Cooking holidays, vacations, tours in Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Peru and Portugal:

Active Gourmet Holidays . . .
Cooking Holidays in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal

Active Gourmet Holidays offers much more than conventional vacations - rather, they provide unforgettable getaways that nourish the senses, refuel the body and replenish the spirit.

Whether it be learning to master local dishes from a renowned chef in the heart of Provence, biking amidst the spectacular red poppy fields of Chianti, or tasting fine Tuscan wines from the Brunello region, Active Gourmet Holidays offers the perfect escape.

• Sample the world's finest cuisine
• Savour internationally renowned wines
• Step inside different cultures

Creating Active Gourmet Holidays has allowed founder Jo-Ann Gaidosz to share her passions by being able to combine all of her favourite things into unique and unforgettable holidays. Also, by offering outdoor activities, such as biking the coast of Saint Tropez or hiking the Italian Riviera, Active Gourmet Holidays affords you the opportunity to stay fit - all the while indulging in the gastronomic delicacies your palate desires!

• Culinary instruction for both the sophisticated and casual cook
• Combination holidays for those who enjoy variety or for traveling companions with different interests - Cooking and Biking or Hiking, Italian Lessons and Cooking, Food and Wine, Painting and Cooking
• Visits to famous vineyards and local food producers
• Small groups so as to offer a more intimate setting

If you have a passion for travel, enjoy the outdoors and possess a love for food and fine wines, read on to learn about theri enticing selection of tempting escapes - exciting itineraries, a mix of breathtaking destinations and a varied price range. With Active Gourmet Holidays you can enjoy the hidden pleasures of a foreign land like never before!

Do you crave the extraordinary?

< Mexico > < Morocco > < Spain > < Peru > < Portugal >

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Cooking with Rashida - 5 nights

Join Rashida for hands-on organic cooking classes at her beach villa in an open kitchen facing the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea.

Rashida will teach you delicious dishes that are healthy, easy and fun. During your lessons you will learn dishes from Lebanon, France, Spain and North Africa, where Rashida was born, specifically in Algeria.

Rashida has not had formal training but is not an amateur. Her love and passion for cooking will become apparent as she teaches you nutritional and healthy dishes that are also delicious!

Rashida has traveled the world and has lived in Paris, Provence, Geneva, London, Buenos Aires, Mauritius Island, Beirut and finally moved to Marbella, Spain in 1984. She speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish!

For more than 2 years Rashida is a regular guest on a show called "The Main Ingredients" where she speaks on the healthy Mediterranean cooking and eating and has written articles on the so-called Mediterranean Diet. She also is an advanced Toastmaster speaker giving speeches in clubs and schools.

You will stay in a charming boutique hotel in the heart of the Old Town of Marbella. The 150 year old house has been fully refurbished and its 4 suites have been decorated with the finest Asian style. Soft music, birds singing, the sound of a fountain and as well the sound of silence, makes the hotel an oasis of tranquility and peace. From the top terrace guests can relax and enjoy stunning views from the Sierra Blance, Old Town (XIV Century) and Arab Walls (IX Century).

Available year round

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

A Taste of Seville - Seville - 3 or 6 nights

For those of you who have an appreciation for exquisite gastronomy and mouthwatering wines, take the cultural plunge into Seville. Learn to cook a typical Andalusian meal, explore amazing cities, taste sherry and visit food producers. Elegant restaurants, aromatic food markets, spectacular towns and exciting excursions.

In her recent book Cooking School Holidays respected Australian food writer Jenni Muir has recommended A Taste of Seville as one of the top twenty-five cooking school / food and wine programs in the world. Her book is an illustrated and exceptional guide to vacations for food lovers at the world's top cooking schools selected for their idyllic location and excellent teaching facilities.

A Taste of Seville has introduced several wine tours to its program this year. The Seville program now includes a day trip to Ronda, where up and coming red wines are being produced, visits to three wine producers and a tasting menu at one of the region's best restaurants. The rest of the itinerary involves either three or six nights in Seville, excursions to Jerez and Sanlucar, olive oil tastings and, for the longer itinerary, market visits and two days' cooking.

