BOSTON, Sept. 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since its beginning 40 years ago, Road Scholar's mission has been to inspire adults to learn, discover and travel. With 5,500 programs in destinations around the globe, Road Scholars have many opportunities to experience the world. For those who have seen much of the world already or have an interest in an off-the-beaten-path experience, Road Scholar offers a few adventures designed to appeal to the most adventurous learners. Each experience is led by expert instructors who immerse participants in everything local — from food to culture and history — and offers participants an opportunity to learn and explore numerous topics and cultures.
"Participants often tell us an exciting element of Road Scholar is experiencing something new and going beyond one's comfort zone to do it. This speaks to the adventurous spirit of our most intrepid lifelong learners," says James Moses, president and CEO of Road Scholar. "When they were young, Baby Boomers were able to grab a backpack and explore the world. Decades later they are rekindling that spirit of adventure to learn about and truly experience the world. Road Scholar learning adventures to the world's remote and unique destination are particularly well-suited to these intrepid explorers searching for an educational journey of a lifetime."
From experiencing the Northern Lights in Alaska and the prehistoric city of Cahokia Mounds in Illinois to Burma, Bali and Iceland, just a sampling of some of our most unique adventures includes:
Fiddling Under the Northern Lights: Culture and Science in Alaska
www.roadscholar.org/6328 Cost starting at $2,395 11 days, 10 nights
Winter in Alaska is a defining time of year. Join the people of the Alaskan Interior and experience true northern exposure in Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs. Celebrate the Athabascan Fiddle Festival and learn about the fabulous aurora borealis — examining scientific theories and folklore. Then travel 60 miles to Chena Hot Springs to learn more about adaptations of the people, plants and animals that survive and even thrive in this sub-arctic environment.
Cahokia Mounds: A Prehistoric City and Indian Culture
www.roadscholar.org/12934 Cost starting at $619 5 days 4 nights
More than 1,000 years ago, a complex society of 20,000 tribe peoples inhabited a region that spanned across the American Bottom floodplain. Join a professional archaeologist for an exploration of the sudden and mysterious decline of the Mississippians and learn about the importance of the Cahokia Mounds as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — one of only 21 in the United States. Consider how natural materials were used to produce items of artistic merit and practical usage as you meet craftspeople who have learned to replicate the techniques for quill work, beading, weaving, dying and flint chipping.
Exotic Burma: Ancient Kingdoms and Hidden Temples on the Irrawaddy River
www.roadscholar.org/21835 Cost starting at $3,397 15 days, 14 nights
Undiscovered by most outsiders, the Southeast Asian country of Burma holds a wealth of ancient treasures and intriguing history. Board a luxury vessel to sail the Irrawaddy River — the "road to Mandalay" of Rudyard Kipling's poem — and access pagodas left behind by empires of the past. Then journey to Inle Lake to find floating farms, leg-rowing fishermen and a unique way of life.
Adventures Afloat: Fire and Ice: A Circumnavigation of Mystical Iceland
www.roadscholar.org/21877 Cost starting at $5,295 13 days, 12 nights
Iceland is an astonishing package of the planet's natural wonders. Discover them on colorful display — fjords, geysers, glaciers, volcanoes — during an extraordinary learning voyage around this dramatic country. From Reykjavik on the southwest coast, sail clockwise around the island, boarding Zodiacs to navigate pristine fjords, setting foot on glaciers, soaking in soothing hot springs and sitting down with locals to learn about life in tiny villages.
Iridescent Indonesia::The Many Wonders of Java and Bali
www.roadscholar.org/22085 Cost starting at $2,999 18 days, 17 nights
From a volcano shrouded in mist to a cup of spice tea and conversation with a student, experience the dazzling spectrum of nature and culture that have drawn explorers to this corner of the world for centuries. Discover why, out of Indonesia's 18,000 islands, Java and Bali are arguably its two must colorful and compelling.
Namibia's Splendor: Desert, Culture and Wildlife
www.roadscholar.org/22269 Cost starting at $5,360 16 days, 15 nights.
Namibia is a vast country, covering an area roughly the size of California, Oregon and Washington combined. It's also an ageless land, home to the oldest desert in the world, cultures that have remained unchanged for centuries, and a rich heritage of stone-age rock art. Come explore Namibia's beauty and learn about the unique Himba, Herero and other traditional peoples, the fascinating desert-adaptations of the flora and fauna, the massive conservation effort undertaken by the country as a whole, and the geology of the Namib Desert.
For more information on these and other programs, visit www.roadscholar.org.
About Road Scholar
Road Scholar is the nation's largest educational travel organization for adults. The not-for-profit offers 5,500 extraordinary educational adventures in 150 countries and 50 states for individuals dedicated to lifelong learning. Road Scholars are immersed in a variety of experiential learning activities, enlisting world-renowned faculty and local experts who offer insider access not available to most individuals. Dedicated to making educational travel available to everyone, Road Scholar offers financial assistance for those who otherwise could not participate in its programs.
Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in lifelong learning since 1975. To learn more, please visit our website at www.roadscholar.org/press.