Recommend April 2015 - (Page 32)

asia Culinary Journeys In Asia A trip to a local market, cooking lessons and sharing a meal with locals- your clients will experience all this and more on these tours in Asia. deserae del campo a taste of china real food adventures FOOD FOR THOUGHT: "When designing our itineraries, Collette focuses heavily on the local experiences and immersions," says Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, director of strategic product, Collette. "Food is top of the list as we dive into regions and cities. We always want to have popular local meals, as people are traveling to destinations to learn, and food is an important piece of that. "We like to visit local markets, learn about the spices and foods in different regions, and then go back and taste some of the creations," points out Leibl-Cote. "Moving into the 2015 season, most meals are outside of the hotels and in local restaurants. This is a huge differentiator to many operators, but at Collette we feel this is an important piece to creating great experiences and getting our guests connecting with the locals." TASTY TOURS: On the 9-day Spotlight on Beijing tour (starting at $999 pp), travelers' taste buds will be awakened with a dim sum lunch one day and hand-pulled Beijing noodles on another; guests will also learn the art of dumpling-making at the home of a local living in a hutong. If cooking lessons are what your clients seek, Collette is also featuring the option to visit the Jinsong Cooking School ($60 for four hours). With this option, travelers can stroll through a local market before attending a cooking demonstration at the school to learn about the history and ﬂavors of Chinese cuisine. The tour also includes stops at the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, with hotel accommodations at Traders Hotel, Beijing. There is also the 14-day Best of China tour ($1,999 pp) offering guests a Peking duck and Mongolian barbecue; an indulging 20-course Xian dumpling banquet; and a traditional rice noodle lunch. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: "Intrepid launched its ﬁrst dedicated range of food trips in January 2013," says Erica Kritikides, the food product manager at Intrepid Travel. "Starting with just 10 itineraries showcasing some of the most exciting and iconic foodie destinations around the world, the range has quickly increased to nearly 20 trips and has proved to be one of the most successful new product launched in Intrepid's 25-year history. "We have focused on making our food trips affordable and accessible," she adds. "We use two- and three-star accommodations, lots of local transport, which often offers some fantastic food experiences, and have a mixture of included and optional meals." "All trip leaders on Intrepid's Food Adventures are not only passionate and knowledgeable foodies but are also locals, which is a huge edge when it comes to having the inside scoop on the best local restaurants, bars and street food," says Kritikides. TASTY TOURS: Intrepid's Food Adventure tours include all the cultural highlights of a destination, as well as hands-on cooking classes, street food tours, beverage tastings, and visits to local markets. Intrepid's food tours come in three different packages: Real Food Adventures, for travelers who want to experience the cultural highlights of a country and its local cuisine; Bitesize Breaks, 3-day, city-based tours ideal for a stopover or extension to a longer trip; and 3- to 4-hour Urban Appetisers, which feature walking food tours and home-cooking experiences. The 12-day Real Food Adventure-Sri Lanka (starting at $1,675 pp) leads travelers from Negombo to Colombo-a circular tour around the tiny island to experience the best of its local cuisine 32 april 2015 32-33 AS CulinaryTours.indd 32 recommend.com 3/24/15 8:26 AM http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend April 2015

Editor’s Notes
Hawaii Hotels Offer a Menu of Culinary Options
Blue Sky Tours
Official Florida Travel Industry Education Program
Vegas Morsels
Stanton South Beach
What’s New
Let’s Eat!
Grand Lucayan, Bahamas
Great Swiss Hotels Go Gault-Millau
Culinary Journeys in Asia
African Adventures in Food & Wine
Eating Our Way Through Peru
Frame it With a Theme
Celestyal Cristal

Recommend April 2015