Visit Seville, the magnificent and historic city in southern Spain, where life is lived to the fullest and where eating and drinking are taken very seriously. This holiday, offered in either a three or six night itinerary, offers you unrivalled gastronomy, incredible wines, food and cultural visits and fun loving visits to tapas bars and exquisite restaurants. If you choose the six night holiday, you will have the opportunity to participate in two cookery classes as well as visit an olive oil mill dating back to 1755. This holiday is for those who have a passion for food and wine and for those who wish to learn the traditions and culture of this very special city.

Available January to June, September to December - Monday to Sunday

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

Culinary Delights of Andalusia - 3 or 6 nights

Iznájar is a small hilltop Moorish village overlooking a romantic turquoise-coloured lake lies in Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas in the southern part of Córdoba province. It is an incredibly beautiful region and yet it is still relatively unexplored. The rugged mountains, picturesque valleys, and a forest with mature Holm oaks, wild olives and maples providing a shelter for a variety of flora and fauna such as the wild cats, eagles, vultures and wild daffodils. Yet the major cities such as Granada, Córdoba, Málaga and Jaén are within easy reach, making this a perfect base to enjoy the cultural and historical wealth of the area.

Finca Las Encinas, an Andalusian Finca (farmhouse) enjoys a magical setting surrounded by breathtaking views: unspoilt landscape of rolling hills, valleys covered with Almond blossoms, fields of wild coriander and wild asparagus… it is the real Andalusia. 150 year old Finca Las Encinas has been tastefully restored to a high specification while retaining the charm and original rustic characters with plenty of cosy nooks and crannies for the guests to enjoy. Shying away from the showy extravagance, the setting is very intimate, homely, and idyllic. The cuisine of this region, the home of the world’s finest olive oil, is characterized by its vibrant colours, rich aromas, and full of sensual and complex flavours, featuring the heavy use of olive oil. You will also have the pleasure of cooking seasonally with vegetables and herbs that are organically grown on the Finca’s land or purchased directly from the local farmers. The freshest ingredients are carefully prepared to bring out their virtues - that is Andalusian cooking.

Your host chef Clive has been a professional Chef specialising in the Mediterranean cuisine (and now Andalusian) for over 20 years with distinguished careers in gourmet cuisine in the United Kingdom. His passion for finest food and wine led to embark on his own cooking retreat in rural Andalusia with his wife Maki in 2005. The fun-filled cooking session is casual, informative and very hands-on, usually based around the preparation of three-course menu, mostly classic Andalusian and Mediterranean fare as well as some signature dishes. Olive oil is fundamental to the cuisine of this region and you will learn to appreciate its various flavours in the dishes you will be learning to cook while you are here. His sense of humour and his laid-back style will assist to increase your confidence in cooking and inspire your imagination.

Available year round

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

The Legacy of Al Andalus - 7 nights

The Legacy of Al Andalus will enable you to discover and explore the abundant history and culture of three of the most enchanting cities in the region, Seville, Granada and Córboba - especially in its exceptional food and wine. In Andalusia, life is lived to the fullest and eating and drinking are taken very seriously. This holiday offers you unrivalled gastronomy, incredible wines, food and cultural visits.

Andalusia is the most southernmost region of Spain in the Iberian Peninsula. Due to the succession of invasions by the Phoenicians to Romans, Andalusian history is quite different to that of other parts of Spain. But it is the Moors who have left the most striking marks on Andalusian culture and customs. They had ruled the region for almost 800 years and named Andalusia 'al-Andalus'.

The legacy of al-Andalus is visible in its landscape, artistic and cultural heritage, scientific culture, architectural monuments from the tiniest villages to the astonishingly beautiful masterpieces of Córboba, Granada and Sevilla. The Moors were particularly fascinated by the natural wealth of al-Andalus and cultivated the land with olives, citrus fruits, figs, vines, almonds, saffron.... which are still the principal ingredients in Spanish, particularly Andalusian cuisine of today.

As a result of a long and varied history with the diverse cultures that have remained in different eras, there are very few cities in the world that can compare with the seductive charms of these ancient cities, Córboba, Granada and Sevilla.

Available year round

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

Wine and Gastronomy in Seville - 7 nights

In her recent book, "Cooking School Holidays," respected Australian food writer Jenni Muir has recommended these tours as one of the top 25 cooking school/food and wine programs in the world. Her book is an illustrated and exceptional guide to vacations for food lovers at the world's top cooking schools selected for their idyllic location and excellent teaching facilities.

