Nettie Cronish is a natural plant based chef, culinary instructor, and author of 6 bestselling Canadian cookbooks. For the past 25 years, Nettie has been sourcing organic and sustainable ingredients and sharing her culinary skills with supermarkets, community colleges, farmers markets, and gourmet and health food stores. She is so pleased to be visiting India, the place of origin of so many delicious and healthy ingredients. Join her as we explore the culinary roots of peppercorns, cinnamon, tamarind , ghee and so many other terrific foods along with other culinary professionals who will share their expertise and introduce us to an intimate , first hand foodie experience that will expand your tastes and enliven your senses. This is no ordinary tour. We are travelling to the source. I am so thrilled to be a part of this culinary expedition and to be able to share my knowledge and appreciation of this fantastic cuisine.
Food in India is an identity marker of caste, class, family, kinship, tribe, affiliation, lineage, religion, ethnicity and increasingly, of secular groups. Indian cuisine is ancient, diverse steeped in tradition, an amalgam of different ethnic influences, much like the country itself. Throughout history, Indians have absorbed foods from all over the world giving rise to one of the richest and most sophisticated culinary traditions in the world. As a food historian once said, “No foreign food was rejected in India, it was just made Indian!” This artistically designed tour is a cultural experience of India through food, cooks, kitchens, homes visits, spices, bazaars, meeting people as well as seeing the historical and cultural attractions of the country.
| Tour Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Duration | : | 15 days |
| Minimum | : | 12 persons |
| Maximum | : | 16 persons |
| Price (From) | : | |
| International air not included | ||
Day 01: October 08, 2017: Arrive Delhi
Namaste! We are greeted with flower garlands and welcomed to Delhi, our first stop in India!
Overnight: Vivanta By Taj Dwarka, Delhi - Superior Charm Rooms (3 nights)
Day 02: October 09, 2017: Delhi
We start with a home visit. Our host is Mrs. Jyoti Agarwal - renowned award winning chef who will demonstrate Indian cooking and explain to us the role of food in Indian culture. Getting the experience of an Indian home, we are in for a treat few have been exposed to. Jyoti’s family will join us for lunch – an interesting cultural introduction to India. Afternoon is spent exploring highlights of the capital city to include the 13th Century Qutb Minar – a World Heritage Site (WHS), Humayun's Tomb (WHS), Birla House - Gandhi last residence, India Gate and a drive through the Houses of Parliament and Connaught Place. (B, L, D)
Day 03: October 10, 2017: Delhi
A specially designed culinary tour of Delhi. Start with “Parathewali Gali” - a street with shops specializing only in “Parathas” - special flat bread stuffed with vegetables, cheeses, spices and everything else the chefs fancy! Continue our quest at the famous Chandni Chowk bazaar and at Karim's Restaurant, known for its mouthwatering kebabs. Continue sightseeing before we reach The Moti Mahal Restaurant - birthplace of Butter Chicken where we will have our lunch. Visit to the Red Fort (WHS). Evening, enjoy welcome dinner at a local Indian restaurant. (B, L, D)
Day 04: October 11, 2017: Delhi/Lucknow (Flight)
A short flight to Lucknow – the culinary capital of India. Afternoon we are treated to high tea by Nawabs (rulers) of Lucknow. Evening, we join our local culinary expert on a culinary walking tour. Lucknow is famous for its foodies, kitchens, chefs and taste buds.
Overnight: Lebua Lucknow Hotel – Heritage Property, Executive Rooms (2 nights) (B, High Tea session, D)
Day 05: October 12, 2017: Lucknow
Our Lucknow exploration includes the British Residency, Bara Imambara – an architectural marvel, the clock tower - the finest example of British Architecture in India. Evening, we have a cooking demo of Lucknow’s most popular eats at the Chhat - popular for hosting casual evening culinary workshops. An excusive inner Awadhi dinner which includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights prepared in exotic spices and garnished with dry fruits. (B, D)
Note: (Chhat is a rooftop restaurant with two flights of stairs – no elevator)
Day 06: October 13, 2017: Lucknow/Agra (Drive)
Drive to Agra. Tour of the majestic Agra Fort (WHS). Evening we are treated to a sumptuous meal at the famous Peshawari restaurant, with a lavish spread of delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebabs with the inimitable Dal Bukhara.
Overnight: ITC Mughal – a Starwood Luxury Collection Deluxe Rooms (1 night) (B, D)
Day 07: October 14, 2017: Agra/Ramathra (Drive)
Sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal*. An immense mausoleum of white marble, built between 1631 and 1648 by Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is the jewel of Muslim architecture in India. Drive to Ramathra which honours Lord Rama, who is believed to have camped here while on his epic journey to Lanka. Absent here is commercial traffic or food stalls. Every day, as the sun goes down, Bhajan-(devotional) singing and community activities are sung. Among its numerous shrines, the Ganesh Mandir and Shiva Mandir give the best flavour of local religious life. Dinner under starlight sky.
