From Boutique Travel to Online Cooking Classes: How We’re Pivoting During COVID-19

Annie Cheng, The Table Less Traveled Founder with Domenico, Capri Tour Guide turned Online Cooking Class Instructor

As you may imagine, it’s not a great time to be in the travel industry. 

This February, when travel restrictions began in Asia, we made the first difficult call to postpone our small-group tour to Malaysia scheduled for March 2020. Just over a month away, I was already mentally prepared for the trip. I was excited to visit our friends, to meander through beloved markets, to eat tropical fruits and delicious street food, and to explore wildlife in the rainforest. Not the only one disappointed in the delay, our travelers had also coordinated schedules and finagled time off months in advance only to see their vacation for the year dissolve.

As inconvenient and disappointing as this move was, my level of concern was still relatively low. Travel can be unpredictable at the best of times. Learning to adapt is vital to surviving in the industry and to providing the best experiences to our travelers. Rolling with the punches is our game.

My concern quickly escalated one morning as I headed into our Seattle office. A friend called me, panicked about her business and potential layoffs for all her employees.

All her employees? A cold chill accompanied by the enormity of the situation hit me then: as tourism became obsolete, income for our business would stop. Cash flow would stop. All expected profits for the year would stop, or be uncertain at best. Expenses, however, would continue. 

Almost overnight, our thoughtfully curated tours and experiences—our primary expertise and value—became irrelevant as travel halted with no definite end in sight. As we watched entire industries being decimated and companies we love going out of business, we were afraid we'd be only a short time away from the same scenario. 

How could we be able to continue to employ our team? How could we continue to support our international, small-business friends and partners who were also out of work? How could we continue providing value, building community, and staying true to our mission and values? 

Travelers on our Heart of Italy Tour, dining on our friend Marika’s patio overlooking Positano

Throughout this time, I'd been staying in touch with our friends around the world. I found that the general reactions to this rapidly-spreading pandemic were similar, across continents, countries, languages, and cultures. But in a time of fear, of shutting borders, of social isolation, and of inexplicably hoarding toilet paper, we discovered there may still be an opportunity for connection and for breaking down barriers—and perhaps a need for it more than ever.

Enter: our cooking classes. 

With everyone stuck at home, we decided there may be a chance to bring some fun into everyone’s quarantined lives. We decided to launch live, virtual, interactive cooking classes with our chefs and friends from around the world. Instead of taking small groups of travelers to visit our friends in their homes abroad, we’d bring our friends straight into homes and kitchens here.  Now across borders, boundaries, and travel restrictions, you can learn how to make pasta, tiramisu, lomo saltado (Peruvian beef stir fry), and a variety of other traditional dishes from a chef in another country. It may be the only type of travel we can provide, but travel we still will!

What our cooking classes used to look like — making homemade pizza with a chef in Sorrento, Italy.

What our cooking classes look like now — bringing our chefs straight into your kitchen

When we first settled on this idea of virtual cooking classes, I started calling friends abroad in tourism & hospitality to see if they would be interested in teaching.

I explained that a primary goal was to support them during this time, but I wasn't sure how to price an offering so outside our normal services, and I wasn’t sure what we could pay the chefs, but I wanted their input.

Overwhelmingly, everyone I spoke to gave me a similar answer: "Annie, this is not about money. This is about humanity. Let's do it. And if it works, then we will figure it out."

While the planet is in chaos, while our friends are unable to work and stuck in their homes with no end in sight, their focus was not on themselves, but on our connection as humans, on what we can do to help each other. 

At the same time, schools in our state were closing down, people were losing jobs left and right and unemployment began skyrocketing. 

What could we even ask people to pay during this time? We decided we couldn’t ask them to pay a certain amount at all. It was only right we asked them to contribute what they could and what seemed fair based on their own financial capabilities. 

Community, we decided, should not be a limiting concept. We believe everybody should have the opportunity to be included in what we are trying to do — find connection, community, and a bit of joy during a tough time — regardless of their financial situation. So we adopted a "Pay What You Can" price structure for our classes.

It was a complete gamble whether we would have any success launching this new product. The most surprising positive impacts have been on the chefs and participants. The warm reception of these classes have allowed us to support others through a challenging time. It's an escape for folks, for an hour or two, to connect, laugh, take a break, and enjoy sharing an experience with new friends.

Beyond leading the cooking class, the chefs often share about their lives, what quarantine is like for them, the significance of the recipes, and history of the region that formed the dish they prepare with us. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and engage—whether it be about if their dough is rising properly, if they need to substitute ingredients because they couldn't find yeast, or introducing their dog running through the background of the Zoom session. Our classes are about genuinely being you, and genuinely connecting with our chefs who are genuinely themselves.

The difference our classes are making. 

We launched and hosted a little over a week of classes in March. When we sent contributions to our chefs for the classes they taught, the responses were emotionally overwhelming.

For Marika in Positano, Italy, it meant that by teaching 3 classes, her family made the same amount of income as 2 weeks of their convenience shop being open. It meant her brother, Emanuele, who also works in the shop, can rest a little easier knowing that with one child at home, and a baby due in August, he'll have something to support his growing family.

For Alain in Pistoia, Italy, it meant that although he's not sure when the restaurant he works at will reopen, he's been able to earn the equivalent of 5 full days of work by teaching a few cooking classes online. All of his income from the classes is going toward food and diapers for his 2-year-old daughter.

Chef Alain and his daughter devouring a lasagna from class

And for our participants, it means that they can join a community, and experience an international experience even from their homes. 

One participant writes, "I think the unique part of this experience is that these chefs are in different countries and that cultural exposure is priceless."

Another says, "What an amazing idea! Today I ticked off an item on my bucket list and I learned skills which will save me time to cook from scratch more— I will be back."

And another admits our online classes were probably the only way they would have been able to experience a cooking class from a chef in another country:  "This was the most fun!! You guys may be only live streaming due to the pandemic, but honestly I probably wouldn’t have gotten the experience otherwise (no big travel plans anytime soon) so I truly appreciated the chance to learn how to make something fabulous from an international chef in their home kitchen!" 

Participants from all over show off their homemade pizzas they just made with Marika.

And for us, it means we’re still able to keep paying our employees and our bills. But mostly, it means we can keep doing what we love: connecting people all over the world with shared experiences, building community across borders and supporting our small business friends around the world.

In fact, one of the most beautiful things about our shift to virtual cooking classes has been the ability to maintain our dedication to our mission of uniting people through shared experiences. Early in this crisis our team came to a collective stance that we would rather lose the business and our jobs while sticking to our values, than to compromise on our beliefs in order to survive.

We are also confident that at some point, travel will resume, and we will be able to visit our friends around the world. And if we can survive as a company during this time, we will be ready to introduce our cooking class participants to the chefs they've come to love through our virtual time together.

Until that time, we will see you in the kitchen!

Written by Annie Sim, Founder and CEO

---

Check out all of TTLT’s live and interactive community cooking classes.

More Cooking Resources

Stepping into Giovanni's world of textiles

I eased our little Volkswagen hatchback just slightly off the road until two tires slipped onto the gravel and the passenger door nearly touched the retaining wall. “This is a parking spot-ish, I think,” I less-than-confidently think to myself even though I clearly have no authority on this topic.

After a few days of driving around Tuscany my attempts at blending in with the locals still weren’t quite all the way there. Swerving along small, countryside roads, parking in questionable “spaces”, and raising my voice at the *obvious* foreigners who drive the speed limit in the left lane are all some of my favorite Italian traditions when driving.

At this point, a few hours of a break in a tiny medieval town nestled in the Tuscan hills was just what I needed to stretch my legs and give everyone else on the road a break from me expressing my inner Italian driver.

Little did I know that I was about to find much more than a stretch break.

Our research and development trips—as glamorous as they can seem to be prancing from one restaurant and luxury hotel to another in a foreign country—can be pretty exhausting.

Over the years I’ve refined my strategy for these trips: how to schedule in as much as possible, how to visit all the hotels in one day, how to make connections with the numerous people I meet, and how to find that “golden needle in the haystack” of an opportunity where I make the right ask from just the right person. The one that will open a door to an experience others wouldn’t be able to find without us.

On this day, it didn’t go quite the way I thought. The plan was all the same —to rush, to meet, to chat, to try out a restaurant, to tour a factory—but somehow, this place was different.

I paused as I got out of the car and the view of this small, stunning town caught my breath. I snapped back to reality, and took a quick picture—the one that now graces the cover of our webpage for this experience.

We met our friend Ivanka in the town square, taking a quick stroll through the narrow, windy walkways and stopping in for an espresso at a local bar before meeting the connections we had really come to see: Giovanni and Michelangelo.

The two sharply dressed men walked down the street, strolling with an air of confidence and comfort. When they caught our eyes—recognizing me immediately as the foreigner they would be meeting with— their smiles widened and they introduced themselves, welcoming us to their small town and instantly putting me at ease.

The day’s worries, stresses, and agenda washed away. I was here. I was present.

