UPCOMING RETREATS AND TOURS
YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR OUR 2023 DATES FOR OUR CAMBODIA CREATIVE RETREATS AND CULINARY TOURS AND WE WILL UPDATE YOU SOON. BESPOKE TOURS AND ITINERARIES CAN BE ARRANGED NOW FOR 2023.
Our planned 2023 creative retreats and culinary tours will take the same form as our past small-group trips: itineraries concentrating on deep culinary and cultural experiences in and around Siem Reap and Battambang and excursions to rustic villages and breathtaking temples, including the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage listed Angkor Wat and the Angkor Archaeological Park.
In partnership with our carefully-chosen Cambodian experts, we’ll immerse you in the rich culture and everyday life of this wonderful country and will give you a taste of the highly underrated and much misunderstood Cambodian cuisine. We’ll introduce you to the passionate locals who cook the food, sell it, and make the ingredients that go into producing it, and in the process, show you the Cambodia with which we’ve fallen in love.
Highlights include stays in beautiful boutique hotels, delicious meals at authentic local eateries and the best Cambodian restaurants, walks through lively local markets, mouthwatering street food tours, hands-on cooking classes, a 3-day culinary adventure to Cambodia’s ‘rice bowl’ of Battambang, and fun tuk tuk trundles into the bucolic countryside surrounding both cities.
Testimonials
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Thank you for introducing Estelle and I to parts of Cambodia I had not yet seen. I thought I knew Battambang until you took us into the villages. SO BEAUTIFUL – and all Cambodians are such warm, kind and friendly people. Really awesome! Thank you, Grantourismo.
1
With her co-host and husband, fellow writer and photographer Terence Carter, Lara introduced us to the flavors of the country that they call home… A Cambodian food market is a keen blitz on the senses. We walked through noisy, crowded markets in Battambang and Siem Reap with local chefs, tripping over plastic colanders filled with still twitching skinned frogs, waving off flies hovering above stacks of raw chicken, and stepping carefully beside bowls of crispy insects and plastic bags pulsing with live eels and snakes. We sought out redolent lemongrass and kaffir limes among baskets full of leafy and fragrant produce. We marveled at the spectrum of ripening bananas, colorful dragon fruit and regional green-skinned oranges. And we sampled sweet-looking treats, discovering the surprising sourness that both young and old Cambodians love. The Cambodian markets were the liveliest possible expression of the “farm to table” practices that we now treasure in our own home countries.
— Catherine Fancher – Former Attorney turned Blogger
2
The best way to get to know a culture is through its food. The food and travel writing and photography retreat allowed me to have an insight and understanding of Cambodian culture and cuisine. We met people who made special foods for sale, we met chefs, and we learned about their spices when we participated in a cooking class. I have never been introduced to so many different tastes, colours and textures. The retreat was a great way to spend a short vacation on a solo trip while being part of a group. I made some good friends and enjoyed the company of people from different countries. I loved going out of town, riding on the dirt roads on the tuk tuks. I saw and met beautiful people. I left with awesome memories, great photos and a happy belly (good food!). This was a wonderful trip. Very adventurous! Thank you for a wonderful time.
— Marguerite Beaty – Photographer, photography teacher, blogger, Brazil/USA/Portugal
3
Making the decision to go to Cambodia was a tricky one for me. First time to a third world country, first time to South East Asia and first time traveling in a group. In the past I would only travel alone, and liked it that way. However, the trip to Cambodia was the best decision I have made in a long time. I could have never had the experiences I had if I had tried to travel alone. Lara’s local knowledge and insights made the trip so unique and memorable. Getting to see and experience all aspects of the Cambodian way of life will have a life long effect on me. Learning how everything revolved around food and family certainly makes you reflect on Western life and how materialistic it all is. My trip was a once in a lifetime experience thanks to Lara. Being able to meet the people we met, seeing how the Khmer people live, participating in cooking classes, temple tours, and eating some of the best (and unique) food I have ever eaten. Not only will I never forget this trip, I would certainly love to work with Lara and Terence again in my future travels.
— Teagan – Marketer and Designer, Australia
4
Cambodia – and Cambodian food – is severely under-represented in the global culinary scene, and when I signed up for the Cambodia Culinary Tour, I really had no idea what to expect. Exploring the local markets, street food stalls, cooking classes, and rural countryside with Lara and our lovely local guides was the best way to understand the food, people and culture of Cambodia. The tuk tuk trundles, gorgeous noodle curries, street-style kroeung bbq pork, local rice wine, circus, and the lovely company I was in, truly made this one of the best adventures of my life. Never have I felt more at home in a foreign country than I did on this tour, and would highly recommend you sign up for it immediately! Thank you Lara & Terence!
— Divya Desa – Restaurant Consultant & Food Blogger, India
5
We’ve finally had a chance to settle in and marinate over the ten days we spent with you both in Cambodia. I can’t believe how much we accomplished! You both were the reason we signed up for the experience, and we are so grateful that we did.
