-445-2995; bryan@offthebeatenpath.com; pamb@offthebeatenpath.com; offthebeatenpath.com).
Princess Diaries
Local Traditions
Have a private tea party with your favorite Disney princesses in Orlando at Walt Disney World's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Following lunch in a private room at the hotel, you'll be joined by three princesses of your choice for a meet-and-greet session, photos, and autographs. Cost: $2,200 for a group of up to five. Source: Susan Kelly, Travel Magic, Basking Ridge, New Jersey (908-953-9211; ask@travelmagic.com; travelmagic.com).
ASIA/PACIFIC
Cambodia
Temple Repast
History
Visit the ruins of Angkor Wat with a researcher working on mapping and conserving the site. He or she can usually escort you to spots that are typically closed to the public, where you'll see crews helping preserve the temples. The researcher will then join you for tea or dinner to explain the ongoing efforts to protect the ruins. Cost: $600. Source: Ashley Isaacs Ganz, Artisans of Leisure (800-214-8144; info@artisansofleisure.com; artisansofleisure.com).
China
The Emperor's Bedroom
The Arts, History, Politics
Take a tour of Chonghuagong—Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong's private chambers within Beijing's Forbidden City, which are normally closed to the public. The emperor, who ruled from 1735 to 1796, was known for his literary prowess, and his calligraphy adorning the walls is of particular interest. (He was also a major patron of the arts, commissioning a 36,000-volume catalog of every important work in Chinese culture.) You'll see fine examples of imperial jade, ceramics, and rosewood furniture. Cost: $500. Source: Guy Rubin, Imperial Tours, San Francisco (888-888-1970; guy@imperialtours.net; imperialtours.net).
more photos
Better than Takeout
One of the World's oldest and most important trade routes, the Silk Road was a great transcontinental path that linked the West to the East, and remains a treasure to the region.
Culinary
Tour a wet market in Beijing or Shanghai with Jereme Leung, founder of the Whampoa Club restaurants in those cities and one of the youngest-ever master chefs. After picking up ingredients, Leung will bring you back to one of his restaurants for a cooking lesson. The chef grew up in Hong Kong and worked in Singapore, so he's well versed in a range of Asian cuisines. Cost: $2,500. Source: Guy Rubin (see the preceding).
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