They led us down a small road, towards my haphazardly parked rental car, and we turned into a small shop along the way.

They led us to the downstairs and asked us to put on earphones as a protective measure. I looked, doubtfully, at Ivanka, wondering if this was really necessary, but obliged our hosts and threw on a pair of pale blue earphones as I adjusted them around my head.

Moments later, it was clear that Giovanni’s words of wisdom about the earphones were, in fact, words of wisdom. As we entered this basement of what simply seemed to be a “small shop” at first glance, a whole new world came to life below.

Giant looms clinked and clanked as they turned out beautiful, multi-colored pieces of material. I ran my hands over the finished products—perfectly woven tablecloths, fabrics, and blankets—as my mind fell into a peaceful state. This was it. This was incredible. I had never seen anything like it before.

Over the next few hours, what surfaced was even more incredible.

We heard the family’s story of running this factory since the 1700’s, working on some of these very same looms. We met Giovanni’s son who is now running the business and was just taking off for a business meeting in Seattle. We toured Giovanni’s former home above the factory, full of pieces of artwork he collected for years and photos of his young family all of which he narrated for us as we gazed in awe.

And finally, we visited Giovanni’s new home overlooking the town before he chuckled one more time, bade us farewell, and said he’d be looking forward to our return.

Hospitality. Relationships. Connection.

They aren’t just words. They are what bring us together. And they are what make our trips so personally rewarding: that we are fortunate enough to have a network of friends—genuinely kind and interesting people—who open their hearts and homes to us and our travelers.

We’re diving deeper into the world behind the carefully created Italian goods and we’re bringing our travelers a new and one-of-a-kind Table Less Traveled experience.

Join me, Giovanni, and Michelangelo, among many others, on our Treasures of Tuscany trip.

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

6 Top Tips for More Meaningful Travel

I exchanged glances with Katie as we both slowly raised our spoons to our mouths, full of green slop. After swallowing, I managed a lackluster, “yummmm” through clenched teeth. 

Little Katie and Annie in South Africa

There we were, in the middle of the “bush” in South Africa. Katie was in the Peace Corps and I was visiting her for two weeks, experiencing the reality of life in her village. Walking through grassy paths to the local school (one of the only buildings in the village), fetching water from the pump, bathing in our system of buckets, and… in this instance … eating like a local. However, I’ll spare you the details of what I was actually consuming (ok, fine, it was cow stomach 😫).

Throughout my 6 month trip around the world, I lived with locals and experienced their lives. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And although there were far more glamorous moments in my travels, this memory sticks out to me as one that was so raw, real, and connective. 

A group of teachers had invited us to their home so we could have their traditional food. They took a special shopping trip to get the right ingredients, they cooked for hours, we sat and talked and laughed (the hearty, belly kind of laughing), played with their neighbor kids, and they even walked us home since the sun went down and we didn’t have flashlights. It was genuine. They were our friends. They shared their lives with us. And us, with them.

This type of experience was one that became common during my extensive travel—ones that were real, connecting, and that went beyond simply seeing sights of a place. It was more than being “exposed” to somebody else's way of life. For a short time, I was able to be part of it. When I returned home, the first question I would get was, “How did you meet them?” Or, “How were you invited to their home?”

The truth was, there were so many different scenarios and not one of them was a straight path with a straightforward answer. I maintain that most of it had to do with mentality — being open to opportunities, being flexible, patient, outgoing, and curious.

Boogie-ing with a little girl in South Africa

Fast forward a few years and the relationships we have with local friends around the world have become the cornerstone of the value we bring to our travelers in our small group tours. We connect our travelers with our local friends, share experiences, share stories, share food, share laughs, and get an inside peek into the lives of the people who live in the places we visit.

I started this travel company back in 2014 when I realized people were looking for more meaningful travel experiences. They were looking to not just SEE a place, but to CONNECT with a place, its people, and its culture. 

So how can you have more meaningful moments in your own travel? Here are a few of my top suggestions for a deeper, realer, travel adventure:

1. Interact with the Locals

What makes a place? Its people. It’s great to see the sights and learn about the history— but what about the culture in the here and now? I won’t lie, you may have to go outside your comfort zone for this one: you’ll have to meet people and make friends.

But how? Be friendly. Smile. When you catch someone’s eye, say hi (or hola, or ciao), be curious, ask questions like, where are you from? How long have you been here? Build from there.

Strike up conversations with those who you see can understand you—if you’re in a non-English speaking country, often those who speak English enjoy a chance to practice, or identify expats and start conversations with them (they may not exactly be “locals”, but they know the area better than you and I’ve met locals through expat friends I’ve made). If you speak the language of the country—even better!

On our small group tours, we always visit a local home for a meal; we experience first hand how they live, how they cook, we hear stories from their family history, and we leave with a richer, deeper cultural understanding than we would have gotten from eating at a restaurant.

Gloria, cooking for us in her kitchen

Finishing the night at gloria’s with homemade dessert and, of course, wine

2. Use a Local Guide When You Can

When I backpacked on a budget, I never shelled out any extra cash for guides. Then, I took a guided tour from a local and I never went back to that no-guide life!

I can see a place, research online, or read a book, but a place still doesn’t come to life until I hear a story. Good guides can make a place come alive with stories, and any personal connections they have to that place.

On our Heart of Italy tour, Gaia, a Florentine art-history major, gives us an insider’s guide to Florence, showing us the back-alley artisan shops and hole-in-the-wall eateries, telling us what to eat where. She loves her city and the passion she speaks of it with while she relays the history and anecdotes and the way she greets the shop owners give us a completely different view of Florence than we would have had just exploring alone.

Cristo our local guide in peru

Gaia handing out the good stuff

3. Participate in the Local Customs & Traditions

Research the customs, traditions, and maybe even the holidays of the countries and cities you are visiting to make your trip so much more memorable and meaningful.

Sometimes you may even want to schedule your trip around a special festival time to participate in the experience, like San Fermin and running with the bulls in Pamplona, or Holi festival in Jaipur.

But it doesn't have to be a special festival to get in on the customs and traditions of a place. You could attend a mass in the Vatican, eat dinner at 10pm like the real Spaniards do while in Spain, or even simply learning the basic etiquettes and greetings of the culture you’re in.

For example, when we tour to Japan—where etiquette is of the utmost importance—we are sure to follow the traditional customs of taking our shoes off in homes and we participate in a traditional tea ceremony.

Mrs. Konishi leading us in our traditional tea ceremony

4. Shop Local Whenever You Can

Giving back to the local economy is an important way to contribute to the community you’re visiting. Instead of spending your money with big corporations, spend it instead with the local families and small businesses. This is one reason why on our tours we make it a point to visit small artisans and boutiques to learn about their trade, craft, and way of life.

So, skip the big supermarkets and the Starbucks and hit up the small mom & pop grocers, bakeries, and boutique shops.

This can also be a good way to interact with locals, hear their stories, and see them at work. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunities we have to learn about the local traditions by browsing the traditional goods and speaking with the local artisans who make them.

Like the small textile shop we stop at as we make our way to some Peruvian ruins. The Andes can be cold, and the women there have woven their own warm clothes for generations. They show us how they cut the alpaca hair, wash it, spin it, and dye it with nature’s finest: berries, herbs, and other natural dyes.

I love watching the process, hearing the beautiful history behind it, and then of course, supporting the local makers and small businesses producing these beautiful things that will keep me warm all winter.

The stories and the connections behind the products I’m purchasing make them even more special and allow me to take a bit of my trip home with me.

5. Eat the Local Cuisine (Bonus Points if You Learn to Cook it!)

We all have to eat (thankfully! Totally not complaining here). And as something that we all do, it’s a beautiful way to experience somebody else’s life by eating the local food, or cooking with local people.

Search for cooking classes where you’re visiting, or for restaurants specializing in the traditional fares. Sometimes restaurants will have special days where they only make a certain traditional meal.

On our small group tours, we make sure to schedule in making limoncello in Sorrentine lemon groves, picking tea leaves on a tea farm (and then making our own matcha) in Japan, or watching and learning how chefs cook traditional pachamanca in the Sacred Valley of Peru (and of course, so much more), so that we can literally taste the flavor of a place.

Watching our food cook in the earth in the traditional Panchamanca way

Learning to make our own pizza in sorrento

6. Carefully Choose the Places You Stay

We are big supporters of staying in boutique hotels for so many reasons!

Not only do you typically get better, more personalized service, since they often have lower capacity than chain hotels, but they also provide a unique experience you can’t exactly replicate anywhere else—from the staff, to the architecture to the design, to the more intimate atmosphere.

Staying in boutique hotels is another great way to give back to the local community: usually they are owned by small businesses, hire local staff, and have a connection to the place where they are.

The lovely eco lodge we stay at in Malaysia —located two hours into the rainforest

Travel can hold some of the greatest experiences of your life, but sometimes you have to take a bit of an extra step to make the real meaningful moments happen. We hope this post has inspired you to take those steps on your next adventure, wherever it may be.

