Top Culture Trips for Supporting Local Communities

Hospitality is far from dry in Jordan. Although an amazing visit through the “back door” of Petra ranks high on this eight-day tour, don’t be surprised if your warmest memories come from breaking bread with the locals. A cooking class in an Umm Sayhoun family’s home covers traditional Jordan cuisine from appetizers to dessert. A second stay with a Wadi Rum family will expose you to survival in the desert as you learn to cook goat meat, milk camels, bake bread and prepare Arabic coffee.

From tai chi classes to street food tours, this bumper 12-day trip to Vietnam will leave no cultural stone unturned. In Mai Chau, you’ll experience a rural way with the chance to visit local farms, glimpse traditional stilt houses and learn the history of the White Thai ethnic group. There will even be the chance to help feed buffalos and weave baskets with locals guiding your hand.

If chocolate is the real secret to happiness, the Ecuadorians should be very happy indeed. On this eight-day trip, you’ll get to sample the country’s exceptional sweet treats during a tasting class in Quito and learn even more about Ecuadorian culture over lunch with the Yaku Runa indigenous community. You’ll also soak up plenty of fresh air on a horseback ride and a hike around the emerald green lake of a volcano – a great way to burn off all that chocolate.