Oriental flavours with Imaginative Traveller

Although you’ll know Chinese and Indian food and even Thai and Vietnamese from the restaurants and takeaways that populate every High Street – there’s nothing like visiting the country of origin and sampling the real thing.

A new range of special interest escorted tours from Imaginative Traveller focus on the food and cuisine of Vietnam, Thailand, China and India.

On A Taste of Vietnam tour, for example, travellers will discover the country’s French and Chinese culinary influences.

Highlights in Hanoi include a food stall supper, plus shopping with a local chef in the markets before cooking dinner and tucking into the results.

While at Halong Bay it will be a fresh seafood lunch – with ingredients bought from local fishermen – served on board a traditional junk, whilst cruising amongst the spectacular limestone islands.

Hue highlights include eating at Lac Thien a family-run restaurant serving regional specialities including banh khoai (Hue pancakes) while at Hoi An there’s a cookery demo at a riverside restaurant and a chance to try local cuisine such as grilled tuna cooked in banana leaf.

Moving on, it’s the French/Vietnamese owned eco resort of Whale Island – where the chefs serve fabulous fusion dishes – for two days of relaxation before tackling Saigon where intrepid gourmands can try snake, scorpion and rat, if they dare.

Finally, for a real local flavour, there’s a trip into the Mekong Delta and a stay with a family where guests are invited to help in preparing dinner that will be consumed with rice wine.

The first departure is on 21 June and costs £1,629 plus US$265 (around £133) local payment, including return travel from Heathrow – and two internal flights – 13 nights’ accommodation (hotels, cruise ship in Halong Bay and a homestay), plus most meals.

For more information, visit Imaginative-traveller.com.