5 Unmissable Foodie Experiences

Food glorious food: 5 unmissable foodie experiences

As any foodie worth their salt knows, dining out is much more than just the food served on your plate. So when we chose our five favourite food and drink experiences, we looked for places that go beyond the menu. And we found some pretty extraordinary places.

1. A tomato-fest in Iceland

Few people can say they’ve dined in an Icelandic greenhouse, surrounded by tomatoes. And we’d be lying if we said lunch at Fridheimar Greenhouse wasn’t ever so slightly surreal. As well as seeing how they grow Mediterranean vegetables using clean geothermal energy, you’ll feast on tomato-based dishes, served among the tomato plants. Even the desserts feature tomatoes (tomato ice cream anyone?), washed down with a refreshing tomato beer, or tomato schnapps. Or go classic with a homemade Bloody Mary.  Even the coffee is served with tomato syrup (yep, seriously). We won’t blame you if you don’t want to see another tomato on the rest of your time on our Aurora & Adventure in Iceland trip.

2. A Bedouin desert feast
Gazing skywards at the UFO camp in Wadi Rum on our Desert to Dead Sea in Jordan trip may have you dreaming about stars and distant planets, but one of the dishes served at dinner is out of this world too. Zarb, the Bedouin answer to BBQ, is not only delicious but its preparation is also pretty memorable.  For centuries, Bedouins across the whole Arabian Peninsula cooked their food underground in earthen ovens.  Today, lamb, chicken, vegetables and rice are slow-cooked in a BBQ rack beneath the desert sands and then ceremoniously dug up and presented to diners.  

3. Dine with villagers in the Himalayas
Whoever said a decent meal needed to be in a restaurant has clearly never been fortunate enough to eat halfway through a four-day Himalayan trek. On our Mountain Vistas & River Quests in Nepal trip, you’ll stop for lunch in a village house flung high in the Annapurna mountains to sample local specialities. If you can tear your eyes from the sweeping panoramas around you, you’ll watch a demonstration of how sel roti bread, a Nepalese sweet doughnut, and rice wine are made.

4. Secret cave dining in Bali 
Picture a gorgeous white sand Bali beach, then imagine discovering a hidden cave just off the shore prettily set up for a memorable dinner under a canopy of lanterns. Dedicated chefs cook up a delicious menu of meat, seafood and vegetable options from the barbeque to a soundtrack of waves breaking on the shore. If you’re lucky, you might catch the sunset from your secret cave hideaway. It’s just one of the extra-special experiences lined up on our Sunrises & Summits in Bali trip.

5. Wine tasting in Slovenia’s Little Tuscany
Take to two wheels and cycle the glorious hills of Goriska Brda (fondly known as Slovenia’s Little Tuscany) where grapevines, olive groves and cherry orchards cling to the hillsides. What it lacks in reputation compared to some of Europe’s notorious wine-producing regions, it more than makes up for in picture-perfect beauty and excellent produce. On our Epic Outdoor Adventures in Slovenia trip, you’ll visit a Goriska Brda wine cellar to sample their exemplary vino. And a few days later you’ll be feasting like a king at Ljubljana Castle, a medieval fortress.