Trip Reviews

“Personally, I cannot think of the best words to say that our eating tour of Italy with you and Kathryn was epic, wonderful, fantastic.”

“Truly a life-changing experience. I’ve always had the travel bug, but after [traveling with TTLT to] Peru, my standards are so much higher because I know how unique a trip can be. I am 100% sure that anywhere you took us would be amazing. The total experience is as much a reason to travel with you again as the destination is. ”

“This was possibly the best organized and most personalized tour we’ve ever taken. Far better than any we’ve done.”

“I don’t know how Annie and Kathryn make us feel like they have been lifelong friends. They seem to connect with all the participants at each person’s personality and their process in the trip.

I realized that these community connections just don’t happen. So much work was done previous to our arrival that is it almost mind-boggling.

At the beginning of the trip, we thought the price was on the higher end (maybe too much). At the end of the trip, we thought the value was excellent. I believe we got more than our money’s worth. At no time did I think I was being short-changed or nickel-dimed to death. That’s a good feeling.”

“I didn’t know what to expect on a group trip, but this ended up being one of the best vacations we’ve ever been on! Being an intense planner, I had a hard time giving the reins away, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Annie truly found the best of the best in Italy! We felt like we were on a luxury, private vacation that was perfectly customized for us! The tours, the food, the accommodations, while booked for the group, truly felt personalized, making the experience absolutely magical and so much fun! I can’t wait to book our next tour with Annie!”

“Part way through our Heart of Italy tour I realized that putting into words what we were experiencing was impossible. This tour brings once in a lifetime experiences in unique settings that you just can’t find on your own. We also had the added plus of being with an exceptionally compatible, nice and fun group of travel companions - 4 couples in total.

We had no knowledge of or experience with Annie, TTLT, or Savor Seattle so it took a leap of faith that the tour was going to be as described. It turns out it went beyond our wildest expectations in delivering unique experiences around food and the culture of Italy.

Several of our tour guides commented that Annie is the best tour leader and I would agree! You could tell from the warm relationships she has with her local contacts that she works hard to establish and cultivate relationships. Each of our local guides and hosts were unique in their own way but all were truly exceptional!

Be prepared to eat - a lot! You learn to pace yourself and taste instead of finishing all the courses and plates offered. Food was of the highest quality, fresh, and oh so good! Wine was part of every meal (and plentiful). The accommodations were top notch, the scenery is gorgeous, and all of the details are taken care of by Annie and her team.

A truly wonderful experience that we will never forget!”

“Holy Cow! Where to begin...do we talk about the food? Deep fried artichokes, porchetta sandwiches, street food, gelato. The tours? With well-informed English speaking tour guides and head of the line tickets. The hotels, villas, and resorts? The cooking lessons, private dinners prepared by a chef in our villa, the wine, the wine, the WINE. And last but not least our wonderful tour guide, concierge, and all around “magic making” gal, Annie. We were a group of 2 sets of grandparents, 2 sets of parents, and 2 14/15 months old darling baby girls. Annie made sure we had car seats for all the transportation and if we didn’t she bought a car seat. We had just enough together time with everyone and then time alone with our individual families. If you are looking for a personal tour with a personal touch this is the one for you. I don’t have one negative thing to comment on (oh yeah, the steps - which were not Annie’s fault - as much as I tried to blame them on her). This is the kind of tour I would recommend to everyone...young or old. Thank you to The Table Less Traveled for this unique tour and a big thank you to Annie. It would not have been the same without you. ”

“An Italian Food experience of a lifetime! I am in the tourism industry and provide food tours of Little Italy in NYC. I went on this tour to further my education and... this tour exceeded my expectations. We were NEVER hungry or thirsty! The three regions we visited were very different and a good representation of the Italian food and culture.

The tour leader was always there to answer a question, help when needed and made sure we had a good time. There were so many details that really showed how much thought was put into the tour. The accommodations and transportation between the regions were exceptional. Lastly, each meal or food activity (tour or class) was delicious and well executed. I highly recommend this tour and any tour given by this company.”

“I’m so ready to go on this trip again! I look at my photos and can’t believe that was my life for 2 weeks! Amazing. This was my dream trip. I have always wanted to go to Italy and this trip was my imagination brought to life! And that’s what I loved most about the itinerary. I felt Annie “got it right” with this trip as if she was in my head and somehow knew every city and experience I ever imagined even though she had never met me. I faced my fears and conquered my first European travel as a single girl. I’m so proud of myself for living fearlessly. This trip is the best way to travel single and never feel alone. Amazing trip of a lifetime!”

“Thank you Annie Cheng and your company, The Table Less Traveled. You put together a fantastic trip full of once in a lifetime experiences. Never in my wildest imagination would I think that I would be floating down a jungle river in Borneo with the blood moon out, listening to the sounds of the wild animals and seeing a tree lit up like it was Christmas because of the thousands of fireflies that lived in it and then enjoy having dinner at an elite club in the Petronas Towers a few days later.

Your attention to detail was excellent. I felt that my trip was a combination of an Anthony Bourdain program, a chapter out of the “Crazy Rich Asians” book and some jungle movie.