Visit Seville, the magnificent and historic city in southern Spain, where life is lived to the fullest and where eating and drinking are taken very seriously. This holiday offers you unrivalled gastronomy, incredible wines, food and cultural visits and fun loving visits to tapas bars and exquisite restaurants. This holiday is for those who have a passion for food and wine and for those who wish to learn the traditions and culture of this very special city.

Available year round

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

The Flavours of Spain - 6 nights

You will begin your stay in Barcelona where a charming hotel awaits you with a warm welcome. During the first three days you will see some of Gaudí's creations, the Gothic Old Quarter, the oldest food shops and markets, and most importantly, you will discover a cuisine that is unique, imaginative and varied. Through combinations called "Surf and Turf' or fish and meat the Catalan chefs are able to marry both worlds resulting in sophisticated dishes which would seem to have been designed by Dalí himself!

Madrid, the vibrant and modern capital of Spain, will surprise you with its majestic historical quarters and magnificent avenues, monuments, gardens, with a large variety of cultural activities and excellent taverns and restaurants.

Just an hour from Madrid lies the impressive city of Segovia. You will be amazed at the monumental size of the 2,000 year old Roman aqueduct. This city is home to the most peculiar “Asadores” where you will taste delicious Castilian specialties cooked in huge wood fired ovens.

We will also journey north to Castilla y León, Spanish leader in wine and birthplace of one of the most acclaimed Designations of Origin for wine, “Ribera del Duero”, that will surprise you with beautiful historic and medieval towns with massive castles and ancient fortifications dating to Roman times. We will visit the IXth century Peñafiel Castle which rises on what in the Middle Ages was the border between Arab and Christian lands, on a hill overlooking the Duero. Inside its Wine Museum we will show you an interesting display on the culture of wine.

During this culinary route you will also enjoy some cooking classes at prestigious cooking schools to bring you up to date on the most traditional recipes of Spanish cuisines. We will also enjoy tapas tours, to learn about this famous Spanish way of enjoying small portions of many different specialties accompanied with wine or refreshing beer. Snacking and drinking your way from bar to bar is incredibly Spanish and lots of fun!

Available year round

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

Cycling Medieval Catalonia - 6 nights

This 7 day / 6 night Medieval Villages Cycling tour is a perfect way to explore the quieter and less travelled areas of this fascinating region of Catalonia.

The tour starts in Girona city and winds its way gently through the undulating and ever changing scenery of the Baix Emporda. All of the cycling takes place on quiet country roads that are part of the Baix Emporda Cycle Network. The network has been developed to allow cyclists to fully enjoy the splendours of this area.

The tour follows the cycling network and finishes in the charming medieval village of Madremanya. Your luggage will be transported for you from hotel to hotel so you can relax and enjoy the cycling to its fullest. The accommodation provided is staying in 3 & 4 star hotels, including breakfast with your stay and four evening meals – two at the Hotel Llevant in Llafranc and two at the La Placa in Madremanya.

Each day’s ride is approximately 40 km and covers terrain that is mostly flat with rolling hills, so you can pace yourself to stop and enjoy the views. Each day, after arriving at your hotel, there are plenty of great cycling options to explore the local areas further. These rides range from 20 to 40 kilometres, so if you have enough energy to ‘see a little more’ then each area is well worth exploring. You will be provided with detailed maps and route plans to help you on your way.

Each day from your accommodation base you will explore the beautiful scenery of the Baix Emporda region of Catalonia, cycling the selected highlights of the well sign posted Cycle Network. Additionally, you will cycle a variety of stunning rides that will clearly explain why this area of Europe is renowned as a cyclist’s paradise!

Available year round

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

The Cuisine of Catalonia - 4 nights

Enjoy professional hands-on cooking classes with the renowned Chef Vicenç Fajardo. Traditional Catalan cooking will be the basis of the classes. The program focuses on fun and informative cooking lessons with a chef who is not just a professional, but who is friendly and who will make you feel right at home from the beginning discovering this wonderful cuisine.

Chef Fajardo has a diploma from the North Point Institute in Tafe a Brisbane, Australia, where he stayed a few years, and from the cooking school Sant Narcis of Girona, Spain, he started working in some wonderful restaurants in Catalonia such as Fonda Caner, Sa Punta and Arcs de Monells.

