No Big Hurry.(International Edition; SPECIAL REPORT: TRAVEL)(taking long trips during the recession)

Byline: Michelle Jana Chan

For some, there's no better investment right now than a long, leisurely trip.

Everyone is looking for a good investment these days. And with stocks, currencies and companies all foundering, some are finding that taking the trip of a lifetime is actually a smart move right now. Prices are good, crowds are sparse and the dividends--expanded worldview, lifelong memories, the satisfaction of boosting the global economy--can't be easily snatched away. Sylvia and Paul Custerson, a retired couple from Cambridge, England, recently took a 16-day vacation to Namibia, where they went on safari and bird-watching excursions. Later this year, they are planning a trip to Patagonia. "We're using our capital now," says Sylvia, 64. "And why not? We're not getting any interest in the bank. If it's a place we really want to go, we're thinking, To hell with it! We may as well travel while we're fit and healthy--and before the airlines go bust."

Some travel agents are thriving in spite of the economy. "We've had more people booking in the first quarter of this year than last," says Hubert Moineau, founder of Paris-based Tselana Travel, which is planning to introduce a new program of longer adventure trips, including polar expeditions, gorilla tracking and cruises in the Galapagos. "We're hearing [our clients say] things like, 'We don't know what the situation will be in six months so let's travel now'." Ashley Toft, managing director of the U.K. tour operator Explore has been surprised to see an uptick in last-minute bookings of high-priced trips to such places as India, Bhutan and Nepal. "It seems people would rather give up something else than the big trip," he says. "Travel has become a necessity. It's just how we travel that is changing."

Indeed, though some travelers may be spending more time going longer distances, they do not necessarily have to spend more money. They can use cheaper alternatives like home stays instead of chain hotels, flagging down local taxis rather than reserve hotel cars and choosing ...