Cooking
or culinary holidays, vacations, tours in Thailand:
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SHORT
BREAKS : COOKING HOLIDAYS : COOKING VACATIONS
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DISCOVER THAILAND AND ITS FOOD
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. . indulge your passion for food and travel
Tell Tale Travel specialises in authentic holidays.
If you're looking for a holiday with a difference, we
guarantee you will gain plenty of memories and tales
to tell when you get home. We offer the chance to get
the real inside experience, whatever your interests
are.
Our holidays are founded on the following beliefs:
- The
best way to get to know a country is through its people.
- The
responsible sourcing of accommodation and activities
from local communities means that your visit provides
our hosts with additional income without distracting
them from their daily lives and main sources of revenue.
- Wherever
possible we avoid using tour groups and guides in
order for our hosts and our guests to meet on an equal
social footing and to improve the chance for them
to form lasting relationships.
- We
actively seek out opportunities for you to get involved
in aspects of everyday life, such as visiting markets
and participating in festivals, which reinforce the
importance of local culture thereby helping to conserve
it.
Cooking Holidays in Thailand
What better way to discover a country than through its
food? Discover Thailand and its food on a Tell Tale
trip. You'll return with expert skills to brighten up
your dinner table and spice up your life.
If you've been watching Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey
and think you can stand the heat, have a look at our
authentic cookery holidays in Thailand.
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COOKING
HOLIDAY IN THAILAND : TAMARIND AND SPICE |
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Tamarind and Spice Cooking Holiday
Indulge your passion for food and travel
on this authentic Thailand cookery holiday. Chop and
eat your way around four regions and cook up a storm
in locations as diverse as an organic farm and a desert
island beach. Local cookery experts will introduce
you to an amazing variety of flavours and share their
personal recipes and cookery techniques. This cookery
adventure is a small group holiday, with an absolute
maximum of 10 people. There are no single supplements,
but you will get your own room.
Your trip begins with a direct overnight flight and
welcome dinner in Bangkok before an introductory lesson
at a world-famous cookery school. You'll learn all
about the ingredients used in Thai cookery and pick
up a few essential skills. You'll also do a bit of
sightseeing with one of our expert guides.
Then you'll be taken to Thailand's fertile Central
Plains, where life has remained unchanged for years.
The village headman's wife herself will show you how
to pick the best vegetables at the bustling local
market and share her family's recipes for regional
specialities. Whilst in the area, you will also explore
the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya before an overnight
journey north on a sleeper train to Chiang Mai.
Influenced by the northern Lanna kingdom and local
hill tribe customs, Chiang Mai cuisine has a very
distinctive, fiery flavour. You will pick and cook
your own vegetables at an organic farm and learn a
series of Lanna dishes including pad ka prow (stir-fried
pork or chicken, chilli and holy basil), often considered
to be the Thai version of bangers and mash. Another
highlight of this part of your cookery adventure is
learning ' jungle survival skills' (on a half-day
excursion) and a vegetarian cookery demonstration
by one of our very special friends.
For the last part of your holiday, you'll be in Krabi
on the Andaman Coast, famous for its breathtaking
scenery, spotless beaches and turquoise waters. Here,
you'll learn to cook a range of sizzling southern
dishes such as the slightly sweet and delicious massaman
curry.
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ITINERARY
| Day
1: |
Direct
flight from London Heathrow to Bangkok with Thai
Airways. |
| Day
2: |
Pick
up Bangkok airport and transfer in air-conditioned
private minibus to centrally-located boutique inn.
Time to relax then a stroll through the local area
for a welcome dinner. |
| Day
3: |
Morning
lie-in/brunch. Afternoon cookery lesson at the Blue
Elephant Cookery School. Evening trip to Suan Lum
night market and Sky Bar. |
| Day
4: |
Morning,
boat trip along the Chao Phraya Rivera and visit
the magnificent Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald
Buddha with an expert guide. After lunch, 1 - 1.5
hour drive to a sleepy village in the Central Plains.
Settle in and followed by sunset boat trip. Dinner,
lesson on Thai desserts and overnight stay at the
village headman's elegant but simple teak house. |
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| Day
5: |
Early
morning at the local market with the headman's wife
followed by a cookery lesson and lunch. Optional
bike ride around the paddy fields and along the
canal in the afternoon, transfer to nearby Ayutthaya,
relaxing evening. |
| Day
6: |
Bike
ride with guide (with minibus support) around the
spectacular remains of Ayutthaya, one-time capital
of Thailand, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Time
to shower and change before overnight sleeper train
north to Chiang Mai. |
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| Day
7: |
Early
morning arrival in Chiang Mai and minibus transfer
to luxury private home. Welcome breakfast, settle
in, then enjoy the swimming pool. In the afternoon,
a guided walk around the village is followed by
more relaxation and Thai massage. Minibus will drive
to Chiang Mai for dinner and browsing the night
market. |
| Day
8: |
Pick
your own at an organic farm to pick ingredients
for a northern Thai cookery lesson. |
| Day
9: |
A
day's sightseeing in Chiang Mai with a local guide.
