Blaze trails by lending a hand

WORK and play in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile on a 12-night tour departing March 12.

Volunteers help park rangers build and repair trails in the park for six days -- and burnish America’s image, said Richard Tobin of the U.S. National Park Service. “Many visitors are amazed to see Americans working as volunteers,” he said.

The rest of the trip is spent sightseeing and hiking Patagonia’s mountain peaks.

Excursions include a visit to a penguin sanctuary on Seno Otway, south of Punta Arenas, and a tour of Santiago, Chile.

The trip is sponsored by the nonprofit Fundacion Patagonia and is sanctioned by the U.S. National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the State Department under the U.S.-Chile Environmental Cooperation Agreement.

Cost: $2,600 per person, including international airfare from Los Angeles, internal airfare from Santiago to Punta Arenas, all ground and boat transportation, meals, lodging and entrance fees.

Contact: Richard Tobin, director of Conservation Partnerships, Los Padres National Forest, (805) 964-8612; or Marcelo Diaz, Americas Travel, San Francisco; (888) 703-9955, www.patagoniavolunteerproject.org., www.americastravel.net.

NEVADA

See All-Stars on the court

CHEER for your favorite players at the 2007 All-Star basketball game in Las Vegas.

The two-night trip, which begins Feb. 17, includes an upper-level ticket to the game played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Cost: $2,345 per person, double occupancy ($180 single surcharge, group rates available), including hotels, rental car and some meals.

Contact: Sports Travel and Tours, Hatfield, Mass.; (800) 662-4424, www.sportstravelandtours.com.

FRANCE

Heady scent of purple

SMELL the lavender on a spring tour of the French countryside beginning April 21.

The six-night tour of Provence stops in Arles, Avignon, Les Baux de Provence and Gordes.

“Nature is in bloom, so it is a pretty time, without the crowds,” said Yolande Kamins of Enchanted France.

Cost: $2,999 per person, double occupancy ($700 single surcharge), including hotels, some meals and all entrance fees. Airfare is not included.

Contact: Enchanted France, Los Angeles; (323) 931-1769, (866) 313-2856, www.enchanted-france.com.

UTAH

Glen Canyon adventuring

SCRAMBLE up cliffs and paddle around Lake Powell on tours to Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The six-day trips, scheduled to leave April 2 and 30, Sept. 30 and Oct. 9, are designed for people of all abilities. Accommodations are made at no charge for those with special needs, including those who require wheelchair access or have limited vision.

Lake Powell has 1,900 miles of shoreline and 96 narrow canyons. Participants will hike and kayak by day and camp at night by the lake.

The region was once inhabited by the Anasazi, and some of their structures and petroglyphs are still visible.

Cost: $795 per person, including meals, group camping and cooking gear, two guides, tandem kayaks and personal adaptive gear as needed. Transportation from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Wilderness Inquiry, (800) 728-0719, www.wildernessinquiry.org.

SAUDI ARABIA

Insight into Islamic life

LEARN about Islamic culture, in desert settlements and bustling cities, on a trip to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The 13-night tour, which begins March 25, visits Jeddah, Al Ula, Madain Salih, Hail in the great Nafud Desert and other sites in Saudi Arabia before traveling to Bahrain.

“Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that have been closed to most travelers, other than religious pilgrims, so culturally it is very intact,” said Mahmood Poonja of Bestway Tours & Safaris.

Cost: $6,745 per person, double occupancy ($595 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, meals and English-speaking guide. Airport taxes and fuel surcharges are not included.

Contact: Bestway Tours & Safaris, Burnaby, Canada; (800) 663-0844, www.bestway.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or write via e-mail to travel@latimes.com.