I ate my way through Malaysia and Singapore. The food was the best of the best and I enjoyed eating where the locals ate. I am picky about my rooms and I have to say that the accommodations were fabulous.

The travel company, The Table Less Traveled, gets an A+++ from me and I would highly recommend it to anyone.”

“It was so nice to not have to think about logistics, hotels, money, tips, or any of the normal travel issues. We could trust that everything was taken care of and our focus was on enjoying Malaysia and all it had to offer. Which we did!

I was impressed by the beautiful nature and wildlife, boating down the Kinabatangan River, venturing deep into the rain forest on a 4x4 ride and experiencing the eco-lodges, all of which I’ll never forget. Even in the bigger cities, The Table Less Traveled coordinated special experiences such as a dinner on the beach on Gaya Island, local food tasting tours, and a fabulous cooking class that made our trip one of a kind.”

“If you love food and traveling and are seeking a truly special trip that focuses on unique experiences that you will never find on your own, look no further. One example is dining with a local family whose home sits nestled in the cliff side overlooking the Amalfi Coast... it was literally farm to table as most of the food came from the gardens and crops surrounding their home. Everything from the wine to the vegetables, olives, olive oil, etc. It was an incredible experience, one I find myself day dreaming about frequently.”

“An email is a simple thing, but it can be life-changing. I received an email from Savor Seattle Food Tours [a partner of The Table Less Traveled] announcing a new food tour of Italy. I clicked the link and read the details. This trip sounded amazing! So just like that I decided I was going to Italy! It was the best travel decision I have made!

This food tour of Italy is a perfect combination of great food, great scenery, and great people. I did not feel like a tourist and enjoyed hanging out with local guides and eating at small local restaurants. There are so many adventures on this tour and I loved every single minute! I feel that this trip gave me so much. I made some great new friends and learned about culture, food, and traveling. It truly is a trip I will never forget!”

“We hired Annie to make all of the arrangements for our 3 week vacation in Singapore and Malaysia. While Tony grew up in Malaysia and we have made our own plans for other vacations in Southeast Asia, we decided to engage Annie to plan this trip for us. The main reason was to have an actual vacation! While the world is at your fingertips on the internet and we could leverage the experiences of literally thousands of other travelers, we didn’t want to spend our time doing all that research, calling vendors, making reservations, and collecting all the information we would need for the trip. Most people need a vacation after planning their vacation and then a vacation after the vacation because they are so exhausted “figuring everything out”. We wanted a ‘plug and play’ kind of trip.

Secondly, we wanted to stay in some special places, have unique experiences, and move efficiently from one place & thing to the next. When we met with her to discuss the kind of trip we wanted, she presented so many great options, ALL of which she had personally experienced and professionally vetted. Every tour was expertly guided by knowledgeable, friendly, warm local people. We learned so much about Malaysian history, culture, people, and food from everyone.

Annie is well known and respected by Malaysian vendors so we were well taken care of. Most importantly, though, we felt as if we were going on adventures with old friends. Annie’s knowledge of moving about the country - by plane, boat, and private transfer - was invaluable. We were never rushed or late and always felt safe.

As part of the planning process, Annie provided us with checklists of ‘what you need to do before you go’, ‘what to pack’, and ‘what to know when you are there’. She prepared a notebook for us which contained all the details of our itinerary and copies of all our bookings. Annie was available 24x7 during our trip when we had questions or needed to make adjustments to our schedule.

We had such a fantastic time - it was a true vacation!”

“This was a trip of a lifetime. Wait, if that’s the case...clone me ‘cause I’d do this again. This wasn’t just a vacation, this was an experience.”

“I have been on other guided tours and yours are the best! I reminisce and recall all the good times! When I thought a guided tour doesn’t get any better - something special arrives in the mail that I treasure. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ”

“We can’t say enough about our The Table Less Traveled trip to Malaysia and Singapore. Annie was meticulous in her planning and provided a dazzling array of eating, cultural and wildlife experiences.

Traveling in a foreign country can be challenging - particularly when deciphering the local menus. Annie knew her restaurants and hawker stands so we confidently experienced a vast and extensive variety of foods each day.

Of particular note, she surprised us with special experiences everywhere we went (I won’t detail them - you need to go yourself!). Accommodations, transportation services and local guides were top notch.

Annie was professional, supportive, flexible, and knowledgeable. You will be in good hands and able to sit back and thoroughly enjoy the ride. ”

“What a wonderful combination of food excursions and outdoor adventures. The unique experiences would be hard to duplicate, and these will be lasting wonderful memories. Annie, you exceeded my high expectations. Thanks!”

“Thank you for helping us put together a great 3 week itinerary to Italy. We thoroughly enjoyed the places, hotels, tours, and sights you recommended. You took away the uncertainties of planning a visit to a country we have not been to before and replaced it with a well crafted itinerary that was most enjoyable and memorable. Your experience and suggestions on how to see different areas greatly helped in the overall planning.

The printed itinerary you gave us was basically our bible while traveling through Italy and in it we had all the necessary information we needed for directions, contacts, etc. In particular, without your recommendation we wouldn’t have thought of doing food tours, but we enjoyed them and they gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation of their traditions and cultures, not to mention some great meals! You run a very classy outfit. Thank you again.”