Time to relax before dinner at a local restaurant. |
| Day
10: |
Cookery
lesson in the jungle for some essential cookery
survival tips. Learn how to make a makeshift kitchen
of bamboo and banana leaves and cook over an open
fire. |
| Day
11: |
Vegetarian
cookery demonstration and lunch. Then fly to Krabi
(via a quick change in Bangkok). Short transfer
to mini-resort. Evening tour and dinner at Krabi
night market. |
| Day
12: |
Morning
at leisure by the pool. Afternoon at cookery school
to learn sizzling Southern-style dishes. |
| Day
13: |
Island
hopping around the Hong archipelago; a series of
uninhabited islands with pristine white beaches
and hidden lagoons that are considered to be the
most beautiful in the region. Snorkelling amid tropical
fish on the coral reef and picnic lunch.
Evening back on shore, with a visit to a local village
and dinner with the Deputy Headman's family. Then
a lesson in making Thai desserts. |
| Day
14: |
Free
day, but optional minibus tour stops at a local
village with good handicrafts, spectacular waterfalls
and Tubkaak beach. Farewell dinner. |
| Day
15: |
End
of your cookery holiday! Transfer to Krabi airport
for a short internal flight to Bangkok, connecting
with international flight home. Arrive at London
Heathrow approximately 7:00pm UK time (same day). |
FOR
AVAILABLE DATES PLEASE VISIT WWW.TELLTALETRAVEL.CO.UK
What's
included
- Direct
flights between London Heathrow and Bangkok and
internal flights with Thai Airways
- Accommodation
- Cooking
demonstrations and hands-on lessons
- Additional
activities / excursions
- Most
meals
- Transport
in private air-conditioned minibuses and sleeper
train
What's
not included
- Entrance
fees for sites and national parks e.g. Hong archipelago
- Expenses
of a personal nature such as laundry, internet access
and alcoholic drinks
- Tips
for guides and drivers (discretionary)
- Some
meals
FOR
AVAILABLE DATES PLEASE VISIT WWW.TELLTALETRAVEL.CO.UK
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COOKING
HOLIDAY IN THAILAND : THE LEMON GRASS TRAIL |
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The Lemon Grass Trail Cooking Holiday
What better way of really getting to
know a country than through its food? This two-week
cooking holiday in Thailand will see you return with
expert skills to brighten up your winter meals and
spice up your parties! You'll visit four areas of
Thailand, feasting on local delicacies and learning
how to pick, catch and cook them from the real experts,
the locals themselves.
You'll start in Bangkok where you'll kick off your
culinary adventures with an introductory lesson in
Thai cuisine at the world-famous Blue Elephant cooking
school and get a taster of what's to come when a friendly
grandma teaches you how to pound your own curry paste.
Then, it's time to pack your apron and expand on your
new-found skills and learn from the experts in Thai
cooking!
First stop, the Central Plains, the agricultural
heart of the Thailand, known as the 'rice bowl'. You'll
arrive in a picturesque canal-side village where the
pace of life is incredibly relaxed. The village headman's
wife herself will show you how to pick from the vibrantly-coloured
vegetables in her local market and how to make intricate
Thai desserts as well as typical regional dishes using
seasonal vegetables and fruit.
Next, you'll go to Isan in the north east, well away
from the tourist trail. You'll learn to make the best
sticky rice and Som Tam, the famous spicy
papaya based salad from the region, as well as Larb,
an influence from neighbouring Laos. You'll have to
gather your own ingredients by picking them at the
organic farm and foraging in the forest!
Finally, you are off to the Andaman Coast where you
will make your way to a small island, just off the
mainland where people still make their living from
fishing and farming. Make sure you have the freshest
catch of the day by getting up early to get it yourself.
There will also be time to relax on one of Thailand's
most beautiful beaches before you return home to test
your new expert cooking skills.
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ITINERARY
| Day
1: |
Direct
flight from the London Heathrow to Bangkok by Eva
Air or Thai Airways (regional add-ons available).
