International Safaris

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Gorgeous Vietnam
17 - 25 March 2012

Gourmet Vietnam
25 March - 4 April 2012

Greek Islands
4 - 15 September 2012

NEW! Sardinia & Corsica
4 - 15 June 2012 - Fully Booked
New Date - 24 September - 5 October

Sardinia & Corsica
New Date - 24 September - 5 October 2012
4 - 15 June 2012 - Fully Booked

Come and enjoy the absolute delights of these two incredibly beautiful islands, the wilder shores of Italy and France, each with their own highly developed food traditions and some great wines. We start in the old city of Cagliari, exploring the winding cobblestoned streets and delightful little restaurants as well as the bustling San Benedetto Market where all the stall owners vie to make us feel welcome. Our guide is charming Melbourne chef Pietro Porcu, who grew up in a beautiful town outside Cagliari. We’ll meet his family and enjoy a cooking class/morning in his mother’s garden before heading off to a local winery to taste some of the delightful wines of the region.

Our travels will take us to a ‘find’ - a delightful little hidden restaurant behind stone walls in a quiet village in the west of the island, we’ll also take you to lunch in the island’s best restaurant as well as into the rustic farmhouses of artisan pasta and breadmakers.

There’s time to relax too – onboard our own charter on the stunning Golfo di Orosei, famed for its turquoise water and secluded little beaches and bays; we’ll stay in luxury in a resort famed for the quality of its food, stroll through a village full of murals, sip local rose at sunset on a private deck below towering mountains, enjoy a hands on cooking class...and still have enough time left to enjoy a few lovely retail moments.

We then sail the short distance to Corsica and the ancient walled city of Bonifacio, which looks like the set of pirate movie. Immediately we’ve moved from pane di casa or carta di musica (the Sardinian bread) to baguettes, from Italian to French.

We stay in a luxury hotel overlooking the pretty port and 1 minute’s walk from the centre of the old city with its stone buildings and little laneways, all perched above that beautiful blue sea. We’ll have a day at the beach, try some local restaurants for dinner and savour the delights of a new and different island. We’ve found the perfect place to show off some of what Corsica does best – the rustic soul of the place and a lovely restaurant on a mountain where all the produce is grown locally.

We’ll also visit our winemaking friends who produce some exceptional wines, all grown biodynamically, we’ll have lunch with the family and then go and explore the mountain town of Sartene where our final night dinner is a spectacular restaurant run by a clever mother and daughter team.

So – enough action to give you a sense of both places, enough downtime for you to unwind, enough beautiful scenery to last a lifetime and enough local hospitality to help open up new worlds - that’s what we’re good at.

Our group will be no more than 20, with 3 guides to take care of you as well as our many contacts on each island.

Tour Leaders:
Maeve O’Meara, director of Gourmet Safaris, avid traveller and seeker of new horizons. “Sardinia and Corsica are some of the best kept secrets in the world – they’re accessible, the people are incredibly friendly and proud to show off their islands ....and the food is exciting and clever ...I knew I’d like these islands but I’ve ended up loving them! And I have to say arriving in Bonifacio in the late afternoon by boat is one of my top travel experiences – I felt I was in a fairytale.”

Pietro Porcu, chef and owner of Da Noi and The Tearooms at Yarck, one of the stars of the Italian Food Safari series and passionate about his homeland Sardinia, its food traditions, its people and culture. This trip has been a year in the planning and each day and experience checked and rechecked by Pietro and his family to make sure it makes the grade.

Liz Kaydos – our exceptional guide to the Greek Islands, Kangaroo Island and now two new islands. Liz is always adored by her groups – so much so that the group from our Greek Island Safari in 2009, some of whom are coming on this first safari in 2012, have requested that Liz come along.

Payments for travel arrangements are to be made to David Vuong Travel - Licence number 2TA 5524.  Click here for more information.

Costs:
$7850.00 per person twin share, land content only
$950.00 per person single supplement

How to book:  Complete the booking form online. Our dedicated travel agents at David Vuong Travel - Licence number 2TA 5524 - will contact you on our behalf to arrange all of your requirements for this fabulous safari.

 
 

Gourmet Vietnam
25 March - 4 April 2012

12 fabulous days in the most beautiful country on earth, travelling top to bottom.

Includes 3 cooking classes, day sailing on Halong Bay, the best accommodation – we believe in having you stay at our favourite places, 3 expert guides, day with a special extended family in the Mekong Delta, loads of wonderful and interesting food experiences, most meals, some great shopping, lazing, and a good introduction to Vietnam.

Includes international and domestic flights.

Costs:
$4920.00 per person, twin share
$720.00 per person single supplement

How to book:
Complete the booking form online.
Our dedicated travel agents at David Vuong Travel - Licence number 2TA 5524- will contact you on our behalf to arrange all of your requirements for this fabulous safari.

