“Traveling and learning to cook” tours now attract travelers

It is wonderful if someone can travel to enjoy beautiful landscapes and learn to prepare the traditional dishes of the destination countries. That explains why “traveling and learning to cook” tours now attract a lot of travelers.
Vietnamese traditional culture and culinary art wonderful
If taking tours by Fiditour, one would be able learn how to cook some Vietnamese traditional dishes, go to the market himself to feel the atmosphere of Vietnamese traditional markets, and talk with local sellers to learn about the contents of the dishes.
The lesson on cooking last about two hours and is given by restaurant cooks in English. Travelers would feel excited when they can enjoy the dishes they prepare themselves with the guide of cooks.
Fiditour has been providing the tours that associate traveling and cooking for the last three years. Travelers would be able to learn to cook in either Hoi An ancient town, or Hue ancient citadel. Especially, it is also providing the tours that teach cooking to travelers in Cambodia.
Pham Phuc Loi, Deputy Director of Hanh Huong Viet travel firm, said that in the past, travel firms mostly targeted foreign tourists when providing the tours. However, the demand for these tours from domestic travelers has increased. Therefore, Hanh Huong Viet is considering providing the services in HCM City to serve both domestic and foreign travelers.
In late July 2011, Hanh Huong Viet would launch the program “Zen and the culinary art” for both domestic and foreign travelers at different ages. In fact, these are not really tours in the true sense of the word, because the courses will be organized in some places which have suitable space in HCM City, such as tourism sites or Long Thuan Garden.
According to Loi, women sometimes feel tired and boring to prepare meals for family. Therefore, the tour that guides the sitting in religious meditation and the art of cooking dishes would help women relax and entertain themselves.
Viet Premier Tours is now providing the 8-day tour where travelers’ demand for discovering the special characteristics of Vietnamese cuisine can be satisfied. Travelers would be taught the most special dishes of the north, central and south regions. Representative from the company said 60 percent of travelers who book this tour are foreigners.
A tour provided by Viet Premier Tours costs 24-35 million dong per traveler.
Nguyen Duy Hieu, Marketing Director of Viet Premier Tours, said that travelers like the tours which allow them to learn more about traditional culture. “The access to the Vietnamese culinary culture has encouraged more and more tourists to Vietnam,” he said.
Anna J. Campbell, a Canadian traveler is proud that she has learned how to cook a lot of Vietnamese dishes, saying that she will introduce the dishes to her Canadian friends. “I am really surprised about the way of doing cakes and about Vietnamese culture,” she said.
Meanwhile, Lan, a Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese, who settle in foreign countries), said that she feels proud of the Vietnamese culture and culinary art. “I will teach my children how to cook Vietnamese dishes, so that they never forget about their origin,” she said.
Farms in resorts
Gathering in a simple space and sitting on small wooden chairs, the members of Marie-Elise’s family from France, enjoyed banh xeo with seafood (Vietnamese crepe). While eating banh xeo, the six year old boy kept watching how his mother made the banh xeo.
The scene was seen at “Six Senses” on Con Dao Island.
Marie said she feels satisfactory about the lessons of cooking. She has learned how to cook some new dishes, at 1.7 million dong.
There is a large garden at Six Senses Ninh Van in Nha Trang city, where a lot of Vietnamese vegetables and fruits are grown. The garden not only provides materials for the resort, but also serves as the destination for the travelers who want to learn to cook in the open space. A training course, where travelers can learn to cook some basic Vietnamese dishes, costs four million dong.
The five star Ana Mandara Da Lat resort also has a vegetable garden in its campus. Lam Minh Thu, a manager, said that the garden provides clean food and serves the travelers who want to learn about Vietnamese cuisine.