Honing the cut of your jib

TRIM a sail in Antigua’s calm waters during a week of sailing lessons.

The June 16 program will be at the Sunsail Colonna Sailing Resort on Hodges Bay in Antigua. It includes sailing instruction for participants of all skill levels and unlimited use of sailing and water-sport equipment, including two Beneteau 473 premium charter yachts.

“This is a great summer trip because it offers an affordable opportunity to learn to sail in the tropical Caribbean,” said Sonya Grigoruk, spokeswoman for the American Sailing Assn. “Antigua’s warm seas, tropical climate and coastline of safe harbors make it the ideal location to learn how to sail.”

Other activities include snorkeling, swimming, kayaking and windsurfing.

Cost: $890 per person, double occupancy ($445 single surcharge), including lodging, most meals, instruction, resort activities and airport transfers. Airfare from Los Angeles and $39 membership fee are not included.

Contact: American Sailing Assn., Los Angeles; (800) 327-2276, www.asa.com.

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INDIA

Sample culture and geography

JOURNEY to the high mountains of Ladakh to visit remote monasteries and vanishing tribes of India.

The 18-night tour, which begins July 28, also will take in festivals and dance performances.

The trip starts in Delhi and travels to the Dah Hanu Valley, the Chumathang highlands bordering Tibet, Tsomoriri Lake and the town of Leh.

“It’s such a wonderful mix,” said Hima Singh of Asian Pacific Adventures.

“It’s really an adventure. We go to Tsomoriri Lake at over 15,000 feet. It’s wilderness at its best.”

Participants watch dancers perform at a Buddhist festival at the Dakthok monastery in a village near Leh.

They camp in the Chumathang region, home to the Changpa nomads and wildlife, including horses and black neck cranes.

The group meets the blue-eyed, blond-haired Drokpa tribes in the Dah Hanu Valley.

They also tour the bustling capital of Delhi, including the Red Fort and Jama Masjid Mosque in Old Delhi.

Cost: $3,650 per person, double occupancy ($790 single surcharge), including hotels and lodging, most meals, internal airfare, sightseeing, entrance fees, hotel taxes and service charges.

Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Asian Pacific Adventures, Tarzana; (800) 825-1680, www.asianpacificadventures.com

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LOUISIANA

Have fun and help hurricane victims

LET the good times roll and help Hurricane Katrina victims on five-day New Orleans tours.

Travelers on the tours, offered Sept. 4, Oct. 2 and Nov. 6, explore the French Quarter, see a jazz revue on Bourbon Street, take a river steamboat cruise and take Creole cooking lessons.

Profit from the tours goes to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.

Cost: $699 per person, double occupancy ($350 single surcharge), including hotel accommodations, some meals and sightseeing. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Colette Vacations, Pawtucket, RI; (800) 3405158, www.colettevacations.com

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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.