Group Travel: Foodies

Food, glorious food. What would we ever do without it?

The starving aside, life would be a whole less enjoyable and traveling even less so. So much of any trip we take is about discovering what the local life is all about – the experiences, the sights, the sounds and the tastes that give life the flavors that make it worth living.

If you are fortunate enough to have a group of friends who share your passion both for travel and for food, you have the ability to transform your twin passions into the basis of a rich, eventful life. Foodies group travel is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Destinations across the world are welcoming hungry, curious travelers eager to try the best their local cuisine has to offer. The world is your oyster (pardon the pun).

If you want to concentrate on savoring the delicacies and leave the details of planning, itineraries and timetables to other than foodie group travel is for you. Foodie groups are organized by people who know which culinary attractions are the most popular, interesting and memorable.  Signing up for a foodie group adventure ensures that you get a very wide variety of experiences for your palate.

On the other hand, a large part of the thrill of travel is the thrill of the unknown, of venturing off the beaten track and experiencing something outside what the travel brochures recommend that you should.  With group travel, you will definitely get an amazing array of food to try; however, they will largely be dictated by what is more popular so as to appeal to a large cross-section of travelers. If you are looking for unique thrills and new discoveries, the foodie group can be slightly restrictive.

Another negative is that you may not particularly enjoy the company that you are bundled with. The social aspect of group travel might not be terribly important if you are simply looking at old monuments. It becomes much more relevant if you are sharing the dining table with certain people so often.

The best places to go to for foodie travel are those which incorporate a large variety of tastes, flavors and delicious adventures. India and China feature prominently because of the incredible variety and diversity in both the ingredients and techniques of cooking you can enjoy. India is particularly foodie-friendly if you are vegetarian.

No list would be complete without France, and particularly a gastronomical one. The care and flair with which the French prepare their dishes is wonderful. The United States might not be an obvious choice but it does incredibly well with the American propensity to innovation and improvisation. Domestic foodie travel is rapidly expanding. Singapore is also great for the diversity it packs into such a small place. The affordability coupled with the excellent hygiene standards make for a great getaway for any reason.