The best back-to-nature experiences for foodies

At their best, the experiences we have with good food should be fundamentally linked with nature – whether that’s eating locally-sourced food in an al fresco setting, cooking and preparing food that’s been foraged from the land, or partaking in hunting and harvesting, using techniques that have been passed down through generations. Read on for some of our favourite back-to-nature experiences for foodies, so you can get under the skin of a destination while sampling local flavours along the way.

Walk the spice trails of Kandy in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s long history is steeped in its cultivation of incredible spices; for over 2,000 years it has been known as a key power in the spice trade. The balmy, humid climate on this island nation is perfect for growing its most coveted spice – cinnamon, as well as pepper, cardamom and cloves – and what better way to absorb the sights and smells of this fragrant history than walking the spice trails of Kandy?

Nestled in the lush, green hills of central Sri Lanka, Kandy is surrounded by fertile lands that are thick with fresh, heady aromas, making it a joy to explore. On a guided tour of Sri Lanka’s spice trails you can see how spices are grown, harvested, and processed while learning more about their use in local cuisine and traditional medicine. Try your hand at grinding cinnamon bark or picking fresh peppercorns, and sample the fresh flavours by using your just-plucked harvest in a Sri Lankan cooking class. This highly sensory activity can be book-ended with visits to Colombo and Galle, for a deep-dive into Sri Lanka’s culinary heritage.

Connect with Berber food traditions in Morocco

The Berbers are one of the oldest peoples in the world, known for their hardiness and expert integration with the ways of the desert. Even traditional Berber cuisine, delicately flavoured and adapted from limited resources, is a testament to their time-honoured skills. Berber influence appears in lots of Moroccan staples – couscous, for instance, is one of the most famous Berber dishes and is a traditional symbol of hospitality. Tagine, named after the clay pot in which delectable stews are cooked, also originates from the desert.

When visiting Morocco, you’ll find plenty of ways to connect with this age-old cuisine. On a tour of Morocco’s culinary delights, under the stars at a desert camp in Merzouga, your guides will cook dinner for you and serve steaming mint tea. You could have breakfast in a kasbah in Skoura, where you’ll be served traditional msemmen (roti-like breads), tour palm groves, and explore the local gardens to learn about how herbs and henna plants are grown. With the Berber skills they can even learn in a cooking class and take home with them, foodies won’t be left wanting on a trip to Morocco.

Tour a lush tea estate in Rwanda

Rwanda’s tea industry has thrived since the 1950s, when Belgian colonists found that the fertile volcanic soil, high altitudes, and favourable climate in the Northern and Western provinces provide ideal conditions for growing tea. Since Rwanda’s independence in the 1990s, most tea plantations are now either privately-owned or co-operatives, employing local farmers and staff and bringing a huge amount of money to the local economy. Black tea is the dominant strain grown here, along with smaller crops of white, green, and speciality teas.

On a cultural tour of Rwanda, you can explore a historical tea estate yourself, and see just how the nation’s high-quality tea leaves are planted, grown and harvested before ending up in your delicious breakfast cup. Popular estates, such as the Sorwathe Tea Estate near Kigali, and the Gisovu and Kitabi tea plantations, are known for producing some of the best teas in the country. The scenery is lovely and the air fresh, but trips here also offer a key insight into Rwanda’s history under Belgian colonial rule, and its journey through independence.

Savour typical gaucho fare in the Argentine Pampas

Argentina is known for its delectable, from-the-land food experiences; the likes of strong Malbecs and juicy asado steaks, straight from the barbecue. An intrinsic way to experience Argentinian fare is to eat like the gauchos – the skilled horsemen and cattle herders of the South American Pampas. The gaucho way of life is rooted in the vast, open plains, and has shaped a rustic and hearty cuisine that is steeped in simplicity.

Asado is the quintessential gaucho practice: essentially a barbecue, during which gauchos cook large cuts of meat (as well as vegetables) over an open fire or grill known as a parrilla. The result is a tender, juicy steak, known worldwide for its sumptuous quality. You can find parrilla cooking throughout the country, but a gaucho tour of Argentina, complete with horseback riding and camping out in nature, will allow you to eat just like the real gauchos do. To make this tour an Argentinian foodie experience of epic proportions, you could add some days sipping and supping through the Mendoza wine regions.

