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.
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.
See Argentina Travel Guide | See Costa Rica Travel Guide | See Ecuador Travel Guide | See Egypt Travel Guide | See India Travel Guide | See New Mexico Travel Guide | See San Diego Travel Guide | See The Big Island Travel GuideSee U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Guide
$499+: 7-nt Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami to St. Thomas Norwegian Cruise Line
$179+: 3-nt Bahamas cruise on Carnival Sensation w/bonus Cruise.com
$449+: 7-nt cruise to St. Croix & more w/pre-paid gratuities Cruise.com
$344+: 7-nt peak-winter Caribbaen cruise on MSC Poesia Cruise.com
$299+: 5-nt cruise to Jamaica & more w/$99 cabin upgrade Cruise.com
$179+: Bahamas 4-night cruise on Norwegian Sky Norwegian
$299+: Caribbean 7-night cruise on Costa Atlantica Costa
$179+: Bahamas 4-night beach cruise on Norwegian Sky Norwegian
$339+: Caribbean 7-night beach cruise on MSC Poesia MSC
$164+: Bahamas 4-night cruise on RC Majesty of the Seas Royal Caribbean
$1047+: 10-night Panama Canal cruise on Holland America CruiseNow.com
$179+: 5-nt Caribbean cruise on NCL w/onboard credit CruiseNow.com
$659+: 7-nt balcony cruise on new ship this Dec w/Bahamas CruiseDealership.com
$199+: 3-nt Bahamas Carnival cruise w/free upgrade CruisesOnly
$125+: 4nt Bahamas cuise on Royal w/private island & bonus CruisesOnly
$413+: 7-nt S. Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Summit CruisesOnly
$799+: 7-nt E. Caribbean cruise on Celebrity in balcony CruisesOnly
$449+: 7-nt Bahamas cruise from Baltimore w/free upgrade CruisesOnly
$399+: 7-nt Carnival cruise to St.Thomas & more w/upgrade CruisesOnly
$519+: 8-nt S. Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale CruisesOnly
$139/nt+: Bahamas beach resort with no greens fees Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort
$287/nt+: Cayman islands villa with private dock Cayman Villas
$255/nt+: Cayman Islands beachfront villa, 50% off Cayman Villas
$75/nt+: Save up to 55% at new all-incl. Jamaica resort BookIt.com
$69/nt+: All-inclusive beachfront La Romana resort BookIt.com
$210/nt+: Negril luxury beach & spa resort: family-friendly BookIt.com
$105+: Montego Bay beach resort & kids stay free: 40% off Iberostar Rose Hall Beach
$87/nt+: Punta Cana all-incl. resort w/spa, casino & golf Majestic Colonial Punta Cana
$123/nt+: Punta Cana adults-only beachfront resort; 40% off Excellence Punta Cana
$187/nt+: 5-star Punta Cana adults-only resort Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro
$112/nt+: Puerto Rico hotel: save up to 25% off: kids free BookIt.com
$79/nt+: Peak-winter rates at new all-incl. Jamaica resort BookIt.com
$89/nt+: All-incl. Jamaica resort w/free nanny for kids FDR Pebbles Resort
$178/nt+: Grand Cayman luxury resort w/free brkfst Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort
$81/nt+: Gorgeous Dominican Republic beachfront resort Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus
$195/nt+: Cayman beach condo near top snorkeling Cayman Villas
Ring in the New Year in Antigua from $995/Night Editors' Review
Curacao Island Resort Packages from $256 Editors' Review
Curacao Resorts & Spa Packages from $199/Night Editors' Review
$139/nt+: Golf getaway at Bahamas oceanfront resort Radisson
$492+: Romantic 4-nt Dominican Republic escape w/airfare BeachDestinations.com
$423+: 4-nt all-inclusive Punta Cana trip w/airfare & hotel BeachDestinations.com
$492+: Punta Cana all-inclusive 4-nt trip w/airfare & hotel BeachDestinations.com
$450+: Stay 5 nights at all-incl. Punta Cana resort w/flight The Vacation Travel Mart
$475+: Jamaica 4-nt beach getaway w/flight from NY The Vacation Travel Mart
Early-Season Caribbean Savings from $97/Night Editors' Review
$200 off Bahamas Vacations with Flight Editors' Review
$730+: All-incl. trips w/air to Palladium Resort & Spa & more Apple Vacations
$630+: Jamaica 5-night vacation w/free brkfst from Detroit Delta Vacations
$469+: Punta Cana all-inclusive 4-nt trip w/airfare & hotel BeachDestinations.com
$581+: Jamaica 4-nt trip at family-friendly resort w/air Legends Beach Resort
$615+: Dominican Republic 4-nts at all-incl. resort w/air Grand Oasis Marien Resort
$440+: Jamaica 4-nt trip nr beach & cliffs w/air via NY Caribbean Sunset Resort
50% off: Puerto Rico 4-nt resort getaway with flight from NY Expedia
$672+: Oceanfront St. Croix 4-nt trip w/casino & air from NY Expedia
50% off: St. Maarten 4-nt beach trip w/flight from New York Expedia
$396+: Puerto Rico beach trip w/free brkfst & night w/air Casa Del Caribe
$671+: Barbados 4-nt getaway w/flight from NY Expedia
50% off: 4-nt stay w/flight from NY to St Thomas Marriott Frenchman's Reef and Morning Star Beach Resort
$388+: 4-nt vacation at casino resort w/ flight Gran Melia Golf Resort Puerto Rico
$168+: New routes & low fares to Punta Cana (round-trip) LAN Airlines
$49+: Cheap fares to Cancun, Key West & more (one-way) AirTran
$292+: Low airfare to Jamaica (round-trip) Major Airlines
$49+: Low fares to Key West, the Bahamas & more (each way) AirTran
$164+: Round-trip flights to Puerto Rico from Orlando Major Airlines
$404+: Low fares to Montego Bay from Orlando (round-trip) Expedia
$281+: Round-trip flights to Grand Cayman Major Airlines