If you’re looking for these meaningful travel experiences, but don’t yet know where to begin or how to coordinate it all—we can help. We lead intimate, small group tours to bring you the unique, insider’s experience in each country we visit. Click the button below to get started.

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

5 Foods You Must Try in Malaysia

Somewhere between Crazy Rich Asians and The Jungle Book lies a country that still remains a mystery to even some of the most well traveled people I know.

Malaysia has been a place that many travelers have asked us about, but few have actually gone. Overshadowed by the popularity of its neighboring countries, Malaysia is truly what you would call “off the beaten path” from most tourist vacation spots.

But even so, Malaysia is a place that yearns to be discovered—with rainforests, wildlife, and a melting pot of cultures, it is full of life and adventure. And an adventure for the tastebuds as well.

As our small group trips are centered around learning about the local culture through food, we figured it only appropriate to shine a light on some of our favorite dishes in one of our favorite destinations. So here is a little “taste” of some of the delicious treats you should expect to chow down on with us if you join us for our Discover Malaysia tour.

1. Char Kway Teow

This dish—considered a national favorite in Malaysia—literally means “stir-fried rice cake strips”, and is basically flat rice noodles stir fried with soy sauce, shrimp, belacan (shrimp paste), shelled blood cockles, chives, sausage, and bean sprouts.

2. Mangosteen

Not to be confused with your average mango, the mangosteen is a tasty, exotic fruit that you probably haven’t had before. Why? Because these natives to the islands of southeastern Asia are incredibly finicky about growing elsewhere, as well as incredibly difficult to ship, so you will rarely see them in supermarkets in the US. Their tropical, tangy-sweet flavor harkens a bit to the flavors of lychee, strawberry, peach, and pineapple.

3. Teh Tarik

This tea drink is made from black tea and sweetened condensed milk. The name is derived from the word "pulling" since it looks like they're pulling the tea from cup to cup to create the foamy froth on top.

4. Roti Canai

Where are my carb lovers at? This Indian-derived flat bread literally translates from Malay to “flying bread,” and gets its name by doing the same thing you would do with pizza dough: tossing it in the air to make it wider and flatter. This beauty can be eaten either savory or sweet, usually paired with dhal curry, fish, or curry chicken, and sometimes with sweetened condensed milk and bananas.

5. Beef Rendang

One of Malaysia’s best known dishes, this to-die-for beef curry stew is slow-cooked in spicy paste and coconut milk until the meat is fork tender, and then fried until the liquid caramelizes around the beef giving it an incredible depth of flavor.

Are you drooling yet?!

This off-the-beaten-path country is full of countless new foods to discover—this are just a short, short list of our favorites.

Now imagine eating a few of these while your bare feet dig into the white sands of a tropical beach, or at a table at the edge of a river deep in the rainforest.

Join us for our Malaysia tour to experience this country from the inside out with a guide who’s already scoped out the best places to eat, drink, and adventure.

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

Simple Ways to be a More Responsible Traveler

Responsible travel can take on many different meanings, but boiled down, it really means being conscious visitors—economically, culturally, and environmentally conscious—in the places we go.

With 1.2 BILLION people traipsing here and there across the planet each year, understanding why and how to be a more responsible traveler is an increasingly important—and thankfully, an increasingly discussed—topic.

The good news is it’s really pretty simple to be a more aware and responsible traveler.

On our small group trips, we encourage our travelers to view our journeys the same way you might view a weekend spent in the house of a new friend: like you are being graciously hosted and welcomed into someone else’s space.

And in the same way you would respect your friend’s house and their particular way of going about living in it, to also respect the land, culture, and way of life of anywhere we are visiting.

Here are a few more tangible things you can do to travel more responsibly wherever you go:

1. Reduce your usage of single-use plastic water bottles

You know this one, don’t you? This is obviously something that is promoted as every-day conscientiousness, but even when we have a great routine remembering our reusable coffee mug for work, while traveling it can often be so much easier to let this slide.

This is especially true in countries that if you don’t ask specifically for tap water, they’ll bring you bottled, or in countries where the tap water can be less-than safe to drink.

How many reusable water bottles can you count?

The trick? Always specify “tap” water in restaurants in European countries (look up how to say it in the language of the country you’re visiting for extra clarity and bonus points), and check out our list below for favorite products to help you reduce plastic bottle usage AND drink safely:

•  Grayl—water bottle with a built-in filter. Great for travel to countries where the tap water isn’t safe to drink, or if you just don’t like the taste of tap from the hotel.

• Platypus— lightweight, flexible water bottle great for carrying during the day.

• Kor—dishwasher safe, lightweight water bottles that also have a covered mouthpiece. Great for outdoors, hiking trips and places where your bottle could come into contact with contaminants.

• Yeti—keep hot hot and cold cold. These are also nearly indestructible. The only downside is that they are quite heavy since they are very sturdy.

• Steripen—if you want an extra level of sanitation for the water you’re drinking.
  
  

2. Reduce water and electricity usage in hotels

Many hotels post notices that reducing the washing of your sheets and towels can be a good way to help the environment—and it’s true! Think of HOW MANY basically-clean sheets and towels are washed every day in hotels all over the world after just one use? Honestly, it’s mind-blowing.

If you’re staying more than one night, hang up your towels and only ask for new linens when you need them. And just like in your house, don’t forget to turn off the lights, A/C and TV when you’re not in the room using them.

3. Leave the maps, brochures, etc. where they are if you don’t need them

This is an easy way to reduce the amount of waste you leave behind—because let’s be honest, you’ll probably end up throwing them away in a couple hours. A good hack is to take a photo of maps or other information you need so you’ll have it right there on your phone.

4. Reduce trash or take yours with you—especially on mountains and islands

One of the biggest problems on small islands with lots of tourists (like Capri in Italy) is that they have many people bringing things onto the island and leaving the trash (even worse—boxed lunches provided by big cruise ships) behind. Then the locals have to dispose of and pay for all this extra trash, which often costs a lot to get it removed from the island.

Travelers soaking in the views on Capri

Take a cue from standard hiking practice: bring off the mountain everything you bring onto it. Consider doing this when and where you can in your other non-mountain travels.

5. Pack your own toiletries or take the ones you use from the hotel with you when you leave

What happens to the half-empty tiny shampoo bottles after you check out? Yep, you guessed it—straight into the trash.

Take it with you to your next hotel to keep another half-used bottle from being discarded prematurely.

6. Live like a local—treat wherever you are like it’s your own hometown

A simple adage we discuss with our travelers is the travel-version of the Golden Rule: treat the homes and countries of others as you would want yours to be treated.

We see far too many tourists who leave behind small pieces of trash or “accidentally” don’t care if their napkins blow away.

Would they do that in the parks where their kids play every day? In their own houses? Doubtful. Would they like it if someone else trashed in the parks their kids play every day? Absolutely not.

Do unto everything as you would want it done unto you.

7. Research & respect the local culture

Not only will this help you not to make an embarrassing faux pas, but seeking to understand the culture you’ll be visiting will help you be a more aware and responsible traveler as well.

Travelers remove their shoes in a Japanese temple serving a zen buddhist lunch

All cultures are different and researching norms and etiquette beforehand will help you be aware and informed.

Learn a few key phrases in the country’s language, ask before taking pictures of locals, avoid being excessively noisy, research common tipping practices, and wear the appropriate clothes to enter religious sites, are all small, basic ways to show respect for whatever culture you’re in.

8. Contribute to the local economy

Another way to travel responsibly is to spend your dollars in support of the local economy of the place you’re visiting.

As a small business ourself, we always try to work and partner with locally-owned businesses in the countries, towns, and cities we visit. This is one reason we frequent boutique hotels on our trips— we prefer our money goes to the locals instead of the large, chain hotel companies.

Our stunning boutique accommodations in Peru

Annie and Omar, a local naturalist guide in Peru

Try the small, local restaurants, purchase locally-made souvenirs, support local tour guides, and put your money where it will make a difference.

Do you have other great ways to be a more responsible traveler? Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear them!

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, TTLT earns from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our small business!

---

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

5 Tips for Using Your Cell Phone Abroad

International travel can wreak havoc on your cell phone bill. When I worked in the telecom world we frequently had clients who ran up bills over $2,000 a month from roaming on their vacations, and had no clue that data was still running on their phones!

Nowadays, using your cellphone abroad doesn’t have to be so difficult, confusing, or expensive. The major US cell phone carriers have international roaming plans which vary in their offerings and cost.

However, if you’re leaning towards “going dark” and foregoing an additional plan while traveling, then here are some tips to make sure you’re not racking up bills that will cost you more than your trip!

1. Understand what you’re being charged for

Most cell phone bills are broken into three parts where you’re charged for (1) voice, (2) text, and (3) data.

Data seems to be the most complicated for my clients when they talk about international usage. If you are connected to a wi-fi network accessing the internet or apps, then you are not using data. If you are not connected to wi-fi and you’re accessing the internet or apps that require internet then you’re using your data. As soon as you arrive to your hotel, connect to the wi-fi network to limit the data you use.

