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Sea Kayak in Baja: With long stretches of untrammeled beach, sheltered coves, and warm water, the coastline of Mexico’s Baja California is ideally suited for sea kayakers. Add abundant marine life including a great opportunity to go eyeball-to-eyeball with dolphins and gray whales, and you have one of the best paddling experiences in the world. Sea Kayak Adventures have been bringing wide-eyed wanderers to Baja since 1993 on their 8-day jaunts in winter. Fly from LA to Loreto and head to Magdalena Bay on the Pacific coast to spot pods of whales and their newly born calves. Then it’s back to Loreto for five glorious day of paddling (no experience is necessary) and camping in Mexico’s newest national park, Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto. The $1390 price includes three nights in a hotel in Loreto, all meals, camping, equipment, instruction, and guides.

Hike the Overland Track in Tasmania: Talk to any Aussie and they’ll tell you that Tasmania is the Australia of yore, an island the size of Ireland that boasts a diverse landscape of creamy sands, endless tracts of lush forest, dramatic sea cliffs battered by Antarctic gales, craggy peaks, and alpine lakes. One of the best ways to appreciate this wilderness is on the legendary Overland Track, a 40-mile trek that links 5,069-foot Cradle Mountain with the waters of Lake St. Clair. You can choose to tackle the four to six day hike on your own (though you better book well in advance of the December to April season since the number of backpackers are limited) or on a guided trek with naturalists from Cradle Mountain Huts.