Out There: On the Wild Side

Riding high. The 77-room Anantara Resort Golden Triangle, in northern Thailand, allows guests the unique opportunity to take mahout (“elephant driver”) training courses at its Elephant Camp. goldentriangle.anantara.com

Otherworldly. Kenya’s Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, in a 6,500-acre wildlife preserve, has four private, butler-staffed guesthouses, as well as a combination game-viewing deck and bar where patrons view the night sky through a GPS-controlled telescope. www.ol-lentille.com

Shore thing. Off the Tanzanian coast, Zanzibar’s main island of Ungunja is, as of November 2007, home to a 109-room, beachfront Fairmont resort. Go for a dive in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean to see a variety of coral-reef dwellers. www.fairmont.com/zanzibar

 Sea and be seen. Venerable Abercrombie & Kent, luxury tour operators since 1962, takes its ship the Clipper Odyssey on a summer voyage through Alaska’s fjord-riddled Inside Passage. Watch for seals, bald eagles and whales along the way. www.abercrombiekent.com