2. Turn off your “roaming data”

An easy way to prevent data charges is to turn off the setting on your phone which allows “international roaming.” Here are tutorials for iPhone users and Samsung users.

3. Use apps for messaging & calls

There are many apps which can replace your “call” and “text” usage so that when you’re connected to wi-fi you can use that connection (as opposed to your voice, text, or data usage) to talk or text.

Apple users can use iMessage, FaceTime, and voice calls over wifi.

Apple and Android users alike can use apps like WhatsApp, Skype, and Google Hangouts which allow you to message, call, and video call with other users who have the apps.

To call regular phone numbers (people who don’t have these apps or to landlines) you can also use Skype over wi-fi and purchase credits (like a calling card) at a very low per-minute calling rate.

4. Download maps for offline use

Travelers commonly rack up data usage from using their maps for directions or navigation while traveling.

In the Google Maps app, you can still use the compass/orientation even if your data roaming is turned off. Additionally, you can download maps (over wifi) for offline use while you’re walking around. (Google Maps instructions for offline downloads.)

5. Monitor data usage

if you decide to leave your data plan on, but want to make sure you’re not going over the allotted amount, you can use a free app like My Data Manager to monitor your usage.

Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using technology efficiently while traveling. If you have specific questions let us know and we’ll do our best to answer! Shoot us an email at hello@thetablelesstraveled.com.

---

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

Why Take a Guided Tour to Italy? (5 Good Reasons You'll Love it)

Raise your hand if you know someone who’s been to Italy.
Raise your hand if you know someone who wants to go to Italy.
Raise your hand if you yourself have been or want to go to Italy.

We’re going to guess you raised your hand (mentally) at least once, if not all three times.

To say Italy is a popular vacation destination would be an understatement. With 63.2 million tourists a year (2018), stunning Mediterranean coastline, imposing mountain ranges, Roman artifacts, rich history, and world-renowned art, fashion, and cuisine, it’s no wonder Italy ranks as the 5th most-visited country in the world.

So if it’s so accessible to that many travelers per year, WHY should you take a small guided tour to Italy as opposed to just planning the trip yourself? What do you get from a hosted tour that you wouldn’t on your own?

Well, well, well, we’re so glad you asked.

On our Heart of Italy Tour, we strive to bring you the absolute best Italy experience you can’t get anywhere else, no matter how hard you Google, or how many travel books and travel blogs you read.

So here it is. Here’s why it’s definitely worth it to travel to Italy on a small guided tour. This is what you wouldn’t get on your own.

1. Connections with Locals

For a popular destination like Italy that can easily be researched online and that you’ve inevitably had a friend visit before, in a few keystrokes or text messages you can find recommendations for a nice hotel, a decent restaurant, and logistical information like where to go, how to get there, where to capture the best picture, etc.

But the one thing that can’t be replicated or transferred is relationships.

We believe you can only really understand a place through connection with its people, which is why our trips are centered around the relationships with local friends we’ve built over the years. Friends that you’ve also met and cooked with in our virtual cooking classes.

In Italy, we introduce you to so many of our local friends who have a passion for where they grew up and live: the neighborhood cheese maker, Benedetto; Chef Alain, an amazing pasta chef who is ready to teach you his tricks; Roberto, a pastry baker for over 60 years who still enjoys letting us come into his kitchen to peak behind the scenes.

In Florence, one of the most tourist-heavy places in the country, our friend Gaia gives us an intimate insiders’ view of the city, sharing her personal stories with the local artisans she introduces us to in the neighborhood where she lives.

It’s the personal relationships that make an experience truly meaningful and memorable, and in Italy, our friends very quickly become your friends.

2. Unique, Non-Tourist Experiences You Simply Can’t Find on Your Own

Like we mentioned, many people have been to Italy. In fact, even some of those who come on our Heart of Italy Tour have been to Italy before.

But what they hadn’t experienced before were the unique moments we create for our travelers, like dining in Marika’s back patio with magnificent views and the freshest food picked literally right out of her garden. Like walking through local lemon groves and making limoncello from the lemons we pick off a tree. Like a pasta-making lesson from a local chef in a private Tuscan villa.

One of our travelers mused that he didn’t think he would have any way of relating to his friends’ or coworkers’ experiences in Italy, because his was far different:

“How can I feel commonality with Joe when he raves about the restaurant he went to, when I had dinner in Gloria’s home, overlooking the Duomo in Florence, helping her prepare pesto in the kitchen and listening to stories about her family business? It’s just a totally different side to Italy than seeing sites as a tourist.”

And that’s our goal - to show our Heart of Italy travelers a completely different side to Italy than they would be able to see and experience on their own.

3. No Stress, Absolutely None

How many hours have you spent researching and deliberating over the best hotel in the right neighborhood? Or what type of transportation to take from point A to B? Or which 4.5-5 star restaurant on Yelp is really the most authentic, or what experiences are really worth the splurge, or how much do you need to tip (wait, do you even need to tip? And when?), and where actually can you find the best pizza in Naples??

Relax. Close out of TripAdvisor and your fifty open tabs, we have you covered.

We’ve been there, we’ve put the hours of research in—not just online, but on foot. We’ve already visited all the best boutique hotels, we’ve already tried all the pizza in Naples, and we’ve already arranged the cooking classes worth doing and the boat trips worth taking.

No more research, no more deliberating, no more, as one traveler put it, fighting with your wife on a random street corner over where to eat dinner.

He says it typically goes down like this: “I Yelp, she Googles. My friend recommended this restaurant, her friend recommended that one. Eventually, we’re lost, hungry, frustrated, and ready to settle for the next place we see.”

No more settling or being unsure of anything. We pick you up from the airport. We handle all cash and tipping. We make all reservations and payments.

We handle all the stressful parts of travel so that you can just be present and fully enjoy your time abroad.

4. Delicious Meals, Every Time

We do not believe in wasting a meal on a “so-so”, or even a “pretty good” option. Our philosophy is you only have a few precious days on your trip; you deserve to eat and drink the best of the best!

With us, you can be assured that we’re sharing our absolute favorite places—not just the ones your cousin recommended because she stumbled into them starving after a failed Google search on a random street somewhere. No, goodness, no.

We have vetted and refined our list. We taste and taste and taste (it’s a hard job, I know), over and over and if something doesn’t meet our standards anymore, we replace it with a more delicious experience.

We dine at a restaurant with seafood caught by a fishing boat that just came into port. We lunch in a private plant nursery on multiple courses made from their garden. We watch our pizza being fried (yes, you read that correctly, we’re talking fried pizza, friends) before our eyes. We sip on wine made from the vineyards surrounding our table and carefully paired with each dinner course.

Rest assured every meal will be regional, local, seasonal, and fresh. We only choose places where we want to eat—because, after all, we’ll be eating with you!

5. Long-Lasting Friendships

I’ll be honest, one of my (Annie’s) biggest concerns when I started these tours was: what if people don’t get along?

Well, my biggest worry turned into what I’ve enjoyed the most in what we do.

Over the years, we’ve witnessed a sharing of experiences, joy, laughter, and depth of conversation that has brought our travelers together.

We consistently have “reunions” with travelers who want to get together again, and often there are travelers who arrange to visit each other in their hometowns after our trips are over.

There’s a bond created among our groups from experiencing something special together. After each trip, we walk away with friendships with people across the country (and across the world) that we cherish and want to nurture.

The experience we provide on our Heart of Italy Tour is truly like none other. Don’t just take it from us—read the reviews and testimonials from past travelers.

We’ve already taken the time to plan your dream trip to Italy that will save you countless hours of stress and planning, that will have you feeling like a VIP, and that will give you a view of Italy that is more than just checking “places to see” off a list.

We’d love to introduce you to our friends in Italy … your vacation is ready and waiting.

---

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

Why Malaysia Should Be High on Your Bucket List

Malaysia. Borneo. Rainforest. 

It just seemed so obvious. 

When I first started my business, I wanted to focus on off-the-beaten-path experiences where we had local connections and could give travelers inside access. As such, Malaysia seemed like such a perfect destination to highlight, and one that other ‘travel companies’ in the US were not giving any attention to.

Since my father grew up on the island of Borneo and I had visited multiple times as a guest of local friends, I knew that I could give people a peek into this culture that others didn’t have easy access to. I spent 6 weeks, loving life, exploring the rainforest, making connections, visiting the orangutans, and eating and eating and eating.

So I built the trip of my dreams, our Discover Malaysia tour—market trips led by locals, trying tropical fruits, sunset cocktails on exquisite beaches, canopy walks with birds and monkeys, river safari cruises, laughing with street food vendors as they cooked, and so much more.

I thought we would reach eager travelers ready to explore beyond their imagination, but who also wanted a helping hand to give them safety, security, and comfort in such an exotic destination since I'd been there, tried it, and had all the right relationships and connections.

What I found is that it was a LOT harder to promote a destination that very few people really knew about.

Although Malaysia is growing as a destination on the international scene with many visitors coming from other Asian countries and Australia, American travelers who go to Southeast Asia are still frequenting Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali

I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t have the interest I thought it deserves. Malaysia had such a rich diversity and culture that made me yearn for being there every moment I was away.

