10 life-changing escapes

6. Photography expeditions
Argentina: You’ll click like a pro after the International Center of Photography’s Los Glaciares National Park weeklong workshop. Start with a tour of Buenos Aires, then  move on to the park, a World Heritage Site with snowy mountains and glacier-fed lakes. Subject matter, setting, and variable lighting make for challenging photographic conditions, which participants master through lessons and critiques. Mar. 1-9; $4,880; icp.org

New Mexico: National Geographic photojournalist Carole Devillers leads small groups to Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, where snow geese, cranes, coyotes, and bald eagles are the subjects. A typical day involves sunrise and sunset shoots, with hands-on composition and light tips. Jan. 18-20 and Feb. 1-3; from $375; adventurephotoexpeditions.com

7. Yoga retreats
Tulum, Mexico: Casa Magna, a new destination from the creators of Amansala Bikini Boot Camp, is made up of two luxurious villas on a stunning stretch of beach near Amansala. In January and February, a rotating cast of yoga instructors will lead weeklong sessions—ironic, given that this is the former home of drug lord Pablo Escobar. Guests have access to Amansala activities, including massages, snorkeling, and visits to Mayan ruins. Dwellings are luxuriously airy, with terraces, hammocks, and ocean views. Jan.-Feb.; from $2,000 for 1 week, based on double occupancy; casamagnatulum.com

Big Island, Hawaii: For eight years, Yoga Oasis has been luring guests to its lush retreat in a rain forest near black-sand beaches. The Maha (“great”) Yoga program includes pranayama yoga, Chi-Hatha yoga (incorporating traditional Hawaiian healing with Qigong visualization and energy techniques), and afternoon yoga labs tailored to individual needs. In free time, visit Volcano National Park, waterfalls, and geothermal hot ponds. Accommodations are jungle-inspired and comfortable. From $600 for a 3-night minimum (5 is the suggested stay); yogaoasis.org

8. Wilderness skills
Baja, Mexico: Sustainable living may be the latest trend in ecotravel, but NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School, has been doing it since 1965. On a two-week Baja sea-kayaking trip along the Sea of Cortez in February, you’ll learn to read tide tables, understand currents, and create camps in sandy beaches and rocky coves. Downtime activities include skin diving, spear fishing, and basking in the sun. This is leave-no-footprint camping, with backcountry meals and sleeping under the stars. Feb. 3-16; $2,990; nols.edu

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands: Lost meets Survivor in a weeklong Earthskills Caribbean Rendezvous retreat at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute, where you’ll learn age-old skills like hide tanning, foraging for edible plants, making rope from natural fibers, and carving spears and slingshots from local wood. Usable skills back at the office? No, but it will make outstanding watercooler fodder. Housing is modest: farm-rustic cabanas and tents. Feb. 24-Mar. 1; $655 for tents, $955 for cabanas; visfi.org

9. Cooking schools
Oxford, England: Connoisseurs flock to Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in the English countryside for the luxurious hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant. But you can take the chiffonade home with you after a four-day course at the Cookery School, where you’ll learn how to prepare classic French dishes amid the comfort of a five-night hotel stay. All levels of expertise are welcome. From $4,590; manoir.com

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Cuernavaca, Mexico: Master the basics of Mexican cuisine at La Villa Bonita, where budding chefs are taught by Ana Garcia, the chef at Reposado (one of Cuernavaca’s most popular restaurants) and the star of a new PBS cooking show. Culinary field trips and excursions to nearby ruins round out your cultural immersion. Guests stay in a 16th-century private mansion. The four-night/five-day package does not include nightly dinners but does cover transport to and from the Mexico City airport. From $1,150 for 4 days; lavillabonita.com 

10. Mountain highs
Ecuador: Mountain Travel Sobek’s Volcanoes of Ecuador is an 11-day trip for adventurers who want a tough but stunningly beautiful above-the-clouds challenge. After an altitude-adjusting first day in Quito, the group climbs three snow-capped volcanoes (including Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world), with ample recovery time between ascents. Highlights along the way include soaking in hot springs and marveling at glaciers. Travelers stay in charming haciendas, lodges, and mountain refuges. Jan. 4-14; $3,295; mtsobek.com   

Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: G.A.P. Adventures’ Kilimanjaro Trek follows the Marangu Route to the summit of Africa’s highest mountain. The physically challenging trip lasts seven days, with a gradual ascent assisted by local guides. The payoff, after trekking through thick rain forest and alpine zones, is a view of the world from 19,340 feet. Accommodations are in comfortable and scenic mountain huts, most of which have running water. $1,120; gapadventures.com

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