In 1998 Chef Fajardo started working in the very famous restaurant La Cuina de Can Pipes where he became the chef after a few years.

The program also shows the influences of all the historical periods of Catalonia, like the Roman invasion, and the Arabic and Jewish and its influence on gastronomy. You will be taught about this New Creative Cuisine which makes Catalonia so famous, and its origins.

Your accommodation is a beautiful 4* Star hotel in a very pictorial village called Madremanya, with a perfectly well preserved medieval architecture. It is surrounded by nature, very close to the city of Girona on one side and the sea on the other.

Upon your arrival you will be welcomed by the owners and shown to your rooms. The warm colours of this 15th century farmhouse, the perfume of the fields in the neighbourhoods and the lights will allure you immediately. The hotel has 4 Suites, as well as 3 doubles bedrooms including one with a terrace. The Suites and the bedrooms are decorated with care and taste, and each have a chimney, bathroom and living room. You will also enjoy a beautiful garden, and a large swimming pool.

Available March to June and September to October – Monday to Friday

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

Gourmet Rioja - 4 nights

Welcome to La Rioja, internationally famous region for its acclaimed wines and gastronomy. Join us for an outstanding gourmet wine vacation, tailor-made for groups or individuals who enjoy excellent wine and amazing food. Visit La Rioja, one of the most famous and prestigious wine-producing areas in the world.

We visit an amazing range of wineries, all different with their own special features, from Chateaux-style and traditional wineries to boutique or avant-garde wineries all regarded as the current leaders in both the New Rioja and the Traditional Rioja. Winemakers and winery owners will guide you through their prestigious estates explaining their unique wine-making methods and sampling their renowned wines with you.

A truly remarkable tutored wine tasting will be arranged in an incomparable setting and a fantastic culinary demonstration conducted by the President of the oldest Riojan gastronomy society followed by a delicious dinner in a Riojan mansion. Our optional professional tasting conducted by experts of Iberico ham, different extra virgin olive
oils and Spanish cheese.

Gastronomy plays an important role in our thrilling wine journey. You will experience delicious gourmet meals in top wineries overlooking the vineyards, private clubs and distinguished traditional restaurants. Renowned cooks will entertain you with their typical regional meals and new innovative culinary creations. The one and only calle laurel will offer us unique small delicacies called Tapas. A unique cooking demonstration guided by reputable local chefs will demonstrate how the Riojan gastronomy has evolved.

For accommodations you will be staying in a beautiful building founded as a convent, now its walls house a lovely hotel in which it is a true privilege to be a guest and a carefully selected boutique hotel, beautifully decorated with a truly impeccable service.

The visit to The Dinastia Vivanco Museum is a must on our tours. A privileged guided tour through the history and culture of wine not only in Spain but also in Europe.

We have also included a guided walking tour of two amazing cities and a unique medieval village full of wine history, landmarks, historic mansions, glorious views of the Cantabrian Mountains and surrounded by a valley of vineyards.

If you want to visit remarkable wineries, sample splendid wines, enjoy unforgettable meals in gorgeous surroundings, improve your knowledge about the history and culture of wine combined with striking medieval village tours, in one of the most tourist-free areas in Spain: La Rioja, this a journey that you must not miss.

Available May and October / Year round custom departures

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

La Rioja Wine Festival - 4 nights

Welcome to La Rioja, internationally famous region for its acclaimed wines and gastronomy. Join us for an outstanding gourmet wine vacation, tailor-made for groups or individuals who enjoy excellent wine and amazing food. Visit La Rioja, one of the most famous and prestigious wine-producing areas in the world.

We visit an amazing range of wineries, all different with their own special features, from Chateaux-style and traditional wineries to boutique or avant-garde wineries all regarded as the current leaders in both the New Rioja and the Traditional Rioja. Winemakers and winery owners will guide you through their prestigious estates explaining their unique wine-making methods and sampling their renowned wines with you.

Gastronomy plays an important role in our thrilling wine journey. You will experience delicious gourmet meals in top wineries overlooking the vineyards, private clubs and distinguished traditional restaurants. Renowned cooks will entertain you with their typical regional meals and new innovative culinary creations.

For accommodations you will be staying in a beautiful building founded as a convent, now its walls house a lovely hotel in which it is a true privilege to be a guest and a carefully selected boutique hotel, beautifully decorated with a truly impeccable service.