Needless to say, if Malaysia isn’t on your bucket list (or even on your radar), here’s a few reasons why it should be:

1. Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world

Even older than the jungles of the Amazon, this rainforest is home to approximately 10,000 different plant species (that’s more than on the entire continent of Africa!), including two THOUSAND species of orchids alone! *major heart-eye emoji*

In addition to crazy plant life, you’ll also find a number of crazy wildlife here, ranging from one of the smallest squirrels in the world—the least pygmy squirrel, no bigger than a mouse—and to the smallest elephant subspecies, the Borneo pygmy elephant, which are now endangered. You’ll also find it home to other species on the endangered list such as the Bornean orangutan. 

On our Malaysia tour, we travel deep into the rainforest to stay a couple of nights in a secluded eco-lodge. We do a night safari to scout out the nocturnal wildlife, as well as a morning trek with naturalist guides who can fill us with knowledge on what we’re encountering.

2. Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures and food…

In ancient times, Malaysia was a stop on the world’s spice trade route—so you can literally say that they have flavors from all over the world!

But really, over the centuries many different Asian ethnicities—particularly many Chinese and Indian immigrants— have settled here, bringing their home culture and cuisines with them to mix with the indigenous and the local Malay cultures and cuisines. This has resulted in making Malaysia a multiethnic and multicultural country, and an amazing country to EAT in if you love variety!

3. …And religions

Along with the rich mixing of many cultures brings the blending of different religious backgrounds as well. The Malaysian landscape is sprinkled with the influences of Hindu, Muslim and Buddist temples, shrines, and communities. Some even becoming a major pilgrimage hub, such as the Batu Cave Temples, with its 272 rainbow stairs and shrines dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war.

4. Malaysian street food

We mentioned food above, but honestly the street food of Malaysia deserves its own item on this list. Easy, quick eats are an integral part of the Malaysian food culture.

Think taco trucks, but not just tacos. In Malaysia, you can find street carts, small food stalls, and “kopitiam,” or coffee shops, where both beverages and meals are served. And although street food is commonly understood as "fast food", some of these kopitiam are just like our coffee shops where folks read their papers, chat with friends, and linger for hours.

They serve everything from coffee and teh tahrik (pulled tea - my favorite!!!) to noodle dishes and bbq pork. The list goes on and on.

5. Stunning Tropical Beaches

You’ve probably had friends who have raved about their time on the beautiful beaches of Thailand, and maybe you’ve jealously scrolled through their vacation photos on Facebook, but Malaysian beaches (as Malaysia is right under Thailand), are just as stunning with soft white sand, lush palm trees, and radiant blue water, but lesser-known, and therefore, lesser traveled. 

6. It has the best of both worlds: the Modern & the Traditional

Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is a breathtakingly modern city housing 1.73 million people, rated 31 on the Top 60 Safest Cities in the world (above both Beijing and Shanghai), and home to THREE of the world’s largest shopping malls.

Considered a first-class city, it is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Southeast Asia, both in population and in economic development. However, the surrounding, more traditional areas provide a fascinating contrast of the mix of old and new, of the modern and traditional.

7. It’s growing in popularity

Go before your friends do. Malaysia is growing in popularity - slowly, but surely. The destination is becoming more and more popular due to their conservation efforts and their endangered animals like the orangutan. For the real, authentic experience in the country, it’s better to go sooner, before the giant cruise ships and mass tourists arrive. 

Malaysia is a place that might not be on your bucket list, but we guarantee it should be. To find out more about our tour to Malaysia and to save yourself a spot, click the button below.

---

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

4 Ways to Machu Picchu (Without Hiking the Inca Trail)

Machu Picchu has quickly grown in popularity among travelers after being voted one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World" in 2007. In visiting the 15th century Incan city, the first thing that comes to mind is a strenuous hike traversing the Inca Trail for 4-5 days to reach the ruins located at an altitude of about 8,000 ft.

Which, to many minds (including mine), doesn't necessarily sound like a "vacation." Rarely do I consider something a vacation if there isn't a toilet.

As such, when we launched our all inclusive trips to Peru some of our travelers hesitated to join because of the common misconception that the only way to reach the ruins was by means of hiking and camping.

Although there are many multi-day treks that accomplish that goal (and work up a serious appetite), we're here to set the record straight that there are other ways to reach the UNESCO World Heritage Site without the need to train like an athlete beforehand.

The city of Cusco is most often the starting point for a journey to Machu Picchu. Travelers arrive to Cusco via flights from the capital of Lima. Although there are buses that make the journey, we recommend the 1 hour 20-minute flight since there are numerous daily departures on LATAM Airlines and they are relatively budget-friendly.

In addition to the travel options I mention below, there are also alternative treks, hikes, and walks which will lead you to Machu Picchu. However, I'm assuming if you're not interested in a 4-day trek on the Inca Trail, you're probably not interested in a 32 km walk to Aguas Calientes (now called Machu Picchu Pueblo). Wild assumption, I know. That said, here are 4 ways to reach Machu Picchu without breaking your back:

Step 1: Travel from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (now referred to as Machu Picchu Pueblo)

We recommend arriving to Aguas Calientes at least one day prior to your visit to Machu Picchu archaeological site. Aguas Calientes is a small town approximately 6 km from the archaeological site; it is primarily a tourist hub with hotels, restaurants, and a train station to serve travelers on their way to and from the site.

1. Train from Cusco

From Cusco you can catch a taxi to Poroy, a small town about 25 minutes away, which has a train station. The train journey is about 3 hours and 20 minutes and stops once on the way to Aguas Calientes. This route is operated by PeruRail and IncaRail.

2. Car to Sacred Valley + Train from Ollantaytambo

Given that Cusco is at a higher altitude (approximately 11,000 feet), we recommend spending time in the Sacred Valley (approximately 6,000 feet) before slowly progressing to Machu Picchu and then Cusco. If you choose this option, you can first fly into Cusco, then take a taxi or private vehicle directly to Urubamba or Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. From Ollantaytambo you take the train to Aguas Calientes which is about a 1 hour 50 minute train journey.

Step 2: Travel from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site

After arriving by train to Aguas Calientes we recommend staying the night before visiting Machu Picchu. The train track runs through the middle of the town so it's easy to access most hotels on foot.

3. Bus

Starting at 5:30 AM every day, there is a circuit of buses which ferry travelers on a 25 minute ride to the entrance gates of the ruins. Tickets for the bus should be purchased in advance and you can take the bus round trip to return to Aguas Calientes.

4. Hike

Okay...so this one might actually break your back a little. However, this is the only alternative from Aguas Calientes to reach the ruins. If you wish to hike to the ruins entrance gates, it is an 8 km hike from town, up a steep mountainside path.

So do you need hiking shoes when visiting Machu Picchu? This really depends on how you’re spending your time at Machu Picchu.

If you’re only visiting the Machu Picchu site and not doing one of the optional hikes, you don’t need hiking boots. That said, comfortable and sturdy walking shoes are a must. We also recommend shoes with good traction, especially if it's raining or wet as the stones and wood can be slippery.

If you’re doing one of the optional hikes inside the site - Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain, or Huchuy Picchu - hiking shoes are nice to have since they provide better grip on the ground and better support to your feet and ankles.

Shop all our Peru packing list for your trip!

And there you have it, how to get to Machu Picchu without hiking!

The Ultimate Machu Picchu Guide

$26.00

Add To Cart

Be 100% prepared for your upcoming adventure to Machu Picchu!

This guide was written by Christiana Jones, our Taste of Peru Tour Host who lived in Peru for over 10 years! She walks you step by step through every stage of the process on how to make your dream trip to Machu Picchu a reality down to which button you should click when purchasing your entry tickets.

With every detail accounted for, you’ll be able to visualize your entire experience. Plan your trip with no headache since this guide also includes links to every site you’ll need to visit while arranging your trip. A great resource if this is your first time visiting Peru and want someone to tell you exactly what to do.

---

For more on traveling to Peru, don’t miss…

• Taking the train to Machu Picchu

• Best restaurants in Peru

• Traditional food in Peru

---

---

Travel with us to Peru!

On our 9-day small group Taste of Peru Tour, we crafted an itinerary that gives you the best of both worlds. Get the breathtaking views looking out over Machu Picchu, with the creature comforts of some of Peru's finest, award-winning lodges and accommodations. We also take the guesswork out of buying tickets, securing entrance times, and all of the finicky logistics.

Let us Plan your Peruvian Adventure!

If you’re traveling to Peru on your own and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our customized travel coaching and optional booking service.  

No matter where you travel, we always recommend purchasing travel protection to safeguard against sudden changes or cancellations. If you don’t already have a preferred vendor, you can check out ours - Travel Insured - which offers a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy. 

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More images from our trip:

Main square and cathedral in Cusco, Peru

Visiting the Maras Salt Mines

a Lesson in Roasting at the Coffee Museum

Cheesemakers in the Markets at the Sacred Valley

Right before we jumped on paddle boards on this serene lake

Best Sandwich in Lima!

