6 Personalities, 6 Unique Culinary Vacations Slideshow
For the Luxury-Minded Forager
Culinary Getaways has organized the ultimate food-cation for truffle-fiends. Over the course of a week in Provence, France, travelers will get to go on a truffle hunt, learn to cook with truffles and then of course, enjoy the fruits of their labors with several truffle-centric meals. Additional culinary adventures featured in this trip include a wine tasting, olive mill tour and a behind-the-scenes visit to a local patisserie.
When: January 30th – February 5th, 2011
Trip Length: 7 days, 6 nights
Price: $4000 (based on double occupancy)
For the Family that Cooks
Culinary Vacations' Secret Garden in Positano package turns culinary vacationing into a family affair. Families with children as young as three years old can spend eight days in beautiful Southern Italy learning how to make pizza, pasta, mozzarella, gelato from professional chefs. What's more, the trip includes fun cultural excursions to the area's biggest attractions like Pomeii and Capri's famed Blue Grotto.
When: Available throughout the year
Trip Length: 8 days, 7 nights
Price: $2900 per person (based on double occupancy), but children 10 years and under old are half-price, and 5 and under are free.
For the Outdoorsy Oenophile
Discover American wine country beyond California's iconic regions. EverGreen Escapes specializes in adventure travel around the Pacific Northwest, and their three-day exploration of Yamika Valley gives travelers a unique taste of Washington state wine country. Enjoy private wine tastings, tours of no less than eight vineyards, and a get-your-hands-dirty Winemaking 101 class. Of course, you can expect gourmet meals, and for brew fans, there's also a visit to Whitstran Brewing Co. thrown in for good measure.
When: December 10th – 12th, 2010
Trip Length: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: $1485 (based on double occupancy)
For the Athletic Gourmet
These vacationers know that exercise and eating aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Beautiful Italian landscape meets bike riding meets gourmet food in Italiaoutdoors' Chefs on Bikes in the Veneto. Spend a week cruising around Northeast Italy, experiencing its historic cities, and making pit stops to cook traditional Venetian dishes, enjoy private wine tastings, and tour a small local Prosecco producer.
When: June 5th – 11th, 2011
Trip Length: 7 days, 6 nights
Price: $4,699 per person (based on doubles)
For the Charitable Chocoholic
While for many, vacation is all about "me" time, there are those who think of it as a great opportunity to give back. Combine a passion for chocolate and philanthropy by volunteering to work with the ACOMUITA Indigenous Women's Project in the Talamanca region of Costa Rica. Support the local community and farmers by working with the women of the Bribri and Calbeca tribes to produce chocolate and various cookies and candies. Knowledge of the Spanish language will come in handy, but lessons are also available for a small price.
When: Year-round
Length: Minimum one week
Price: $995 for one week (opting to stay at a hotel rather than with a host family costs extra)
For the Aspiring Pitmaster on a Budget
Let's be honest, spending thousands on a lavish international culinary vacation is not always a realistic option. For a budget-friendly price, learn the finer points of competition-style barbecue at Jack's Old South Cooking School, a three-day class from world champion pitmaster Myron Mixon. The legendary barbecue expert invites travelers into his home for lessons on how to prepare everything from a whole hog to ribs, chicken, brisket, and pork.
When: January 14th to January 16th, 2011
Trip Length: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: $750 for one person (plus the cost of accommodations)