Feed your appetite for travel with new and enhanced foodie experiences from Rickshaw Travel

Brighton-based Rickshaw Travel - who has just won awards for best place to work and best overall business in the city - believes the way to a traveller’s heart is through their stomach.

Whether it’s eating fresh, crisply battered cod and chips on Brighton seafront like the Rickshaw Travel team at home; heading off on a street food tour of Chiang Mai in Thailand; or cooking and eating a home-made North Indian curry with the freshest ingredients and knowledge from a family in Chittorgarh; eating local is one of the best ways to capture the culture and spirit of a destination and is better for the environment too.

Rickshaw Travel has highlighted their top new and favourite food tours, cooking experiences and farm stays that bring travellers closer to the country they’re visiting.

New food tours to explore the local food and culture

NEW: Phnom Penh living history food & brewery tour in Cambodia 

Travellers can now add a new food and brewery tour to the Rickshaw Travel ‘Past and present in Phnom Penh’ bite size trip. On this trip, travellers will explore Phnom Penh, a city that pulses with energy, history and survival. They will visit Tuol Sleng Museum, a former Khmer torture site, and discover Cambodia’s heart-breaking past before continuing on to the Aspara Foundation which educates Cambodian children and preserves local arts. As a new optional excursion travellers can take a foodie tour through the streets, past colonial buildings and sample some of Cambodia’s culinary wonders before a guided tour around a local brewery to learn about the beer-making process and taste the product. Phnom Penh is a colourful riot of sights, sounds, monks’ motorbikes and tangy aromas, packed with character. This ‘Pearl of Asia’ will flood travellers’ senses from all sides.

This three-day bite-size trip is priced from £165 and includes accommodation (price based on two people sharing), breakfast, private day tour with a guide and airport transfer.

NEW: Chiang Mai street food tour with Elephant Encounters in Thailand 

Travellers who fancy trying some of the delicious local Thai delicacies of Chaing Mai can now add on an optional street food tour to Rickshaw Travel’s ethical elephant encounter. After visiting the Elephant Nature Park where guests can bathe the elephants in the river, feed them fruit and learn all about these gentle rescued giants they then travel on foot and by songthaew (converted pick-up) with a guide to explore the bustling street food markets around Chaing Mai city. Not only will travellers have the opportunity to try some of Northern Thailand’s tastiest snacks but they’ll also learn how to order in Thai.

This three-day bite-size trip is priced from £198 and includes accommodation (price based on two people sharing), breakfast and excursion to Elephant Nature Park with guide, lunch and return transfers. The Chaing Mai street food tour costs an additional £28.

New and favourite cookery classes that support the local community

Rickshaw Travel are all about immersing travellers in local communities while at the same time preserving and supporting them. Buying regional produce from the market with some guidance then cooking and eating together with a local family is a fantastic way to support the community. It’s also a great way to get to know people, learn with them and take away a new skill along with some amazing memories. Staying with a host family and learning to cook the dishes of a destination enables travellers to recreate the essence of their incredible trip at home and there’s nothing more evocative than smell and taste to bring the memories flooding back.

NEW: Cooking curry in Chittorgarh, India

Nestled on top of a mountain lies the enchanting Chittorgarh Fort inside of which travellers can lose themselves in a maze of narrow streets lined with temples and palaces. On this two-day trip guests will stay in a friendly hotel run by host Parvati and his family. Parvati loves good food and will teach guests how to make the tastiest curries. They can then spend the next day exploring the fort independently before continuing on to the Kambha Shyam temple, Rama Kumbha Palace and climbing the Tower of Victory to marvel at the views.

This two-day bite-size trip is priced from £95 including accommodation (based on 2 people sharing), breakfast and dinner, cooking class and transport.

Those keen to extend their Indian foodie experience can spice up their life in Mumbai by sampling the sensational street food that this bustling city has to offer on a guided tour. The ‘Mumbai’s Secret Spices’ streetfood bite-size trip costs from £218 per person and includes 2 nights accommodation (based on two sharing), breakfast, taxi trip and evening street food tour including tasting 8-10 street foods.

Relax the Caribbean way with new Puerto Viejo cookery class in Costa Rica

The distinctly Caribbean feel of Puerto Viejo means that guests are never too far from an intoxicating reggae beat or a tropical cocktail. This is the place to go for wide stretches of open beach, spicy Caribbean stews and live reggae bands. The trip includes a traditional Caribbean cookery class with a local woman whose recipes have been passed down through generations in her family and feature the star ingredients of coconut milk, thyme, chilli and ginger. During their stay guests learn about Caribbean recipes and make their own tasty local meal with guidance.