More Travel Resources

7 Things to Know BEFORE going to Peru

Peru’s tourism has exploded over the last few years, especially since the Inca site of Machu Picchu was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. People from all over the world have flocked to see this Incan ruins site perched high in the Andes Mountains in the highlands rainforest.

We have loved visiting Peru and introducing our travelers to the culture through many of our local friends like Christo, Brisa, and Nacho. Along the way we learn about what it’s like to live in Peru—whether your ancestors are farmers in the Andes or whether your family lives in a beautiful waterfront view apartment in Lima.

One of the realities of life in Peru is managing the growing tourism and responsibly considering what is best to preserve the special place of this land while increasing economic opportunities. We believe in being responsible tourists. There is value in connecting with people from all over the world, sharing experiences and coming together, uniting us over our commonalities and understanding our differences.

Because of that, we want to draw attention to some tips and things to think about when traveling to Peru that we recommend to help you be less of a “tourist” and more of an aware and informed traveler.

Of course, our first recommendation is to join our Taste of Peru Tour so we can introduce you to our friends. But here are a few other things you should know before visiting this stunning country:

1. Peru is a dietary-restriction dream

One of our favorite parts of Peruvian cuisine is the diversity of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Many of the dishes served in Peru have a focus on vegetables and grains grown locally.

Did you know that Peru has over 3,000 varieties of potatoes? Not to mention quinoa, amaranth, and many other healthy foods. Peruvians eat locally and had ancient trade routes along the Inca Trail, sometimes allowing trade between environments like the Amazon with its tropical fruits to the Andes with potatoes, quinoa and coca leaves.

As I’ve come to embrace my own dietary restrictions and be aware of those of our travelers, we’ve found that Peru is BY FAR the easiest country of our destinations to accommodate dietary needs. And not just accommodate them, but embrace them.

We’ve had previous travelers join us with restrictions like vegan and vegetarian diets to gluten and egg allergies, and not only have our chefs and local in-home cooks accommodated, but they've created beautiful dishes that are still an enriching experience of the culture’s roots.

2. There are more ways to get to Machu Picchu than hiking the Inca Trail

Just because hiking is not your forte—and the Inca Trail is noooo walk in the park—does not mean you’ll have to miss out on seeing this stunning Wonder of the World. 

On our Peru Tour, we take the train from Urubamba to Aguas Calientes, and then a bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, the last of which is only a short 6k journey, but we’ve also written about more ways to get to the ancient ruins without breaking too much of a sweat on our blog post “4 Ways to Machu Picchu”.

3. Stay overnight near Machu Picchu

As mentioned above, on our trip we take the train from the Sacred Valley to stay the night in Aguas Calientes before the big day. 

We HIGHLY recommend doing this if you take your own trip. Staying in the small town also referred to as “Machu Picchu village” allows us to get up the mountain BEFORE the crowds get in from Cusco, and often in time to catch the sunrise coming over the mountain peaks.

4. Machu Picchu isn’t the only fascinating Inca site

As amazing as this Wonder of the World is, there are plenty more mind-blowingly cool & ancient Incan sites, like the Moray ruins and the Maras salt flats.

Just a bit off the beaten path from Cusco, you’ll find both of these hidden gems.

The Moray ruins aren’t always mentioned in guidebooks, so you can enjoy this remote area of the Sacred Valley in relative peace.

Though they look a bit like “Signs” and alien crop circles, these circular terraces were not created by extraterrestrial lifeforms (that we know of, at least), but instead constructed by the Incas as probably an agricultural laboratory of sorts. Basically, the Incas were wayyy advanced in science for their time.

The Maras salt flats are another favorite stop on our Peru tour. These 3,000 shallow pools collect the salt from an ancient salty subterranean spring (created when the tectonic plates moved together to form the Andes), and allow the water to evaporate off, leaving the salt to be mined by the families that own it.

And no, that is not them covered in snow—that’s actually the white salt!

5. Mother Earth is sacred to the Incas

Mother Earth, or “Pachamama,” plays an important role in Peruvian tradition - particularly in the Andes Mountains. Mother Earth was a fertility goddess that presided over crops, mountains, and could cause natural disasters like earthquakes. Many Andean people still connect with Pachamama and pay respects to the giving, benevolent goddess.

During your time in Peru, go beyond the ‘ruins’ and see inside the hearts and souls of people and where their beliefs are rooted.

6. Pachamanca is amazing

A pachamanca is a traditional way of cooking and a dish that is comprised of a variety of meats, herbs, and vegetables that are slowly cooked underground on a bed of hot stones. The Andean language of Quechua gave way to this term, the word “pacha” translates to earth and “manka” to pot and the tradition dates back to the Inca Empire and perhaps even earlier.

When visiting Peru, dive into the lesser-known food traditions and eat like a local would! The preparation was a way to celebrate life and meant to offer respect to Mother Earth.

7. Lima is worth the stop

When I was planning my first Peru research trip, most people had given me the tip that the capital city was one that was "skippable."

Well...I'm telling you from experience...if you like food, it is decidedly not skippable.

Lima has some of the most amazing food in all of South America. In two days, I dined at THREE of the best restaurants in the world. Yes you read that right, Lima, Peru is the ONLY city home to three of the World’s Top 50 Restaurants.

Lima is the last stop on our Taste of Peru tour and we make sure to get our foodie on in the city and at two of these top restaurants before sending our travelers on their way. Definitely plan a visit to Lima into your itinerary. (You can read more about my dining at Lima’s world-class restaurants here.)

Whether you’re planning on joining us on our Taste of Peru tour, or thinking of planning your own Peru trip, we hope you find these tips helpful and that they bring you to find something even greater in your travel experience that gets stored in your memory bank, that roots you to the land and connects you with the people during your time there. 

---

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

3 Top Restaurants of the World in Lima

Whenever we tell people about the best restaurants in Lima and that there are five* in Peru on The World's 50 Best Restaurants annual list, they can't believe us. The question usually follows jokingly, "Did they serve you guinea pig?"

And then we deadpan, "Yes." Because, yes, they do serve guinea pig. And YES, it was one of the most savory, succulent, and delicious things we've ever eaten. Ever.

When Annie, TTLT’s founder, was planning her first Peru research trip she heard from most people that the capital city was "skippable." Well...we’re telling you from experience... if you like food, it is decidedly not skippable.

Christiana, TTLT’s Peru tour host, and Annie, TTLT owner, have eaten at three of the five restaurants on Pellegrino’s best restaurants list and can attest that these are some of the best restaurants in Lima and in the world. 

The five restaurants in Peru on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list are Maido, Mil, Mayta, Kjolle, and Mérito. 

Check out Annie and Christiana’s review and recommendations for Maido, Mil, and Mayta. They also awarded a TTLT Honorable Mention at the end that you don’t want to miss.

Maido (#5 on World’s Best Restaurants 2024 List)

In the words of Annie, “Unlike your inability to tell your children that one of them is your favorite, I have no qualms about picking my favorite restaurant in Lima. Although I loved all of my eating in Peru, Maido stole my heart.”

Atmosphere 

Maido in Japanese means “welcome” and upon entering the restaurant the entire staff always shouts out “Maido” to greet you. Maido has a partly open kitchen concept where you’ll see some of the chefs in action. Because of this element, the place is energetic and lively. If you’re looking for a quieter spot, we recommend one of the other options. 

Food

During the 13-course tasting menu at the Maido sushi bar, we were blown away by every single serving—a fusion between Japanese and Peruvian food, better known as "Nikkei" cuisine. Annie’s favorite dish was a thinly sliced and seared steak nigiri with a ponzu-infused quail egg on top. “It was the most umami-based flavor explosion I've ever tasted. There is so much to say about this one piece of nigiri that in reality there is nothing I can say to do it justice.”

Christiana’s favorite items on the menu are the pork taco and lamb dumplings. “These dishes are incredibly delicious and I recommend them to everyone.”

One aspect of Maido that Christiana likes is that you can recognize what you’re eating during each course. At some of the other world-famous restaurants, the food is more like a piece of art and you don’t always know what’s edible versus what’s not.

TTLT Top Tips

• If you are a group of 6 - 12 people, we recommend you request their private room upstairs. You can choose their tasting menu with or without the drink pairing. They do offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Or you can choose a la carte and just pick from the menu.

• The majority of the menu is fish and seafood, but there are some meat options. There are little to no vegetarian or vegan options. 

• Don’t skip dessert! There are some light and refreshing options that we love.

• If you’re trying to choose between Central versus Maido, both Annie and Christiana would pick Maido. Christiana says that Central is a little too “artsy” for her, and Annie prefers the flavors of Maido over those at Central.

Mil (#73 on World’s Best Restaurants 2024 List)

Next on the best restaurants in Peru list is Mil. This is Virgilio Martínez’s second restaurant and his first outside of Lima.

Atmosphere

The restaurant exclusively serves lunch to respect the local community and minimize traffic and light pollution at night. Upon arrival, guests are given a tour of the space and a brief history of the restaurant's concept.

