For those who delight in the subtle and delectable art of savouring the flavours of the world, there is no more relaxed way than to make a holiday of it! Tell us what you enjoy, and we will be happy to help you supplement your wider sightseeing with a sensory feast of the regions’ edible wonders.

Southeast Asia, with such a fantastic array of delicate tastes gathered from long historical traditions blended and seasoned with the rich cultural interplay of peoples and their produce, offers a sophisticated culinary repertoire, awaiting the delightful discovery and initiation of the travelling palate.

Dining options abound and the region has a great many high class restaurants which will provide the great dishes magnificently presented and served with all the ambience of fine dining in the international style. As well as traditional dishes, many restaurants are highly regarded for their exotic modern fusion cuisine, their star chefs interpreting local dishes with the finest culinary influences from all over the globe.

Many culinary aficionados however prefer to experience the truly authentic tastes of the orient by sampling the food of its myriad street vendors, marketplaces, or visiting the most revered of the restaurants used by locals, many of which offer unique and original recipes.

If you enjoy cooking, whether in a professional or amateur capacity, an insightful way to explore the culinary landscape is by including a cooking class within your tour itinerary.

These types of excursion not only provide a great opportunity to enjoy authentic local flavours, but also, under the guidance of an expert local chef, you’ll visit a market to enjoy the fun of bargaining for your ingredients before learning the preparation and cooking skills involved in producing good Asian food.

When you return, you are sure to be able to impress your friends back home with your cultural depth, by presenting an authentic and stylish dinner.

Another popular way for travellers to ensure authenticity is to enjoy a homestay, spending a night in a local house as the guests of the family, an interesting cultural meeting opportunity on many levels, and one which will always culminate in a meal prepared by your hosts.

Chinese and Thai food are, of course, the most famous internationally of the cuisines of Southeast Asia, and very successfully marketed throughout the world through restaurants and supermarkets, but the trendy new wave of Asian and Fusion cuisine is penetrating ever more deeply into the rich culinary heritage of all the countries of the region, and the delights of the Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian and Malay culinary cultures are increasingly becoming the focus of knowledgeable travellers, top chefs and television programmers.

This predominance of the popularity of Thai dishes internationally also belies the fact that many of Thailand’s dishes themselves owe much to the influence of the cuisines of neighbouring countries and also ultimately derive from the ancient Khmer empire which once ruled over almost the entire region from Angkor in present day Cambodia. Even within countries, distinct regional and ethnic variations in cultural legacy have given rise to a complex subtlety in undertones of flavour and textural nuances.