It's easy to marvel at Ray Mears' survival knowledge from the distance of a small screen, or discover a remote tribe in the Amazon through vintage Attenborough programmes on iPlayer. But these days, it's easier than you'd imagine to follow in the footsteps of the great explorers and experience native cultures first-hand – albeit with the knowledge that you're being well looked after by an experienced travel guide. Here are three breaks to enhance your survival credentials while getting a privileged, and responsible, insight into indigenous communities.
In a homestay with the 100-strong Yolngu community in Mapuru in the Northern Territory, male guests will live "on country", learning to fish and make spears. Evenings are spent sitting round the campfire, talking and listening to 40,000 years of oral history through Aboriginal stories. Women will learn how find pandanus leaves to make dye so they can weave colourful baskets. They can also accompany female hunters on shooting trips, collect bush honey and swim in local watering holes.
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A nine-day trip with Ceres costs AUS$2,050 (approximately £1,265), excluding flights; ceres.org.au
Go throat singing with the Inuit in Canada
This four-day break to the village of Puvirnituq in Northern Quebec begins with a tour to meet and greet the locals, before building a traditional Inuit igloo (you can sleep in it if you've done a good enough job). You can also follow migrating wild geese and cariboo, fish for Artic char in open water with nets (or through the ice in winter) and explore the landscape by foot in summer or by sled in winter. In the evenings, you can listen to local throat-singers imitating the wildlife around them with their unique calls.
A four-day trip includes flights from Montreal, accommodation and all activities and costs from CA$3,115 (approximately £1,910); inuitadventures.ca
Undergo Genghis Khan warrior training in Mongolia
Life was tough in 13th-century Mongolia, where warriors were brutal and nomadic communities were governed by codes of honour and conduct. However, that didn't stop Genghis Khan from founding the Mongol Empire, which at its peak covered nearly a quarter of the world's land. Gain insight into his world on a three-day course on the steppes, as you discover how to make and shoot a bow and arrow; herd, ride and lasso a horse; cook traditional national dishes and… wrestle, all the while staying with the traditional Mongol nomadic communities and experiencing their way of life.
From £2,750 including nine days' accommodation, meals, activities, English-speaking guide, transfers and transportation; responsibletravel.com
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