The visit to The Dinastia Vivanco Museum is a must on our tours. A privileged guided tour through the history and culture of wine not only in Spain but also in Europe. After visiting this astonishing temple of wine you will be delighted with a truly outstanding gourmet lunch.

We have also included a guided walking tour of two amazing cities and a unique medieval village full of wine history, landmarks, historic mansions, glorious views of the Cantabrian Mountains and surrounded by a valley of vineyards.

If you want to visit remarkable wineries, sample splendid wines, enjoy unforgettable meals in gorgeous surroundings, improve your knowledge about the history and culture of wine combined with striking medieval village tours, in one of the most tourist-free areas in Spain: La Rioja, this a journey that you must not miss.

Available September 17-21 / Year round custom departures

For further information see the Active Gourmet Holidays web site - click here

Refúgio da Vila Cooking School - 7 nights

Indulge in the provincial tastes of the Alentejo during a seven-day gastronomic experience at Refúgio da Vila's Cooking School. Visit local markets, enjoy famous regional wines and learn the secrets of fantastic Portuguese cooking.

Located just one hour from the Spanish border and ninety minutes from Lisbon, lies the romantic Refúgio da Vila Cooking School. Spend your week indulging in the delicious Mediterranean cuisine of Portugal as you learn hands-on cooking techniques using the local flavors and herbs of the Alentejo. Because life is so unhurried here, you will savor the beauty of this unspoiled region. The specially designed kitchen, with a fireplace for baking Portuguese breads and curing sausages, is an ideal atmosphere for cooking instruction. Your exquisitely furnished room only complements this spectacular escape where you will learn to love this hidden treasure of a country and its kind and friendly people.

Available April to June, October - Sunday to Sunday

For further information see the On The Menu web site - click here

Cooking with Port Wine - 6 nights

Portugal is an amazing country with so much to offer: wonderful wines, including the famous Ports, a vast selection of cheeses, the very best in cuisine, ancient villages with cobblestone streets and best of all, the people. Portugal was by far one of my best European experiences. I was amazed at the diversity of the landscapes, the history and beauty of the people in this very small, but very abundant country.

Here you will learn about the famous Port wines as well as using them in your cooking lessons. Stay in gorgeous accommodations and enjoy excursions where you will be immersed in this wonderful country, visiting renowned points of interest and getting a true feel for this secret of a country.

The Manor House dates back XIV century and has remained in the same family since then. It is one of the few architectural examples that have resisted in the region.

The baroque chapel with a “Manueline” style window is a unique example of that period in the region. The main façade of the manor house, the Maltese cross, and the cross of the order of Christ of the Portuguese Crusades, are same of the hidden features of the history of this house.

Just 30 minutes away from Oporto and airport, has a lodging capacity for 30 people, and it is composed by a main house, the patio house, wine cellar/gallery, 5 hectares of vine, 6 of bush, swimming pools, herb's plantation, gardens and the Eira's House.

Available April to June, October - Sunday to Sunday

For further information see the On The Menu web site - click here

Day of the Dead Mexican Cooking - 6 nights

Officially observed on November 1st and 2nd, the Day of the Dead is at once an homage to the presence of the dead among the living and a colorful tribute to Mexico's dual Spanish-Indian heritage. Participants in the Day of the Dead will experience this festival in an exclusive array of hands-on sessions with village women and two of the country's most sophisticated chefs.

We begin four days before the actual holiday, immersing you in the preparations for the holiday, which include building our own altar, cooking the traditional foods for the holiday, and joining our neighbors in the processions Tepoztlán is known for. With art historian Janet Dawson in residence throughout, this workshop includes a museum trip to the artistic jewels of nearby Cuernavaca, a day trip to the pottery village of Tlayacapan, famous for its altars, and en route back to Mexico City for a final celebratory night, stops at the famous cemetery of Ocotepec, the justly celebrated market of Coyoacán and Frida Kahlo's house on the outskirts of the city.

Accommodation for the first five nights is at Hacienda Clemente Jacques, a stunning hillside retreat with pool and tennis court on the outskirts of the village. The last night you will stay at the JW Marriott in posh Polanco.

