At Mutianyu, about 56 miles north of Beijing, the Yan Mountains appear as a series of dramatic crests and the Great Wall’s ancient stones snake their way up and down the green ridge tops. The ramparts, dotted with watch towers in this section, form a path between the peaks.

Dude ranches have gone the way of coffee: plain ride ‘em places—the ranch equivalent of a 7-11 brew—still exist, but more and more ranches lure wannabe wranglers with experiences tailored to their specific tastes. And that’s a good thing, but it makes it hard to choose the right experience for you.

More and more dude ranches these days go beyond just horse rides and hard mattress bunks to offer resort-like accommodations and options. The saddle-sore as well as non-riders can soak in hot tubs, play tennis, fly-fish, hike, learn yoga and even work on their inner lives with a spiritualist.

Feed baby lions in South Africa, track elephants through the Namib Desert, identify dolphins off a remote Greek island and build nests for toucans in Belize. These are just some of the adventures available on a volunteer vacation. Have fun while doing good deeds.

On a caving adventure discover such subterranean secrets as “curtains” of crystals and vast underground chamber and thousands of years old stalactites and stalagmites. South Dakota’s Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park are two of the U.S.’s top caves.

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