Sometimes, travel isn't only about taking home memories of a lifetime, but also taking home a new and valuable skill that also happens to have a local connection to your holiday destination. Whether that's learning to cook traditional dishes with local chefs, or learning how to play a local sport with a previous-championship player, here are some of our favourite learning experiences to master on your Original Travel holiday...
Learn to play polo in Argentina
Is there anywhere better to horse around in whilst learning to play polo than in the country that is widely regarded as the best polo-playing country in the world; Argentina? Unlikely. The central mountains of Argentina are ideal riding territory with lush fields and beautiful scenery to admire whilst staying in a traditional colonial-style estancia. Combine polo-playing in Cordoba with time spent tangoing around Buenos Aires to experience some of the best authentic Argentinian activities on offer.
Master Vietnamese and Cambodian Cooking
If one culinary lesson isn't enough, tantalise your taste buds with our foodie-based itinerary travelling through Vietnam and Cambodia on a tailor-made trip incorporating a range of cookery lessons and experiences; from cooking in a home in Hanoi and Hue, to cookery schools in Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh, and even outdoors in a paddy field in Siem Reap. After this food-focused adventure, you'll be sure to impress your friends and family back home as a master in Indochina-cooking.
Learn to track wildlife with bushmen in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana
Don't sit around waiting for the game of the Kalahari Desert to come to you, go in search of the game whilst learning to track wildlife with bushmen who have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years. The Zu'hoasi bushmen of the Kalahari Desert eke out a hunter-gatherer existence almost unchanged in thousands of years, and the practice is an important cooperative affair where the whole tribe share the reward equally. We can arrange for a few privileged guests to spend time with the local tribe, learning about their way of life; from hunting to marriage and their religious beliefs, all in the company of a guide who has lived alongside them for decades.
Learn to surf in Hawaii
We're surfing in the USA... more specifically; it's surf capital state of Hawaii. Dotted around the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands are some of the best surfing spots in the world, however, don't let this title put you off as there are plenty of superb beaches for first-timer surfer dudes to learn how to surf on the smaller waves too. We recommend starting in Waikiki thanks to its calm waters and many experienced surf teachers, but there are numerous other great places to learn in Hawaii which our specialist consultants can suggest.
Learn to mush with a former champion musher in Finnish Lapland
It does what it says on the tin. If you want to learn the ropes of traditional dog sledding in the winter wonderland that is Finnish Lapland, then you've come to the right place. Experience a husky safari with a former champion musher before taking the reins yourself during a unique driving lesson with the dogs. Unfortunately (depending which way you look at it), this is an adult-only experience - we know, we know, it's not fair.