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| Day
2: |
One
of our drivers will pick you up and whisk you away
from the airport to a residential area where you
will have the afternoon to relax. Dinner with a
local family. |
| Day
3: |
Morning
free, your driver will pick you up at midday and
take you into the city centre for an afternoon's
introduction into Thai cuisine at the Blue Elephant
cookery school. In the evening, explore the city
at your leisure (your driver will take and wait
for you), visit Chinatown, a night market or have
a drink by the river. |
| Day
4: |
A
day sightseeing with our guide who will take you
to the main sights and in a riverboat and to a local
flower market. In the evening, you'll be taught
how to make curry pastes by one of our favourite
grandmas in the whole of Thailand. |
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| Day
5: |
Morning
visit to Bangkok's vast agricultural market then
transfer to the rural Central Plains. Relax in the
afternoon before a boat ride down the canal that
the houses are built alongside, followed by a lesson
in making Thai desserts and a traditional farmer's
dinner. |
| Day
6: |
Morning
visit with the village headman's wife to her local
market where she'll show you how to jostle for the
best crops of the day, then teach you how to make
typical regional dishes. Spend the afternoon relaxing
with a book on your terrace by the canal, then enjoy
a cycle ride along the rice fields. |
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| Day
7: |
Transfer
to the northern part of rural Isan via a short plane
ride, then a 2 hour drive. Arrive at a village nestled
in the foot of a forest, settle in and enjoy the
pool before a walk around the village to meet the
friendly locals. |
| Day
8: |
Spend
the morning at the market and picking vegetatables
at the organic farm, then cook up a storm! Evening
out at a town along the Mekong River, have dinner
at a riverside restaurant or visit the bustling
night market, a great place to pick up the silk
woven in the area. |
| Day
9: |
Day
sightseeing, visiting a beautiful temple which would
be worth visiting for the views alone and local
villages to see local handicrafts being made. Evening
cooking lesson. |
| Day
10: |
Forage
in the forest with a monkey leading the way, afternoon
to relax by the pool and evening cooking lesson,
before feasting on your efforts. |
| Day
11: |
Transfer
to Krabi in the south of the country, on the Andaman
Sea, by plane with cars either end (you will spend
most of the day travelling). Transfer to nearby
island where people still make their living through
fishing and farming rather than tourism. |
| Day
12: |
Visit
Krabi market to look at the seafood on offer, from
squid literally straight off the boat to crabs sprawling
down in lines to the freshest vegetables and fruit
from this area, once nearly all covered in rainforest.
Spend the afternoon learning how to make spicy southern
food which has influences from nearby Malaysia.
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| Day
13: |
Get
up early to go fishing at dawn with the local fishermen
- help them haul in the catch before picking the
best to learn to make the most delicious seafood
speciliaties of the island. |
| Day
14: |
Transfer
via car to boutique beachside hotel, the beautiful
Tubkaak Resort. Afternoon at leisure. |
| Day
15: |
Day
at leisure at resort. |
| Day
16: |
Fly
back to the UK (via a short connecting flight from
Krabi to Bangkok). The default flights in this
recommended itinerary return to London Heathrow
at approximately 7:00pm on Sunday evening, it is
possible to return earlier. |
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT WWW.TELLTALETRAVEL.CO.UK
What's
included
- Direct
flights between London Heathrow and Bangkok and
internal flights with Thai Airways
- Accommodation
- Cooking
demonstrations and hands-on lessons
- Additional
activities / excursions
- Most
meals
- Transport
in private air-conditioned minibuses and sleeper
train
What's
not included
- Entrance
fees for sites and national parks e.g. Hong archipelago
- Expenses
of a personal nature such as laundry, internet access
and alcoholic drinks
- Tips
for guides and drivers (discretionary)
- Some
meals
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT WWW.TELLTALETRAVEL.CO.UK
Tell
Tale Travel specialises in authentic holidays.
If you're looking for a holiday with a difference, we
guarantee you will gain plenty of memories and tales
to tell when you get home. We offer the chance to get
the real inside experience, whatever your interests
are.
We're a London-based company that loves to chat to
our customers 7 days a week. We have a unique network
of local people in the countries we operate in, not
only does this let us create unforgettable experiences
but there's always someone on hand throughout your time
away.
Why book with us?
- Hand-selected
Every element of a Tell Tale journey has been hand-selected
by our staff, not by other people. We painstakingly
hunt out the best authentic experiences. If we don't
think it's the finest Thailand has to offer or we
wouldn't want to do it, we don't offer it. We can't
promise you'll always be in luxurious surroundings,
but we always portray everything as it is.
- Local
Insight
You'll meet local people that we have chosen to show
you the real Thailand. You will experience the overwhelming
warmth of genuine local hospitality throughout your
journey.
- Just
For You
You don't have to share your experience with a tour
group or a tour leader. And as it's just for you -
do what you want, when you want.
- Responsible
Tourism
You will be able to see first-hand how your money
benefits local people and communities. A supplementary
income enables a better quality of life in small villages
and a chance to share their culture, history and lifestyle
with the outside world.
- Hassle
Free Organisation
We will organise everything we can. This means you
can get the best Thailand has to offer, such as a
particular scenic train journey without the inconvenience
of organising it. Where we are not able to organise
something in advance for you, we will give you guidance
or a local contact to ensure minimum hassle.
- Guidance
Guidebooks by their nature, are out of date from the
day they're published. We give you insider up-to-the-minute
information from the most fashionable restaurant in
Bangkok to the off-the-beaten-track noodle bar in
the Central Plains. We also give you general advice
that will help you throughout your journey such as
cultural and clothing tips depending on what you are
doing on a particular day.
- Fair
Prices
We only sell our own holidays, this means we can make
sure everyone involved, you and our network of local
people, get a fair price. And unlike other operators,
we don't have surcharges - whether you're booking
with your credit card or if after you've booked there's
a change in the exchange rates which makes our costs
higher, you still pay the same.
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