You'll see their “lab” where they experiment with indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques. The dining area is peaceful and quiet, with few tables, offering serene views of the mountains and blue sky through the windows. Soft music enhances the calm ambiance, making it an ideal setting for a leisurely meal.

Food

The restaurant features a tasting menu, consisting of eight courses, with options for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink pairings. There is no à la carte option available. They have a variety of dishes that showcase Andean ingredients and culinary traditions. Some courses tend to be more memorable than others; for Christiana, the highlights were the corn course, the alpaca course, and the chocolate course.

TTLT Top Tips

• The restaurant is quite remote and not within walking distance of any hotel. If you are traveling from Cusco, we recommend that you hire a car or driver for the day since it takes a little over an hour each way.

  Your driver will need to wait for you during your meal and then take you back to Cusco or on to your next destination. For those staying in Urubamba or elsewhere in the Sacred Valley, the drive is shorter, around 30 to 45 minutes, but a driver is still necessary.

• Plan to spend a few hours at the restaurant. Although the tasting menu is shorter than others, it still requires a leisurely pace typical of such dining experiences.

• This restaurant is a fantastic choice for those who wish to experience Peruvian fine dining without spending time in Lima, especially if your itinerary includes Cusco, the Sacred Valley, or Machu Picchu.

Mayta (#41 on World’s Best Restaurants 2024 List)

Atmosphere

The restaurant has a large space for seating so that even when it’s a full house it doesn’t feel too crowded. It also makes it easier to secure a reservation compared to the other restaurants. However, booking in advance is still recommended. 

Food

The cuisine is focused on Amazonian ingredients, offering a unique culinary experience compared to the other restaurants. Much like Maido, the food is not as "artsy" as Central or Kojlle, and is easily identifiable and true to its Amazonian roots. You can opt for their lengthy tasting menu or order a la carte if you prefer.

Astrid & Gastón (TTLT Honorable Mention)

Astrid & Gastón was on the World’s Best Restaurant List years ago and we still think it’s worth an honorable mention. 

Gastón Acurio, one of the chefs behind the restaurant, is extremely important and relevant to modern-day Peruvian cuisine because he is responsible for putting Peruvian food on the map and making Lima a foodie destination. Gastón has many restaurants that are a favorite among locals - Madame Tusan, Tanta, La Mar, etc. Astrid y Gaston is the high-end fine dining restaurant that he started with his wife, Astrid Gutsche, who is a pastry chef. In the restaurant, he’s in charge of the savory and she’s in charge of the sweet! 

Atmosphere

Astrid & Gastón is housed in a beautiful mansion with a garden used for herbs and vegetables in the restaurant's daily preparations. It’s an environment where you feel at ease, welcomed, and befriended by the hosts and servers, to the point where you feel like we’re sitting in a friend's home kitchen. At every other top restaurant in Peru, the diners are almost exclusively all foreigners and not locals, but Astrid y Gastón is a popular local spot for special occasions, business meetings, and more. 

Food

This is where our guinea pig fantasies became realities. The guinea pig was served in a trio of tastings—all with an Asian flare. They have a tasting menu with or without alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink pairings. But if you’re short on time, we recommend skipping the tasting menu and instead ordering a few items from the a la carte menu. 

After four unforgettable meals at some of the best restaurants in Peru, we can assure you that if you're lucky enough to get reservations (or come on our Taste of Peru group tour), it is a country where your taste buds will be delighted.

Authentic? Definitely.

Some folks have told us they don't like the idea of dining in "fancy, famous" restaurants while they're traveling because it doesn't feel like an authentic, local experience. We would beg to differ. At least in Peru, we would.

In Annie’s words, “as I sat solo dining in these fantastic restaurants I eavesdropped on conversations all around me. The majority of diners were locals, who worked nearby, or had a special occasion, or in one circumstance had been trying to get a reservation for a year. They were trying food that they deemed, rightfully so, to be a modern representation of their local cultural cuisine.”

Join our Taste of Peru group tour and see for yourself just how delicious these experiences are!

*This article was originally published in 2017 and is consistently updated. Most recent update was July 2024. 

---

Ready to visit Peru? Join us on our Taste of Peru and Machu Picchu Tour and experience the vibrant culture, incredible history, and delicious flavors this beautiful country has to offer. Groups are limited to 12 travelers for intimate experiences. Contact us here if you have any questions or concerns and we’d be happy to set up a time to talk.

If you’re traveling to Peru on your own and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our customized travel coaching and optional booking service.  

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning a Trip to Italy

Almost everyone who I’ve ever met or known who has visited Italy absolutely raves about their experiences— the people, the food, the wine, and the sights. I typically nod in agreement while the usual places are listed, or sometimes chime in with the things that I also love about traveling there.

However, after years of operating our small group tours and customized private trips in Italy, I’ve come to understand how to get the most out of your visit to this beautiful country, and also a few common mistakes made by travelers that can be easily avoided for an even more amazing and unique experience during your vacation.

Here are 5 common mistakes that can keep you from the authentic and unique experience you’re looking for on your Italy trip (and what to do instead!):

1. Eating only at places with menus in English

Yes, there are great restaurants that have menus in English. But the real adventure begins when you’re in a place so authentically local that they are not catering at all to travelers, even if they know they could make more by having a menu that travelers could understand.

2. Eating “Italian Food”

There’s no such thing. Italy is all about regional cuisine—what you eat in Naples should be very different from what you eat in Milan. Eat the local dishes that are specialties of that region so you can taste what they’re best known for, and enjoy each dish at its very best.

3. Waiting for the bill to come

You’ll be waiting forever! (As long as you’re in an authentic place.) This isn’t a huge mistake, but it is a helpful tip! Restaurants in Italy aren’t trying to rush you out the door, they’re not solely focused on turning tables. So they often won’t bring your check until you ask for it.

4. Taking a huge tour with 20+ people

With this size of group you just can’t have the intimate, authentic experiences that allow you to see Italy as it should be.

We see these 30+ traveler groups all the time. They eat at the worst restaurants because that’s where they can get reservations for that size, they shuffle through the streets having sights pointed out to them, without going in and experiencing anything unique. And they have tour guides who are ticking off a checklist of things they’ve seen.

Get intimate! If you are going to take a tour, focus on small groups, experiences, and places that take you behind the scenes and not through the main thoroughfares where everyone else is walking.

5. Being afraid to get off the beaten path

Albert Einstein said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” But I’d like to add that my definition of insanity (applicable to this situation, at least) is going to the same exact places all the tourists go, and expecting a unique and authentic traveling experience.

Traveling to Italy is about having a deeper understanding and appreciation of the culture, history, and their way of life. Yes, for some folks it is just as important to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Museum. And that’s ok (because it’s amazing, of course!); but if you’re in Florence and all you do is stay in the historical center of the town (as many tourists do) then you are swimming in the sea of other visitors where there are certain establishments (and many vendors) who are catering simply to the tastes of tourists and not the reality of the locals.

Venture to the Oltrarno (the other side of the river) where more Florentines live and work. Stroll the streets and get lost. Find a café or a restaurant that has a small menu, only in Italian, and try it. Get outside your comfort zone. Go to a place where they don’t speak any English. Learn a few phrases in Italian and maybe mess up your order trying to use them (it’s all about the experience!).

Traveling is Truly What You Make of It

Traveling in Italy can be nearly like a “Disneyland experience” —manicured, swimming with the sea of other tourists, comfortable, and accessible.

Or you can get your hands dirty, explore, and absorb the culture like a true local.

If the latter is a little scary, or uncertain, or you’re not sure where to start or how to go about it, then join us on one of our curated culinary trips to Italy where we help facilitate bridging that gap.

We’ll introduce you to our friends—locals who live and work in the places we visit—who show us the inside scoop. We’ll teach you a few Italian phrases, or help with your ordering if you’d like some help. We’ll give you a behind the scenes view at artisan workshops, crafts that have been passed down through generations, and homes where you can dine with locals. And as always, our small group tours stay within 6-12 people to allow for more intimate experiences. (No big tour busses here!)

---

If you’re traveling to Italy on your own and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our customized travel coaching and optional booking service.  

Learn more about our 9-day Heart of Italy Tour and why it is an experience of a lifetime.

No matter where you travel, we always recommend purchasing travel protection to safeguard against sudden changes or cancellations. If you don’t already have a preferred vendor, you can check out ours - Travel Insured - which offers a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy. 

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

3 Must-Have Items for International Travel

Let's be honest...travel is amazing and wonderful and sparkles and unicorns and whiskers on kittens. But if we're being really honest there's also the side that's tiring, uncomfortable, and annoying. For me—that's packing and preparing for travel.

But there are a few things that are always, without a doubt, going in my travel bag...and that make those uncomfortable parts of traveling a tad bit easier.

