Power trip: Learn while you travel

Take an educational course during your next vacation

By Ilona Biro

Imagine two couples heading off on holiday to Vietnam. One couple sees all the sites from the seats of a bus. The other gets a total cultural immersion — strolling morning markets with local chefs, sharing lunch with the resident monks at Ni Vien Van Hanh pagoda and finishing the day with a private cooking class in the home of one of Vietnam’s most famous chefs.

Which trip would you choose? If you picked the latter, you’d be part of the biggest travel trend in a generation.

Baby boomers are leading the charge toward learning travel which features authentic, hands-on experiences that are educational, enriching and inspiring. “They want alternatives to the stop-and-stare style of travel of the guided bus tour,” says travel writer Lucy Izon. “People are realizing they’d much rather come home with great memories than a suitcase full of souvenirs.”

Trend to be unique

Minto Schneider has seen an explosion of learning travel in the past several years. Schneider is executive director of the Canadian Experience Travel Network, a travel industry group whose members offer enriching travel experiences. “This is a trend that’s only going to grow, with more and more travel companies adding learning experiences to their itineraries,” he says.

Anyone who’s recently visited a national historic site might have unwittingly been part of this growing trend. Visitors to Fort Henry in Kingston, Ont., can don soldiers’ uniforms and take part in musket drills. In Quebec City’s Artillery Park, visitors can sample ports and local delicacies or take part in a playful drama based on having high tea in the British officers’ mess. The appeal is obvious: participating in these unique experiences adds immeasurably to one’s understanding of a place and creates lasting memories of the places one has seen.

And these trips are addictive, according to Alison Gardner, whose e-zine Travel with a Challenge caters to people who travel for enrichment and learning. “The more educated you are, the more you want to be educated,” she explains.

Izon had her own epiphany while on an arts-oriented holiday on Lake Kawawaymog on the border of Algonquin Park. “We followed in the footsteps of Group of Seven artist Tom Thomson, painting in locations where he painted, seeing the colours through his eyes and learning about his life through talks and discussions,” she recalls. “It was absolutely wonderful!”

Who does what

Canadian Experience Travel Network brings together Canadian suppliers that offer learning- and experience-based tourism products. Search the site or browse the thematic categories and find yourself panning for gold in the Klondike River or learning how to cook with native plants in Manitoba’s Riding Mountain National Park.

Elderhostel has organized educational travel experiences for people 55 and older for 30 years. The web site allows users to select educational travel programs by their interest or geographic area. Although 80 per cent of the clients are over 65, the site also offers intergenerational programs that are well suited for grandparents and their grandchildren, and each course is tailored to the skill levels of specific age groups.

In Britain this summer, for example, members can join the over-55 set in two Harry Potter-inspired journeys through children’s literature. Check out Elderhostel’s new Road Scholar site for adults of all ages. Programs are especially geared to fans of hands-on experiential travel.

Horizon & Co. plans its luxury holidays carefully, pulling in learning experiences on every day of the itinerary. The Exploratory Series, for those 45 and over, explores England “on stage,” Burgundy by luxury barge, literary Krakow and Spain by culinary train. Other destinations include Myanmar, Vietnam and Tanzania.

Travel with a Challenge is travel writer Gardner’s e-zine and online resource for mature travellers seeking an enriching and educational experience. Feature articles describe people’s experiences abroad and offer inspiration for anyone contemplating a trip that nourishes body and soul.

National Historic Sites of Canada offers programs and activities at many sites across the country. Some require reservations and most programming is offered during the summer months. If you’re planning a holiday, check the web site to find historic landmarks along your route.

Arts in the Wild sells art experiences ranging from outdoor watercolour and photography to drumming and quilting.

Randonnée Self-Guided Vacations has a wide selection of driving and hiking, cycling, rowing, walking and combination tours of North America and Europe, with one big difference: Randonnée builds in lots of cultural learning moments, including how to hook rugs and sea kayak in Nova Scotia.

Sacred Earth Journeys is a Canadian company specializing in spiritual and wellness trips to destinations well-known for their mystical and healing powers. Sample trips include a Celtic and Shamanic tour of Ireland, Yoga retreats in Hawaii and in-depth cultural tours of India.