Cuisine As Gateway to Culture:
Asia Transpacific Journeys Serves Up Culinary Adventures
Boulder, CO, September 5, 2007 – For some folks learning the secrets of making great Pad Thai is a better introduction to Thai culture than Bangkok’s glittering Grand Palace. A growing appetite among the traveling cognoscenti for authentic cuisine and the secrets of its preparation has inspired Asia Transpacific Journeys http://www.asiatranspacific.com to craft custom travel itineraries that feature the culinary traditions of China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
“Cooking can be a lens into a culture’s history and heritage in the same way that a study of its dance or music can be the focus of insight. Culinary traditions are a defining trait of a culture, so preparing an authentic meal is immersing your senses in the land,” says Marilyn Downing-Staff, CEO of the company that is the definitive expert in travel to Asia and the Pacific Rim for the past 20 years.
Chinese cuisine has been enjoyed around the globe for centuries. Thai, Indian and Vietnamese cuisines have gained justifiable renown throughout the western world in the past few decades. The culinary traditions of Laos are less well known, but no less compelling—they blend Asian influences with classical French techniques, a holdover from colonial times.
Trips usually balance an emphasis on food with insightful cultural explorations. A culinary tour of Thailand could thus visit glittering temples, UNESCO World Heritage sites, tribal people in remote villages, and experiences local arts and performances. Additionally, travelers meander through open-air markets to see the fresh-caught fish, exotic vegetables and fruit, and the lemongrass, spices and coconut that infuse so much of Thailand’s glorious cuisine.
Then they roll up their sleeves to attend fun, informal cooking classes, learn the secrets of preparation, and sample their own creations. Itineraries often feature visits to Asia’s best restaurants, and beautiful boutique-hotel style accommodations in traditional style. Downing-Staff says that departures can, by request, involve meeting local food experts and/or celebrity chefs.
“The culinary traveler that has savored Tuscany or Bordeaux is now looking to Asia as a place that combines world-class cuisine with incredible cultural wealth,” she says. “We arrange wonderful customized culinary explorations throughout Asia. Our travelers learn to make dumplings at a family’s home in China, a vegetarian curry at a farm in South India, and traditional noodle soup at a restaurant in Vietnam.”
Per person land cost for a Custom Journey starts at $300 per person per day, which includes accommodations, nearly all meals, transfers, visa fees, entrance fees, medical and emergency insurance and a comprehensive pre-departure packet. Asia Transpacific Journeys can also arrange international air through its in-house air department.
Asia Transpacific Journeys has been crafting private Custom Journeys and Small Group Trips to the Asia/Pacific region since 1987. Their regional expertise also makes them the operator of choice for dozens of America’s most demanding universities and museums.
For 2007 / 2008 Asia Transpacific Journeys itineraries of Small Group Trips and Custom Journeys encompass over 20 countries in North Asia, South Asia, SE Asia and the Pacific. Some trips also support global conservation and cultural preservation. Asia Transpacific Journeys own non-profit Asia Transpacific Foundation, established in 1998, works with rural Asian communities to provide clean drinking water through locally made ceramic water filters.
About Asia Transpacific Journeys
Asia Transpacific Journeys is a Boulder, Colorado-based tour operator specializing in custom journeys and small group trips to Asia and the Pacific region since 1987. Outstanding service, long-standing connections in Asia and deeply insightful cultural interpretation make them the operator of choice for the American Museum of Natural History, The Harvard and Yale alumni associations, the World Wildlife Fund, and discerning individuals, their families and friends. Asia Transpacific Journeys is the recipient of three “Top Travel Specialists” awards for 2007 from Condé Nast Traveler magazine. For more information visit http://www.AsiaTranspacific.com
Press Contact:
Sara Widness | sara@widnesspr.com | 802 234 6704
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