Over the years I've tried lots of travel-friendly products which help me build custom packing lists for our private travel clients and our those on our small group tours.  Here are a few of my favorites that I would never leave home without:

1. Inflatable Travel Pillow - I'll admit I used to make fun of people with travel pillows...and then I became one. My favorite Eagle Creek pillow deflates to a compact size, you can remove and wash the cover, and it's far more comfortable than airline pillows (currently unavailable on Amazon — another great option here: Daydreamer Pillow)
   

2. RFID Blocking Wallet - You've certainly heard about the risk of identity theft through RFID (radio-frequency identification). This Articulate wallet/clutch is my favorite tool for storing my passport and cards while on the go. It has multiple compartments and has interchangeable straps.  There is also a men's wallet available.
   

3. Compact Backpack - It's a pain to carry a backpack on the plane in addition to your other luggage. Having a backpack that folds up has been a life saver on hikes, in markets, and on day trips. My favorite is the Eddie Bauer Packable Daypack which has lots of pockets and *bonus* you can secure zippers to other zippers and hooks using an S-biner.

   And those are my top 3! What do you HAVE to have for international travel? I’m always looking to pick up more tips, so don’t hesitate to comment below your Top 3 Must-Haves!

   
   This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, TTLT earns from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our small business!

---

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

4 Not-to-Miss Restaurants in Italy

“Wait…this is fresh made pasta, right?” I asked as the server shot me a look of severe discontent. 

Since when did I become such a pretentious eater that boxed pasta seemed so abhorrent?  Oh…since spending 3 weeks gorging myself in Italy, scouring the country for the best eats. I had officially been ruined for all the Barillas & DeCeccos of the world. After witnessing Italian nonnas (grandmas) fresh rolling pasta in the back of restaurant kitchens and lingering over fragrant sauces, it was no wonder I was appalled by food from a box and a jar!

After settling for his unequivocal reply of, “yes”, I took a deep breath, a sip of wine, and replayed my trip through Italy as I prepared for my last meal before jetting off. As an avid traveler, Italy was one place I had been hesitant about visiting. Not because I was concerned that I wouldn’t like it, but because I was concerned I would love it too much and never want to leave.

And boy, did Italy live up to all the expectations in my mind. From the first peek of the rolling Tuscan countryside through the airplane window, to the thrill of riding on a scooter around winding cliff side roads on the Amalfi coast, to this quaint little restaurant in Florence where I was eating my final fresh pasta dish, Italy took my breath away around every corner.

There is something so special, so enriching, so passionate, so simple about the way Italians live. And food is a major part of that beautiful life. On my first night in Italy, I made friends with a group of locals who invited me over for a barbecue. I stood awestruck in their Renaissance-period kitchen as one of them nearly apologized to me because, “this olive oil isn’t very fresh…it’s nearly 8 months old since their family is preparing for the olive harvest this year.” Old olive oil?! Is that even a thing?! At home I just used whatever EVOO I could find in my cabinet, purchased from who knows where, who knows when. And that was just the beginning of my education in the way Italians eat, drink, love, and live.

One of the most beautiful things about Italian cuisine is how utterly simple most of the dishes are and that so much of the rich aroma and flavor comes from using very fresh ingredients. Italians are not shy about their pride in this matter. While participating in a cooking class, the chef looked at me and matter-of-factly asked, “Do you like lemon thyme?” Then he continued by saying, “Great, let’s go pick some,” as we trotted out of the kitchen where a few pots of fresh herbs grew. I felt like smacking my Staples’ ‘that was easy’ button

As a tour operator for international culinary trips, my sole purpose in Italy was to uncover the places that made me feel uniquely in love with Italian cuisine, places that I would be overjoyed to share with other like-minded food lovers. With some help from my friends at Utrip, I was well connected with local Italian experts who showed me the way. And amongst some of my favorite meals were these 4 gems I highly recommend you check out.

1. Fried Pizza at La Masardona in Naples

2. Fried (you’re noticing a theme…aren’t you) Calamari Salad at Ristoteca Oniga in Venice

3. Cacio e pepe at Cacio e Pepe in Rome (seems legit, yes?)

4. Arugula salad & tagliolini magnifico at Trattoria Gargani in Florence

If you’re looking for more recommendations, you’re in luck! Check out our Florence City Pocket Guide for the best of the best.

And if you want to taste the fresh pasta for yourself (and make some!), join us on our Heart of Italy Food Tour where we eat our way around the country.

---

A similar blog post was originally published by our friends at Utrip on their blog. Utrip is an online travel planner that uses your interests and budget to sort through millions of options to deliver you a personalized itinerary in minutes.

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources

Packing Hack: How to Spice up Your Travel Wardrobe (Without Buying New Clothes!)

Travel is immensely rewarding and exciting, buuut, sorting the details can be incredibly complicated, frustrating, and stressful.

First, you have to choose where to go (okay, that’s the easiest and most fun part) and figure out how to get there. Then there are the hours of researching and (if you’re like me) breaking out the Excel sheets for what to do once you get there, where to stay, and where to eat—all the while trying to decipher which will actually be the unique and authentic experiences you’re looking for, hoping you don’t end up at some touristy diner that serves pre-made frozen pasta dishes in Italy.

Thankfully when you travel with us on our trips to Italy, Peru, or other destinations, we take care of all those maddening details so you can stop googling “best places to eat in Naples” for the 5th night in a row and get back to your busy lives with the reassured confidence that you will show up and have an amazing trip of a lifetime with deep, authentic connections (and zero amounts of pre-made, frozen food).

However, there is one more thing about travel that is complicated, frustrating, and stressful, and that even if you go on a trip with us, you’ll still have to do yourself—PACKING.

Packing is— by far—the thing that drives me most crazy about travel. I’m a “better safe than sorry” kind of person, so I want to make sure I have something for every occasion and weather possibility...while at the same time, I am also equally dedicated to packing ONLY a carry-on whenever possible.

This paradox subsequently results in hours spent debating which items are appropriate for the occasion (will I be too cold? Too hot? To dressy? Not dressy enough?), but also versatile (can I wear this shirt with multiple other items I’m bringing? Does it transfer easily “day-to-night”?).

And then, finally, and perfectly rationally, I usually come around to the conclusion that I hate everything I own, I have nothing to wear, and I want need a completely new, fun wardrobe to bring with me and not the same clothes I wear every day.

Tell me I’m not the only one who goes through this.

The Packing Hack We’ve All Been Dreaming Of...
In walks Armoire—a wardrobe rental subscription service, based here locally in Seattle, but available to anyone online.  

As an already fond member of their service, I was in their store, discussing the pains of travel packing and how I was considering pausing my membership with them while I’d be in Italy for three weeks, since I wouldn’t be able to swap out new items.

And suddenly, it became clear to both of us this was not a problem, but an opportunity!

Together we created the 8-Piece Travel Pack—a travel wardrobe you could curate with a stylist and then return when you get back—to assist with your travel adventures this summer, and solve the classic packing woes.

How it Works & Why Renting your Travel Wardrobe is the Best Tip I’ve Found
For this May Heart of Italy Tour and research trip, I met with a stylist at Armoire and shared the basics I thought I would bring: a white tee, jeans, gray jackets, sneakers, sandals, etc. Then together we picked out 8 items with fun prints, patterns, and colors to put together that worked with my staples and that I could mix and match, dressing up and/or down.

Anytime that I’m allowed to shop, chat, and drink champagne—I’m pretty happy. So packing with a stylist actually became something fun instead of a dreaded chore I save for the last, frantic minute (scene cut to me at my own home alone, frazzled, throwing things around my room, and sending mirror selfies to friends asking which pants I should take).

So here I am currently in Italy with my 8 pieces (you can ready more about which ones I settled on and how I’ll be styling them here), and I am digging this experience!

What I’ve loved about traveling with these 8 pieces is that they are all fun, new, and I am excited to get up in the morning and put on a full outfit that has already been pre-planned. No standing in front of my suitcase debating which items to put together for the day.

Travel Packing Tips to Live By
To get you inspired, here are some of my go-to travel packing tips to keep in mind whenever & wherever you’re doing your packing:

1. If a piece can’t be made into more than two outfits, ditch it

2. Rule of thumb: look for super lightweight, breathable items that don’t wrinkle easily

3. Layers, layers, layers. Unless I’m going somewhere with extreme cold temperatures, I’d rather wear 3 sweaters to keep warm than to carry a heavy, big coat.

4. Always pack more underwear than you need. It’s the smallest item you pack and the thing you change the most (hopefully :)

See How it Works In Real Life — This June!
Interested in this life-changing, new way to pack for a trip? Join us for a drink, packing tips from me, a stylist to help you choose your 8 pieces for your next trip, and a chance to win a $1000 gift card at our Armoire + The Table Less Traveled Event on June 19.

I’ll be hosting this event with the amazing boss women over at Armoire. Come by to get styled for your summer, learn about traveling to Italy on a trip that’s curated and planned, and hang out with fun people while doing that dreaded packing at the same time.

Hope to see you then!

Travel in Style
with The Table Less Traveled + Armoire

Wednesday, June 19, | 5:30-8pm

---

Pin this post to Pinterest so you can save it and come back to it!

More Travel Resources