Travel Deal: Geringer Global Travel’s Unique Culinary & Tea Journey in India
Travel Deal: Geringer Global Travel’s Unique Culinary & Tea Journey in India
Travel Deal: Geringer Global Travel’s Unique Culinary & Tea Journey in India
EXPERIENCE THE FLAVORS OF INDIA WITH GERINGER GLOBAL TRAVEL’S UNIQUE CULINARY AND TEA JOURNEY
This 15-day culinary tour winds through Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kolkata, Kalimpong and Gangtok, with a special visit to a Darjeeling tea estate.
Experience the flavors of India with Geringer Global Travel’s unique 15-day tour culinary and tea tour, celebrating the diversity of regional Indian cuisine and its world famous tea production. Extending far beyond popular favorites, this culinary tour delves into the heart of Indian cooking, introducing the distinctive styles and seasonings of South Indian, Punjabi, Awadhi, Brahmin and Bengali dishes. Guests will not only observe cooking demonstrations but have the opportunity to speak with chefs, shop for spices and even roll up their sleeves in the kitchen. The tour includes visits to distinctive cultural landmarks in Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kolkata, Kalimpong and Gangtok, before rounding out with a final stop at world-famous Darjeeling and a stay at its Glenburn tea estate. Pricing begins at $5,415, per person,* contingent upon group size and season, and includes superior hotel accommodations for 14 nights, internal flights, specified meals, guided tours, entrance fees, transport services, English speaking tour guides and cultural activities.**
The tour begins in Delhi where, among visiting popular landmarks like Mahatma Gandhi’s Raj Ghat cremation site and the iconic Red Fort, travelers will wander Khari Baoli’s famous spice markets where street-vendors offer mouthwatering snacks and saffron, the most expensive spice in the world. Lunch at Sagar Ratna introduces visitors to traditional South Indian cuisine, ideal for vegetarians with its staples of rice and dal, and dinner is a Punjabi feast that incorporates spices, pure desi ghee (clarified butter) and tadka into distinctive pulses (dried lentils, peas or beans).
Travel Deal: Geringer Global Travel’s Unique Culinary & Tea Journey in India
Moving through Lucknow, known as the “Constantinople of India,” travelers can sample the 2,500 year-old city’s world-famous Awadhi kebabs amid an afternoon of browsing chikan embroidery, edible silver Waraq foils and Itar perfumes at the Chowk bazaar. At Varanasi, a sacred hub to both Hindus and Buddhists due to its proximity to the restorative Ganges River and Buddha’s Sarnath deer park, visitors will enjoy an abundance of fried delicacies and yogurt-based drinks offered in Kachauri Gali’s famous food stalls. In Kolkata, known as the gateway to India for the better part of the 19th century, the Victoria Memorial and St. Paul’s Cathedral clearly stand as a testament to European influence while the cuisine exhibits a true Bengali zest for life. A unique opportunity awaits guests at Neena’s Kitchen in Kalimpong where they can accompany the proprietor to the local haat bazaar (grocery market) to purchase local produce and help prepare ethnic dishes influenced by the town’s Bhutanese, Nepalese, Tibetan and Lepchas heritage.
After a brief visit to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim and center of Tibetan Buddhist culture, the tour finally comes to Darjeeling, whose breathtaking views of the snow-capped Himalayas and world famous tea estates render it one of the most exotic destinations in the world. The final days will be spent introducing travelers to the world of Indian tea from the comfort of the Glenburn Tea Estate, where guests will embark upon guided tours, learning everything from the proper way to pluck tea leaves to the intricacies of winter pruning and processing. Visitors will put their knowledge to good use for a special tea tasting session, which will highlight the differences in aroma, flavor and appearance of regional Indian teas and teas from around the world.
Additional Highlights:
- Attend dinner at the ancestral home of a local aristocrat in Lucknow;
- Witness the sacred aarti ceremony on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, accompanied by a spiritual discourse on the doctrines of Hinduism;
- Enjoy a meditation session at the Bamboo Retreat in Gangtok, led by a local monk;
- Watch the sunrise from atop the summit of Ghoom, the highest station on the Darjeeling Railway and a World Heritage site;
- Observe an “open-kitchen” cooking class at the Glenburn tea estate, where guests can watch chefs prepare dishes and contribute their own family recipes
*Prices quoted at $5,955 per person, for two people, and $5,665 per person, for four people, from January 1 – April 15, 2013. Quotes range from $5,700 per person, for two people, to $5,415 per person, for four people, during the April 16 – September 30, 2013 timeframe. Prices range from $6,320 per person, for two people, to $6,005 per person, for four people, from October 1 – December 31, 2013. Contact Geringer Global Travel, 877-255-7438, for quotes up to eight people.
**Package quote does not include international air, passport and visa fees, travel insurance or personal expenses.
For a detailed itinerary please visit: http://www.geringerglobaltravel.com/india-tour-destinations/india-tours/India-Culinary-and-Tea-Journey/
About Geringer Global Travel
Susan Geringer, owner of Geringer Global Travel, is an experiential India travel specialist creating custom itineraries to India and the Subcontinent. Frequently traveling to India, Susan is able to keep a constant pulse on new properties, hidden gems, and discovering unique experiences that make her clients’ itineraries even more exciting. To understand a foreign culture, Geringer Global Travel feels there is nothing more important than one-on-one interaction with the local people for a chance to join them in their everyday lives. Susan is a member of ASTA, New York Chapter, and on the Executive Board of the New York Chapter of PATA (Pacific Asian Travel Association).