Overnight: Ramathra Fort – A Heritage Property – Luxury Tents/Deluxe Rooms (2 nights) (B, D)
Day 08: October 15, 2017: Ramathra
Ramathra Fort offers several interesting activities and excursions. Morning free to enjoy the place. Afternoon, we join our host Ravi and Geetanjali (owners of Ramathra) for a cooking session typical to the state of Rajasthan. Evening, we visit local vegetable farm and meet village folks. Todays dinner is vegetarian cuisine from recipes especially crafted by Nettie Cronish. (B, L, D)
Day 09: October 16, 2017: Ramathra/Jaipur (Drive)
A leisurely drive through Rajasthan to Jaipur, the rose-pink capital city. In 1876, during the visit of Queen Victoria, Maharaja Ram Singh painted the city pink to welcome the guests leading to Jaipur being referred to as the Pink City. While visiting Sai Niwas, we visit an Indian home and have a hands on experience preparing Rajasthani dishes and chappati [Indian bread]. Evening, we enjoy cooking session at Diggi Palace followed by dinner and being entertained with Rajasthani cultural performances.
Overnight: ITC Rajputana – a Starwood Luxury Collection – Executive Club Rooms, Jaipur (2 nights) (B, D)
Day 10: October 17, 2017: Jaipur
Morning visit the 16th Century Amber Fort – a distinguished example of the Mughal-Rajput architecture. Visit the majestic City Palace, which houses a rare collection of Indian art. Next is the icon of Jaipur – the beautiful Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds followed by Jantar Mantar (WHS) and the local bazaar. Jaipur is noted for its craftsmen, skilled in brass inlay, lacquer work and stone setting. (B, D)
Day 11: October 18, 2017: Jaipur/Rohet (Drive)
Drive to Rohet Garh-the ancestral home of Thakur Dalpat Singh since 1622 AD. Rohet became one of the most important Jagirs (fiefdoms) of the state of Marwar.
Overnight: Rohetgarh Fort – a heritage property – Deluxe Rooms (2 Nights) (B, D)
Day 12: October 19, 2017: Rohet (DIWALI)
Today we enjoy a Royal Picnic- a recreation of a bygone era. We will be waited upon by liveried attendants; large mattresses with bolsters and soft cushions spread next to a soothing water body inviting us to kick up our feet. A unique cultural experience, which encompasses all that this region has to offer. A full day interacting with the locals preparing food on open fires using local ingredients and recopies, then drift into sweet slumber watching the pied kingfisher dive for his lunch just yards away! Later in the evening, we join the owner’s daughter in law, “Rashmi Singh” for a traditional cooking session. Culinary art is being passed from one generation to another. Rashmi learnt culinary art under the expert guidance of the ex rulers. Workshops promote traditional Indian and we get to join the practical training. (B, Royal Picnic Lunch, D)
Day 13: October 20, 2017: Jodhpur Excursion
Visit the majestic Mehrangarh Fort at Jodhpur. Perched on a 150-m high hill its sprawl is the most formidable and magnificent fort in Rajasthan founded in 1459. Continue to Jaswant Thada, the graceful marble cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II.
Overnight: ITC Welcome Hotel – Deluxe Rooms, Jodhpur (1 night) (B, D)
Day 14: October 21, 2017: Rohet/Delhi (Flight)
After breakfast we are transferred to Jodhpur Airport for our flight to Delhi. Balance of the day is free for shopping. Late evening, we have our farewell dinner.
Overnight: Vivanta By Taj Dwarka – Superior Charm Rooms, Delhi (1 night) (B, D)
Day 15: October 22, 2017: Delhi/Home
Farewell to India as we are transferred to the airport for our departure flight. (B)
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Departure Dates & Prices
We accept payments in US$, CA$ as well as in other convertible currencies like EUR, AUD and GBP. Tour prices have been costed in US$. CA$ price shown below is an indicative amount reached at by using the conversion rate at the time of web posting and will be applicable if there is no change in the conversion rate. Should the currency conversion rate change, the US$ pricing will prevail. Bestway Tours & Safaris offers a conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please click here
| Departure(s) | Per Person on Twin Sharing |
Single Room Supplement |
Estimated Airfare (FROM)+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast | West Coast | |||
| This is a suggested program for private tours. Please contact us for details. | ||||
| Departure(s) | Per Person on Twin Sharing |
Single Room Supplement |
Estimated Airfare (FROM)+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast | West Coast | |||
| This is a suggested program for private tours. Please contact us for details. | ||||
Notes
Inclusions
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 16 participants
Customised Itinerary
If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you.
Contact Info
You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call 1-604-264-7378.
Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1-800-663-0844.
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