Food is a major attraction and pleasure of travel. In search of new tastes and scents, foodies aka food travellers can be motivated to travel far and wide. Imagine hiking or biking long tortuous trails to be rewarded not only by a beautiful scenery on the peak of a hill, but also by a community willing to share their cooking to tired adventurers. Envision fresh catch from a river or the sea being grilled to perfection or eaten raw using the most basic ingredients that enhance the fresh flavor than overwhelm it.
Glorious food is a great reward for travel. If you are adventurous enough, you can satiate your palate and appetite as you explore wonderful destinations. If you are looking for culinary –centric package tours, you need to check out this offering by the Gorp editors in “The Seven Best Food and Wine Adventure Trips” posted in Gorp –Travel Section.
“You understand what sous-vide means. You spend hours in your local bottle shop without referring to the latest wine app. Your affection for stinky cheese is revered (and quietly cursed) by your friends and family. In short, you’re a foodie. To keep you happy—and hopefully convince others to see the world through your rosé-colored glasses—we present the best culinary-centric package trips, where adventure is capped with lots (and lots) of food and wine.
Cycling Italy’s Culinary Delights with ExperiencePlus
The best way to consume all that rich Italian cuisine without a hint of guilt? Biking through the premiere pasta region. From Cremona to Parma to Modena, you’ll taste the country’s best food—Parma ham, Parmesan cheese, homemade pasta, balsamic vinegar—wash it down with the finest wine, and pedal off any lingering guilt.”
The authors enumerated seven destinations you would want to check out:
- Italy: Pedal your way through the pasta capital of the world. Let your bicycle take you through all that Italian pasta, parmesan cheese, wine and balsamic vinegar without guilt. Bike through Italy from Cremona to Parma and Modena for a scenic tour of world-famous heritage sites while immersing yourself in Italy’s arts, history, culture, and tradition. Savoring the country’s famous foods can’t be more guiltless while burning off those extra calories pedaling from town to town. The bike tour will not only take you to great places, it will also take you to the country’s best food experiences.
- Mendoza, Andes: The heady peaks and wine combination. Mendoza is located right at the base of the renowned Andes Mountains in Argentina. It is also famous for its delicious wines and great foods that you can savor through the sunshiny months year-round. There are enough scenic sights to enjoy – Aconcagua Mountain, Horcones Lagoon, Penitentes, Uspallata, and Puente del Inca. What makes all the difference is enjoying these views while sipping local wines on a wine tour.
- Turkey: A Culinary Gulet Cruise. The cruise onboard a gullet, a wooden sailing vessel, is already one unforgettable experience for any traveller. Exploring Turkey’s renowned landmarks – Kaunos and Lydae among others – is an icing to the experience. The main attraction for foodies? It is the experience of hopping on shore to gather all ingredients in local markets and shops, prepping them with Turkish families or in local eateries, and transforming them onboard into Mediterranean dishes under the guidance of a Serdar, a Turkish archaeologist who has a great passion for Turkish gastronomy. Serdar will make sure you get enough doses of history while whipping and enjoying the exotic dish in a most stunning ambiance.
- Napa Valley: Trek your through the wine country. This offers another way to travel and to enjoy the great wines and food of the wine country while burning off all those calories you consume along the way. The trek will take you across Napa Valley from Yountville to St. Helena and Calistoga. Along the way, you can explore state parks and do lots of wine tasting (and drinking) as you visit famed wineries. Indulge in some of the most exceptional vintage wines and unforgettable dinners in first-rate restaurants, and go home satiated and happy without an ounce of guilt.
- Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, Montana: Flavors of the West. Who doesn’t miss or dream a taste of the West? Here at the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, you’ll get to reconnect with the West, its land and everything glorious about it, while giving gourmet a new meaning. Imagine horseback riding, rafting, fly fishing or simply hiking or wading in a stream in a stunning, rugged countryside, and you’ll certainly work out a big appetite. Kids can enjoy something for their age – pool, spa, entertainment and hammocks under the big Mountain Sky. Satisfying that appetite is the crux of the experience in this part of Montana as it delivers fine dining “on a silver platter.”
- Northern Spain: Stimulating your senses at every turn. There is more to Spain than Barcelona, Madrid or Seville. Think of Northern Spain and its charming villages. If you have the adventurous spirit and the energy, there are healthy ways to explore the region and enjoy its culinary offerings: hike, bike and join wine tours. These ways will take you to multisensory discoveries – the sound of the beautiful language, the distinctive aromas of herbs, spices and a wide array of mouthwatering treats and drink, and the opportunity to mingle with the locals and be absorbed by their colorful culture.
- Chile and Argentina: A Gourmet Adventure. For foodies, a food adventure does not only offer a taste of great food and wine. It must also be a source of new experiences and lessons to learn. A gastronomic tour of Chile and Argentina can give you more than that; it gives you inspirations to go on cooking, eating and travelling. This tour will take you to amazing destinations such as Mendoza and Maipo Valley wine regions and an estancia (ranch) stopover in Uruguay for some scrumptious barbecue.
So when’s your next travel? Having a hard time deciding your destination? Pick from any of these seven suggestions if you want a rewarding and gastronomic icing to your travel adventure.
