Eat Well, Be Happy On Your Vacation

The world is a grand place. There are endless opportunities to explore and experience different cultures, histories and landscapes. There are endless options available for traveling, from local or national, to around the world, and there is something to cater to for any budget. But there is one thing that no matter how or where you go, that always unites people and makes any vacation that much more special. That one thing is food. Did you know you can make food your focus for a vacation?

Tourism and travel in general have many facets from the big picture to the finer details which cater to the varied palates of travelers. One aspect includes vacations based on culinary experiences. A culinary tour, whether you travel with a guide or independent, brings you up close and personal

to a regions foods. You go beyond eating national dishes and regional favorites, there is more to explore than specific foods known in different destinations. You can learn how to cook in a specific style. You can take the opportunity to bring home the know how to recreate a dish taught to you by experts in their field. And with these opportunities, you can truly get to know the spirit of a place, the heart of the people.

France and Italy have become known as European food meccas where you can receive cooking lessons from renowned chefs in a many locations. Culinary tours go beyond Europe though, you can journey through culinary tours across Asia, the United States, and the Middles East as well. Anyone who has a love of food can take a vacation to enjoy all that a particular region or style of food offers.

Beyond cooking lessons, when you take a culinary tour you get in depth, behind the scenes experiences such as taking a trip to local markets with a personal chef where you can see firsthand where they get the best of their local ingredients. The spice bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey is a feast not only for the eyes but full of exotic aromas as well. 

There are opportunities to tour vineyards that are hundreds of years old, and take a course in wine making. In Portugal you can even get a pampered spa day with wine therapy which uses grapes and other parts of the plant for skin care. 

Take a step back in time in Greece and join in the annual olive harvesting, partaking in long standing traditions from harvesting of the trees to pressing the fragrant olive oil by stone. 

Croatia, home of incredible truffles offers you a chance to go truffle hunting at night with a local farmer and his dog. Imagine the quiet calm of the dark forest and the treasure to be found. 

Photo Zhaffsky

Back here in the states, take a trip to Louisiana for a top rated cook vacation all about creole and Cajun food. These extraordinary comfort foods will be beckoning you to learn and taste all day long.

Photo Nicole Tarazona -

Do you love tea? You can fully immerse yourself in the history and culture of tea in China. There is an international tea festival and tours which give you hands on teach to pick the right tea leaves for a fragrant and tasty blend.

See for yourself the bustling fish market and taste the fruits of your labor as you learn to roll your own sushi from a master in Japan.

Whatever you love about food, if you want to go deeper in understanding that which you love and create a lifelong memory, a culinary tour could be just for you. When it comes to leisure travel, you are the focus, what you want to experience is what we at C.P. Trips will help you plan. For a small fee we will help your vacation dreams comes true. Check out our Website page, Vacation Ideas for You, which is updated regularly for more ideas. Call us at 503-658-5646 or email at cptrips@aol.com for more information.

HAPPY EATING!