This four-day bite-size trip is priced from £198 and includes accommodation (price based on two people sharing),  breakfast, and Caribbean cookery class.

Feel at home in the Curry Kitchen in Sri Lanka

Travellers will get a real taste of Sri Lanka on this traditional homestay option. It's an authentic way of learning the secrets of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine and experiencing daily life with a friendly local family just outside Kandy. Guests will be welcomed with open arms and treated as family and those who want to get truly involved with the Sri Lankan way of life can travel by tuk tuk into the market to gather herbs and fresh produce before preparing a famous curry with the cook of the house.

This three-day bite-size trip is priced from £255 per person (based on two sharing) for two night’s accommodation on a full board basis. Price also includes transfer with a private driver and cooking lesson.

Cook up the best ‘Quinoa in the Kitchen’ in Peru

Arequipa is arguably one of Peru's most charming cities and guests on this three-day trip will love wandering cobbled streets to the local market which enters into an explosion of colour, sounds and smells. Stepping inside a local home, they will learn the secrets of how to cook perfect quinoa, chicha or caldo verde. In the evening they can visit Basilica Cathedral to watch local life unfold.

This three-day bite-size trip is priced from £178 including accommodation (price based on 2 people sharing), breakfast, cooking class with local chef and English-speaking guide, lunch on second day and transport to and from cooking class.

Get fresh with Rickshaw Travel farm stay options

Eating locally grown seasonal produce is not only better for the environment (because it hasn’t had to travel half way round the world) and your health but it’s fresher and subsequently tastes amazing! it also supports local farms, many of which are a fun experience to visit in their own right. Here are some of Rickshaw Travel’s favourite farm stay options.

Make a Pit Stop in the Pineapple Fields in Costa Rica:

Sarapiqui, with its exotic-sounding name, is a beautiful and tasty stop during this Costa Rica trip. The gently undulating landscape of this rural part of Costa Rica is ideal for pineapple cultivation, and travellers can sample delicious fresh pineapple straight from the farmer’s field. They’ll visit a farm, enjoy delicious tropical fruits and try their hand at catching their own fish for lunch.

This three-day bite-size trip is priced from £148 including accommodation (based on 2 people sharing), breakfast and a visit to the pineapple farm with lunch.

Go Loco with Cocoa on Rickshaw Travel’s chocolatey Peruvian adventure

Travellers don’t have to enjoy trekking to appreciate Machu Picchu. On this recently added itinerary they can take the train and relax en route to Machu Picchu. After exploring the Inca ruins those with a sweet tooth can attend a chocolate-making workshop where they will learn about the fascinating properties of the cocoa bean and the art of chocolate production all the way from bean to bar. It’s the ideal adventure for chocoholics, culture lovers and those with an appetite to explore.

This four-day bite-size trip is priced from £385 and includes accommodation (based on 2 people sharing), breakfast, transfer from Cusco to the sacred valley, train to and from Aguas Caliantes, chocolate making workshop and Machu Picchu entrance fee.

A minimum of three bite-size trips is required to build a personalised itinerary with Rickshaw Travel. Flights are not included but can be arranged. To see the full range of foodie trips and itineraries please visit: www.rickshawtravel.co.uk or call Rickshaw Travel’s team of experts on: 01273 934 823.

ENDS

Note to editors 

Please note: All prices correct at time of release but may be subject to change - please refer to www.rickshawtravel.co.uk for the latest pricing information or get in touch with Vicky Norman at Heaven Publicity: Vicky@heavenpublicity.co.uk

Rickshaw Travel has been providing enriching, experiential and meaningful travel since the company was launched in 2008. Now covering 24 destinations across Africa, Asia, Central and South America, its individual approach to independent exploration enables adventurous holidaymakers to experience the real spirit of a local culture. Rickshaw’s dedicated team of Travel Specialists create unique travel itineraries using a combination of 2-3 day bite-sized trips which include all accommodation, local transport and excursions; ensuring a hassle-free holiday. They are committed to providing meaningful travel experiences and use a mixture of transport including sleeper trains, private transfers with friendly local guides and drivers or even tuk-tuks to link their trips together so each journey becomes part of the adventure!