Food and drink holidays

One of the main experiences of travel for me is trying new tastes and local cuisine.  There are now ‘foodie’ holidays all over the world offering you the chance to learn to cook like a local!  Europe of course is packed full of tasty aromas such as garlic and lemon, Mediterranean herbs and gorgeous wines.  There are home stays in Italy where you can learn to bake pizza and make pasta, travel to Andalucia in Spain and learn the art of tapas or experience the laid back style of family cooking in Greece, centred around the production of olive oil.  There are plenty of homestays, cookery courses and tasting sessions that are included in set tours or I can tailor make a holiday to include a variety of foodie experiences.

North Africa and in particuar Morocco is an absolute foodie must do!  Wander round the souks and pick your ingrediants from the market stall, learning how to combine flavours in a distinctly different cuisine. Stay in lovely riads or spas or visit the coast for a seafood slant on the cooking.The Middle East is a must do for foodies, with world class restaurants in Dubai and Oman and fascinating markets and street cafes throughout the region. In Jordan, head to the Petra Kitchen where you can learn to make local food and then eat it – an evening of fun!

Throughout Africa there are some interesting foodie places – the ‘spice island’ of Zanzibar in Tanzania will show you the tropical plantations of pineapples, spices and strange fruits, the tropical forests of Uganda are full of about 150 varieties of banana used in all forms of cooking and drinking!  Coffee and tea is prevalent in Africa with Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Malawi producing some of the worlds finest brews. Mozambique is home to amazing seafood with a spicy Portuguese influence, hotels and lodges along the coast will provide you with a feast for all the senses!  South Africa is home to some of the best wines in the world and for me a foodie treat would be a couple of weeks around Cape Town and the winelands of the Western Cape – here you will find, as well as world class vinyards, farms selling cheeses, ice creams and lots of fabulous local produce.  Cape Town itself has world class restaurants and plentiful harbourside cafes to enjoy the fruits de la mer ….. and into the ocean itself – across the waters towards Asia, is the Mascerene Islands.  A foodie holiday here will reveal an amazing variety of spices, fruits and seafood.  A cultural melting pot featuring food from China, India, Africa and France, head to Mauritius for an Indian Ocean food extravaganza!  If you enjoyed Masterchef on BBC TV and want to go to the home of this year’s champion, Shelina Permalloo, ask me to sort you out with a food holiday to her homeland of Mauritius!

Across the ocean to Mexico, you can learn all about making moles, tortilla and salsas and sip classic Margheritas and head into the ‘deep south’ of the United States for Creole food and festivals. Around America you will find some of the best steak houses in the world, combined with fabulous wines of California. Into Latin America, you will find foodie fiestas and places where you can eat with the locals, deep into the Andes Mountains or on the beaches of Brazil, there is a magical world of food and wine to be experienced in South America.  Wines of Argentina and Chile are particularly enjoyable and you can stay on the wine farms if you want to divulge in some serious tasting!  Buenos Aires is a vibrant city with a big food culture and fabulous steaks.  Into the Caribbean is a world of fruity punches, rum and sugar cane!  Seafood, spice and festivals are plentiful here.  Ask me about hotels that are particularly ‘foodie’ themed, there are some fabulous local restaurants and many of the harbours of the islands are the places to head for street cafes and beach bars selling the best of the days catch. For chocoholics head to the luxurious Hotel Chocolat on St Lucia!

India and South East Asia are a complete feast for the senses – travel through India learning about the regional variations in food and spices and maybe visit Thailand or Vietnam to learn about the techniques of local food here, make sure you experience one of the floating markets! Throughout south east Asia there are lot of opporutinities to cook with the locals, experience street foods and immerse yourself in tropical and spicy smells and tastes.  Japan is completely unique (in many ways!) and the food here with it’s sushi and fabulous restaurants is a must for the serious culture vulture!  If you enjoyed Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odessy on TV, ask me to get you to some of the places he enjoyed so much.

Wine tours of course are popular in vinyards throughout the world and many wine estates have luxury accommodation on site too.  Try South America, California, South Africa or Australia for long haul, or the wineries nearer home in France, Spain and Italy, to name just a few.

The variety of food and drink to be enjoyed around the world is endless.  Whether you want a family holiday to teach your children more about local foods, want to wander the street markets and spicy souks of the exotic parts of our planet or simply want a luxury hotel with a world class restaurant to celebrate a special event or honeymoon, get in touch and I can tailor make you the perfect foodie holiday!