Available October 28 - November 3

For further information see the On The Menu web site - click here

Mexican Cooking with Chef Ana - 4 or 7 nights

Chef Ana Garcia is your host and chief instructor throughout the week. Chef Garcia, a native of Cuernavaca, learned the art of Mexican cuisine from traditional family methods passed down from generation to generation. With her traditional experience Chef Ana likes to expand upon that base by using traditional Mexican ingredients in new and interesting gourmet combinations. She is currently the head chef and owner of "La Mesa de Ana", a restaurant located on the grounds of La Villa Bonita which showcases Chef Garcia's incredible cuisine. Chef Ana is also starring in her first national television series in 2008.

La Villa Bonita program is a combination of hands-on instruction and informative culinary and cultural field trips in and around Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca. The week-long package runs from Sunday to the following Sunday and the 4-day package dates run from Sunday to Thursday. The culinary program is geared to give students a full working knowledge of how to prepare traditional and nouvelle Mexican dishes, salsas and condiments, and drinks from the simple to the complicated.

Field trips include excursions to the Mercado (the market) for instruction on how to select the best fresh Mexican ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, spices, and meats. Students learn alongside native residents in making their time-tested, traditional recipes, as well as explore the nuances of the Mexican Nouvelle Cuisine with Chef Ana.

Other field trips from which our guests can choose include visits to villages in the state of Morelos to experience Mexican life and tradition in the small town environment. During Mexican holidays, the program includes traditional seasonal dishes pertinent to the particular holiday. All classes are in English and/or Spanish depending on the preferences of our students. Chef Garcia also speaks French.

La Villa Bonita School of Mexican Cuisine is located in a beautiful 6 bedroom house on the upsweep of the Tepozteco mountains. We are walking distance from the path to the Tepozteco pyramid and the major restaurant section of Tepoztlan. We are also 20 minutes from Cuernavaca. Rooms open to a central courtyard through French doors with a view of the Tepozteco mountains on all sides.

In your free moments you may enjoy our beautiful garden, the pool, the orchard and lily pools, the spacious traditional kitchen, or simply relax in your room complete with traditional Mexican decoration and private bathroom and shower.

Come to Mexico and have the experience of a lifetime while learning the art of Mexican cuisine from a true native!

Available February to March, October to November

For further information see the On The Menu web site - click here

A Taste of Peru for Foodies - 7 nights

Peru has become a new and popular culinary destination as featured in Newsweek, NY Times, Travel & Leisure, Condé Nast, etc. This tour mixes a taste of native, “criolla” and traditional food with the trendy fusion through hands-on cooking classes, demonstrations and tasting menus. All of this is wrapped up within a framework of history and culture that explains every part of the tour and helps our guests understand the origin of all these great tastes. Taste of Peru for foodies has the best balance for someone with some experience or just the love for food.

The tour starts in Lima, where you will visit a local market to discover the exotic products Peru has and then you will learn how to make Ceviche -the Peruvian fish delicacy. You will also spend a morning learning the basics of Peruvian cooking with the most representative chefs in town. Dining highlights include a 7-course Tasting Menu at the renowned Rafael restaurant and the opportunity to learn how to make exotic fruit Pisco Sour Martinis.

Three nights are spent in Cusco, where Chef Luis Alberto Saccilotto will host a dinner with highland specialties at La Cicciolina Restaurant. Tour members will also have a guided tour of Cusco; travel by rail to Machu Picchu; and spend a day in the Sacred Valley with visits to Inca fortresses and country markets. There’s another culinary highlight: a Cusquenian lunch highlighting potatoes and regional vegetables (of which Peru has hundreds of varieties) at the Hacienda Huayoccari, plus a tour of the owner’s art collection. At your return to Lima, you will discover the exotic taste from the Amazon Rainforest at the trendy Malabar restaurant and an exquisite Dessert Festival at La Trattoria di Mambrino. You will finish your discovery with a Nikkei lunch: a mixture of Peruvian and Japanese cuisines.

Available year round

For further information see the On The Menu web site - click here

Culinary Adventures in Marrakech - 7 nights

Join Peta Mathias for a memorable week-long journey into the culinary world of Morocco. Peta Mathias is a respected and prolific New Zealand chef, author and broadcaster, who now builds on the culinary travel experience with her cooking school in France.

