Elevate your taste buds to a new level of gastronomic pleasures beyond the commercial food scene. Indulge in a truly immersive culinary experience that kicks off with a local market excursion and reaches the finale with a wholesome home-cooked meal prepared by an Indian family.
Tag along with your host to manoeuvre the organised chaos of a traditional Indian bazaar, low on space but high on spirit, buzzing with people engaged in daily trade chores. Rub shoulders with the locals while shopping for locally sourced produce. Don’t hesitate to try your bargaining skills. It’s a lot of fun!
The experience of being welcomed to an Indian family home is one you’ll never forget. Take a moment to interact with your hosts and get a glimpse of how their culture and lifestyle are shaped by various aspects, like religion, the joint-family value system, festivals, local politics, and arranged marriages, just to name a few.
Savour the goodness in every bite of a home-cooked meal, the obvious nourishment to the mind, body and soul. Don’t forget to take back your favourite recipes as souvenirs before you say goodbye to your hosts.
Important
Heritage
Landscape
Wildlife
Trip Valid: | 1 September 2022 to 30 April 2023 |
Duration: | 4-5 hours |
Pickup location: | Pick up and Drop Off is available at Extra Cost. |
Pickup time: | 11:30 AM for Lunch & 4 PM-4.30 PM for Dinner. |
Drop-off location: | After saying thank you and goodbye to our hosts, our local guide will assist with getting a taxi/TukTuk back to your hotel. |
Drop-off time: | 3PM – 3:30 PM for Lunch & 8 PM-8.30 PM for Dinner. |
Highlights: | Discover the joyful cultural meanings of Indian food, Meet an Indian family in their home, Learn about traditional spices and cooking techniques, Handle Indian food like a local, Chat about daily life in Varanasi over delicious food and hot chai. |
Group size: | Minimum 4, Maximum 12 |
Price: | |
Style: | Food, Cuisine & Markets, Local Life & Culture |
Food in India is far more than just fuel for the body – it is culture, tradition, celebration and religion. Eating is also a family affair and this opportunity to join an Indian family in their own home over an evening meal is an experience not to be missed. Learn about the spices and techniques behind the dishes, and end the feast with a soothing chai. |
Your “Home Cook” experience will take between 4-5 hours.
This is not just a meal, but a dining experience in a family home with local friends. After meeting our local guide,
transfer to the vegetable market near the host house by tuktuk or electric rickshaws to start our real life experience. Our journey to our host’s home provides us with an opportunity to learn more from our local guide about what to expect for the evening. Upon arrival we will be greeted by our gracious hosts and welcomed into their home.
As dinner is being prepared our local guide will provide information on the lifestyles of Indians, the traditions of home life, the importance of family in Indian culture, arranged marriages – and of course, the food! Dine on a traditional Indian home-cooked meal which will be predominantly vegetarian and sure to tantalize your taste buds. Our hosts and local guide will be more than happy to provide as much information as we desire on the dishes provided, their ingredients and how best to eat them. We can choose to do it Indian style and eat with our hands, utensils are available if we want. At the end of the meal we will have an opportunity to enjoy the same marsala chai. As alcohol is not part of everyday life of an Indian family, it will not be served with the meal.
After saying thank you and goodbye to our hosts, our local guide will assist with getting a tuktuk or electric rickshaw back to gostops hostel.
Inclusion | English Speaking Local Guide, Transport as indicated, Dinner. |
Exclusion | Items of a personal nature, Tips or gratuities for driver or guide. |
Voucher Exchange details | Please present your voucher to the local guide at the beginning of the trip. |
Confirmation of booking | Please contact the local supplier to confirm your trip 24 hours prior to departure. |
Your trip | This trip is offered on a “join-in” basis. Maximum group size is 12. |
Dress Standard | Dress standards are conservative throughout Asia, especially outside major cities. To respect this and for your own comfort, we strongly recommend modest clothing. This means clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. Loose, lightweight, long clothing is both respectful and cool in the predominantly hot Asian climate. |
Tipping | If you are happy with the services provided a tip – though not compulsory – is appropriate. While it may not be customary to you, it is of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many Intrepid Urban Adventures destinations. |
Note | Vegetable Market Visit is only available for Evening Cooking Demonstration Class. |
Children policy | Children must be between 6 and 11 years of age inclusively. |
Language | English/Hindi |