Tamarind and Spice Indulge your passion for food and travel on this authentic Thailand cookery holiday. Chop and eat your way around four regions and cook up a storm in locations as diverse as an organic farm and a desert island. Local cookery experts will introduce you to an amazing variety of flavours and share their personal recipes and cookery techniques. This cookery adventure is a small group holiday, with an absolute maximum of 11 people. This trip is mainly designed for solo travellers and there is no single supplement and you get your own room; none of this sharing with a stranger nonsense! The holiday is also open to couples/friends who already know each other but numbers will be limited for group dynamic reasons. Vegetarians welcome. Your trip begins with a direct overnight flight and welcome dinner in Bangkok before an introductory lesson at a world-famous cookery school. People you know may tell you they've learnt how to cook Thai food - what they know is probably just the mere tip of what you will learn and experience in these two weeks. Treat today as a foundation in ingredients and basic skills needed for Thai cooking; there's a lot more to come. While you are in Bangkok, you'll also do a bit of sightseeing with one of our expert guides, go on a boat trip along the river and canals and even have a night out on the town, taking in a rooftop bar and a night market. After Bangkok, you'll move onto a rural area in Thailand's fertile Central Plains and arrive at a village where life has remained unchanged for years. The village headman's wife will show you how to pick the best vegetables at the bustling local market and share her family's recipes for regional specialities. While you're here, you will also explore the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya before an overnight journey north on a sleeper train to Chiang Mai. Influenced by the northern Lanna kingdom and local hill tribe customs, Chiang Mai cuisine has a very distinctive, fiery flavour. You will pick and cook your own vegetables at an organic farm and learn a series of Lanna dishes including pad ka prow (stir-fried pork or chicken, chilli and holy basil), often considered to be the Thai version of bangers and mash. Another highlight of this part of your cookery adventure is learning 'jungle survival skills' (on a half-day excursion) and a vegetarian cookery demonstration by one of our very special friends. We have built some leisure time in too, so you can kick back and relax by the pool between cooking lessons and sightseeing. For the last part of your holiday, you'll be in Krabi on the Andaman Coast, famous for its breathtaking scenery, spotless beaches and turquoise waters. Here, you'll learn to cook a range of sizzling southern dishes such as the slightly sweet and delicious massaman curry. You'll visit smallholdings and a fish market, and also enjoy the desert islands of the Andaman sea. Day 1: Direct flight from London Heathrow to Bangkok with Thai Airways or Eva Air. (If you are from the United States, email us about your flight options.) Day 2: Pick up Bangkok airport and transfer in air-conditioned private minibus to centrally-located boutique inn. Time to relax, then a stroll through the local area for a welcome dinner. Day 3: Morning lie-in/brunch. Afternoon cookery lesson at the Blue Elephant Cookery School. Evening trip to Suan Lum night market and Sky Bar. Day 4: Morning boat trip along the Chao Phraya Rivera to visit the magnificent Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha with an expert guide. Mid-afternoon free to enjoy the pool or go shopping - you can hop on the 'Sky Train' near your inn which is easy to use. Evening at leisure. Day 5: Time to pack up. Then a 1-1.5 hour drive in your private minibus to a sleepy village in the Central Plains. Settle in and enjoy sitting by the canal. Late afternoon local area tour by boat. Dinner, lesson on Thai desserts and overnight stay at the village headman's elegant but simple teak house. Day 6: Early morning at the local market with the headman's wife followed by a cookery lesson and lunch. Then you will be driven to nearby Ayutthaya, one-time capital of Thailand, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some sightseeing, before you make a stop at a local guesthouse for a shower and change and then catch an overnight sleeper train north to Chiang Mai. Day 7: Early morning arrival in Chiang Mai and minibus transfer to luxury private home. Settle in, then enjoy the swimming pool and a traditional Thai massage each in the garden, with a break for a welcome Lanna lunch with your gracious hostess. Later, she will take you for a walk around the local area and in the evening, there is a minibus which will take you into the centre of Chiang Mai to browse around the night bazaar at your leisure. Day 8: Pick your own at an organic farm to source ingredients for a northern Thai cookery lesson. Day 9: A day's sightseeing in Chiang Mai with a local guide. Time to relax before dinner at a local restaurant. Day 10: Cookery lesson in the jungle for some essential cookery survival tips. Learn how to make a makeshift kitchen of bamboo and banana leaves and cook over an open fire.
Day 11: Vegetarian cookery demonstration and lunch. Then fly to Krabi (via a quick change in Bangkok). Short transfer to mini-resort. Evening tour and dinner at Krabi night market. Day 12: Morning at leisure by the pool. Afternoon at cookery school to learn sizzling Southern-style dishes. Day 13: Island hopping around the Hong archipelago; a series of uninhabited islands with pristine white beaches and hidden lagoons that are considered to be the most beautiful in the region. Snorkelling amid tropical fish on the coral reef and picnic lunch. Evening back on shore, with a visit to a local village and dinner with the deputy headman's family. Then a lesson in making Thai desserts. Day 14: Relax by the pool or visit a local village with good handicrafts, spectacular waterfalls and Tubkaak beach (unguided day with minibus/driver). Farewell dinner. Day 15: End of your cookery holiday! Transfer to Krabi airport for a short internal flight to Bangkok, connecting with international flight home. Arrive at London Heathrow approximately 7pm UK time (same day). This tour includes direct flights from London Heathrow, accommodation, cooking, other activities/excursions, most meals and private comfortable air-conditioned minibuses. If you are not from the UK, it is also possible to book this trip without flights. Download the full itinerary
Dates for 2012 18 February to 3 March 2012 24 November to 8 December 2012 This trip costs £2,100 pp including flights from the UK or £1,400 pp excluding flights (note: you will need internal flights as well as international flights). No single supplement. Spending money guideline: £200 to cover any exclusions, moderate alcohol and light shopping.Reserve for November 2012 with a deposit, telephone us on freephone 0800 011 2571 or US 1 866 211 5972 (from other countries + 44 207 060 4571).
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Tamarind & Spice In the news July 2010 Recommended trip in My Weekly magazine. April 2010 Tamarind & Spice makes top 5 trip in Solo Traveler Blog March 2010, Ham & High Newspaper "This was the first time I'd been on any kind of cooking course, let alone one based in Thailand..a remarkable trip which would be hard to equal for sheer diversity of experience." Read full article. 
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