Click here for sample itinerary

Click here to see photo gallery

 

 

Testimonials:

“Fabulous food.  Fabulous country.  Fabulous friends found.  Great company to tour with”
Marie Hand 2010


“Exceeded my expectations. Wonderful guides, great cooking, just loved every minute.  Met wonderful, fun people.  Enjoyed learning to cross the road in Hanoi!”:
Louise Wood 2010


 

Cruising the Mekong River & The Markets

Greek Island Safari
4 - 15 September 2012

Escape the tourist trail to spend time in a mountain village full of the sounds of church bells where we learn to cook some of the superb local produce with accomplished Greek chefs. We stay in a large colonial estate at the edge of a pretty village and gather produce from local markets to cook up into simple delicious dishes served alfresco overlooking one of the estate's two pools. Then we hop islands in time for a vibrant and special annual event on the island of Limnos in the north east Aegean and later take our own private boat to some of the hidden coves and beaches and enjoy a special lunch. We have been invited to a private estate for lamb cooked in the big woodfired oven, we'll have coffee with the locals in one of the villages then journey on to the beautiful island of Lesvos with more "never find it on your own" sort of experiences. We finish in five star luxury on the cliffs at jaw-droppingly beautiful Santorini for days of sailing and sun, great restaurants and shopping.

Each day is a perfect little jewel and the trip constructed so you have a range of the best regional produce and meet all our favourite Greek characters including a day spent with a women's cooperative in Lesvos where we feast on dishes you'd never find in restaurants. One day we may be at a market, the next wending our way down a cobblestoned alley to find the best little hidden restaurant, the next in an olive grove with a view of that magic blue water...our guests have loved having their hands held and their days planned so they can immerse themselves and not to worry or think about what’s happening next.

Please note: you don't need to have ever cooked a single thing in your life to love this trip. The cooking classes on the first island work at every level and the ease of the dishes mean that they are easy to reproduce again back home. We hope you'll come back inspired by this magic country.

Tour Leaders:

Liz Kaydos - her family is from Limnos (just above Lesvos close to the Turkish coast).  Liz grew up in a very traditional family. Her mother taught her how to make good Greek coffee and all the things that are important for a good Greek girl to know. Many of you will know that Liz is the guide to Greek Marrickville and researcher for some of the top TV shows including the internationally awarded Food Lover's Guide to Australia. Fluent in Greek and keen to share customs as well as some pointers on dancing Greek style!

Payments for travel arrangements are to be made to David Vuong Travel - Licence number 2TA 5524

Costs:
$7950.00 per person, twin share. Land content only
$1050.00 per person single supplement

How to book:
Complete the booking form online.
Our dedicated travel agent at David Vuong Travel will contact you on our behalf to arrange all of your requirements for this fabulous safari.

Click here for sample itinerary

Click here to see photo gallery

  Fish Markets
Greek Honey

Feedback from Greece 2011:

Loved the accommodation, the personal touch, hands on cooking, meeting locals, the picnic and hike through the olive groves..I would say it was all eyeopening, jaw dropping scenery, lipsmackingly good food, generous and friendly locals and Liz made the whole trip one I will always treasure.”
Tracey Wilkinson.

“I loved Liz’s home island and her friends...to experience meals in the homes and to meet the people. This was the heart and soul of Greece..to engage in the taverna with the locals and relatives was a special occasion. On Lesbos, the women’s co-operative with their wonderful lunch and to experience the way they cook and live with their children.” Ann Endersby.

“We had a MARVELOUS time. Please give Lizzie a medal for just making EVERYTHING run smoothly.“ Beverly Chong

2010
"More than filled our expectations.
The most fantastic way of travelling overseas to experience the culture, food and people of Greece".

Stephen & Barbara Franklin

"Beyond expectations - Liz's local knowledge and experience, together with her warmth and great sense of humor, made this Gourmet Safari memorable and stress free".
Christine Minehan


 

Vietnam Gorgeous Safaris - Ladies only
17 to 25 March
2012

8 exceptional days that focus entirely on you.

We have honed this trip to be every girl’s dream, staying at two glorious resorts that really look after us and offer the best spa facilities and loads of treatments included in the package, international and domestic airfares, all transfers, most meals, 2 expert tour leaders who are magicians in the world of hair and makeup and know everyone in Hoi An, Qhuy Nhon and Ho Chi Minh and can guide you to the best retail therapy possible..the tailors and silversmiths, boutique artisan shops and much more.

Cost:
$4285.00 per person
We are so proud to say there is: NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT!!

How to book:
Complete the booking form online.
Our dedicated travel agents at David Vuong Travel will contact you on our behalf to arrange all of your requirements for this fabulous safari.
Payments for travel arrangements are to be made to David Vuong Travel license no. 2TA 5524

Click here for sample itinerary

Click here to see photo gallery

 

Maeve Gorgeous Safaris

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