Take a ceviche cooking class in the Galapagos

The Galapagos sit atop many a travel bucket list, particularly for wildlife fans – it’s an offshore wonderland of volcanic landscapes, marine iguanas, giant tortoises and rocky beaches. Many travellers find the sense of wanderlust and rugged remoteness on the Galapagos make it a once-in-a-lifetime experience, either combined with a trip to Ecuador or a wider tour of South America.

In terms of culinary fare, don’t miss the much-loved Latin American dish, ceviche: this zesty delicacy of cured fish marinated in citrus juices is a foodie highlight in this part of the world. What better place to make it yourself than in this storybook archipelago, where super-fresh, locally-sourced seafood is abundant? Be sure to include a ceviche cooking class on your tour of the Galapagos Islands – a local travel expert can help you organise this.

Join the rice harvest in rural Cambodia

To really understand the livelihoods of rural Cambodians, join a rice harvest. As one of Southeast Asia’s largest rice producers, its age-old practice is deeply intrinsic to the country’s history and heritage. Visit rural areas during the months of October to December to partake in local rice harvesting – the small city of Battambang, known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Cambodia, is an accessible place to start: it’s surrounded by fertile land which is rich in rice fields and small farms.

Many rural families, especially those with farms, offer homestays where guests can participate in daily farm activities, including rice harvesting. This is a slowed-down, authentic way to experience traditional Cambodian life and get to know your hosts. It’s likely you can get involved in preparing rice dishes for the evening meals, too. A local travel expert can organise this for you and include it in a cultural tour of Cambodia.

Dive into seafood experiences in New Zealand

As a small island nation surrounded by the Pacific, New Zealand is unsurprisingly known for its seafood. Crayfish is one of the nation’s most prized foods (particularly in Kaikōura on the South Island, where they sell it freshly-caught off local food trucks), while Bluff oysters, again caught off the South Island, are considered some of the best in the world – if you’re in the area in May, don’t miss the annual Bluff Oyster and Food Festival.

Eating fish and chips on the coast is as much a quintessential New Zealand experience as it is on the seasides of Britain – but you could always up the ante and embark on a compelling cruise along the Queen Charlotte Sound, visiting a king salmon farm as well as a mussel- and oyster-growing area, before tasting fresh seafood and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aboard your vessel.

Māori traditions are also deeply entwined with the ocean and coastal living. Immersing yourself in these traditional ways of life can include eating and preparing sea-foraged culinary treasures. The hāngi is an old Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven, where one can cook just-caught fish, shrimp and mussels on the beach. Cultural tours in Rotorua or Taupō often include this, for a chance to learn more about the Māori heritage and way of life.

Learn about medicinal herb traditions in Laos

The use of herbs for healing in Laos dates back thousands of years, evolving from the ways of indigenous groups such as the Hmong, Akha and Lao Loum peoples; and influenced by Buddhism as well as Chinese, Indian, and Ayurvedic medicines. Today’s Laos still has a culture of using herbs for healing, and its presence is woven throughout the country.

If you’re passing through the elegant former French capital of Vientiane, drop by the Institute of Traditional Medicine (ITM). Here you can wander herb gardens and exhibits as well as partake in workshops about herbal traditions in Laos. Look out for locally-run herb stalls, such as in the morning market in Luang Prabang, as they’re an excellent place to pick up locally-made balms and oils and ‘chat herbs’ with the local sellers. For a more hands-on approach, consider a homestay in northern villages: many in these forest-dwelling communities are well-versed in foraging for medicinal herbs, and may even demonstrate herbal healing rituals. Ask one of our local travel experts about organising a cultural tour of Laos.

Make it happen

If you’re ready to sample truly locally-sourced cuisine and eat straight from the land, chat to our locally-based travel experts to organise an incredible, back-to-nature experience for foodies. They’re on the ground in the destination with all the local knowledge required to plan your ideal trip.

1. Sri Lanka
2. Morocco
3. Rwanda
4. Argentina
5. Galapagos
6. Cambodia
7. New Zealand
8. Laos