Having started off her culinary love affair in Paris with her restaurant 'Rose Blues' in the 5th arrondissement, she returned to New Zealand ten years later to teach, cook and write. 'Fête Accomplie', the first book about life in Paris with recipes, is also the first of her eight gastronomic travel books written about North Africa, France, New Zealand, Ireland and Vietnam. The most recent book is called 'Can we Help it if we are Fabulous?"

Peta has been presenting the prime time television travel/food shows 'Taste New Zealand', 'Taste Takes Off' and 'A Taste of Home' for thirteen years, and in 2006 did the food segment on TVNZ's 'House & Garden'.

Peta was born and bred in Auckland, a stunningly sparkling port city where she still lives but travels extensively researching books and filming her series. She is a member and judge of Slow Food and is proud of the fact that she lives in one of the cleanest, most beautiful countries in the world.

To get to the real heart and soul of a culture means understanding how and what it eats. A culture's cuisine confirms its sense of belonging, bringing alive ancestral memories through stories of local traditions and daily life.

These are passed down through the genes and the fingertips. Cooking is living history. Deeply understood, joyously shared. This has been my raison d'être for more than thirty years. Our culinary weeks go in search of this. In Morocco, where time passes on slippered feet, we divide our stay between the rural charms of authentic Berber hospitality, and the riotous but sophisticated life of Marrakesh's medina.

During you visit you will stay at two different accommodations:

The first place is located 40 minutes from Marrakech near the village of Ait Ourir. The large house was built by Frenchwoman Florence Verley. It is a beautiful, calm, rammed earth house with large bedrooms, ensuites, swimming pool and large organic garden. There are pigeons, rabbits, ducks, guinea fowl and almost everything you will eat comes from the property.

The second accommodation is a charming little hotel open since the 1950’s, just a few minutes away from Place Jemaa El Fna.

This peaceful riad has been transformed by its Italian owner, its traditional style restored and enhanced by a keen selection of various objects originating most often from other historical hotels of the town. Respect for the old with a sense of the new.

Available September 2009

For further information see the On The Menu web site - click here

Magical Morocco - 7 nights

Our Moroccan cooking school at Dar Liqama is located just outside the ancient imperial city of Marrakech, a walled garden city of tall graceful palms set beneath the snow-capped Atlas Mountain range. About ten minutes from the medina, you will find the Palmeraie, a grove of over 150,000 towering palm trees. It is here you will find the luxury villa Dar Liqama, aptly named the ‘house of green mint.’

Our luxury palazzo, set against the backdrop of the majestic Atlas and Jbel Ette Mountains, was constructed to reflect the traditional style of Moroccan architecture while offering modern conveniences. Magnificent Moroccan antique doors open from the grand columned entrance, as well as in the great hall and dining room. The graceful archways of the villa create a calm and elegant ambience surrounding an interior courtyard filled with scented flowers and the calming sounds of a bubbling fountain.

The eight spacious bedrooms of Dar Liqama are decorated in traditional Moroccan style and all have bathrooms en-suite, ambient wall lighting, limestone Tadlakt wall finishes, and most rooms feature private fireplaces. The luxury villa’s large upper terrace has a panoramic view of the Atlas mountain range and sweeping views over the Palmeraie. The peripheral salon features a rustic fireplace and pergola with underfloor heating for those cool evenings. Swimming pools, a Hammam (Turkish steam bath), an exercise spa, tennis courts, games room, and conference facilities are sensitively integrated among the palm trees.

The Owner’s Villa is a short distance from the main house, a truly remarkable villa with each of the five bedrooms opening to a large traditional central courtyard, shaded by orange trees with a cascading waterfall fountain. The sumptuous three-room master-suite features a private dome-covered bath and the four additional bedrooms contain individual fireplaces and luxurious en-suite bathrooms.

The villa’s rooftop terrace, with a brick oven cooking area and alcove seating, sets the stage for unforgettable lunches and dinners beneath the sparkling Moroccan sky. The seclusion of the private pond-shaped pool, surrounded by flowers and palms, provides the perfect refuge on a hot summer day.

Available February to March, October to November

For further information see the On The Menu web site - click here

			Active Gourmet Holidays
			One Gaidosz Way Derby Connecticut 06418 USA
		Phone:	1 - 203 - 732 - 0771
		Fax:	1 - 203 - 734 - 6903
		Email:	info@activegourmetholidays.com
		Web:	www.activegourmetholidays.com