Calling all foodies – it’s time to treat yourself to a truly unforgettable dining experience.
Trying new foods is one of the best parts of travelling the world. Follow your nose to discover these mouth-watering meals, refreshments and regions and you’ll return home with more than a few new favourites and recipes.
1. Kakheti wine region, Georgia
Travelling with: Steve Madgwick
As long as the singer’s voice floats up from the hole, the new vintage is underway and on track, like thousands before it. If the singing unexpectedly stops, however, the rescue mission kicks in and the process must begin again.
The estate of the noble Chavchavadze family produces traditional wine in Georgia.
The hole in question is the opening of the qvevri, an egg-shaped earthenware vessel buried into the earth, used to ferment, store and age the ‘natural’ or ‘unfiltered’ wines of Georgia. Natural because this Caucasus country doesn’t remove grape skins, pips and stalks during fermentation, or add unnatural preservatives, yeast or extra sugar during wine production (sometimes sulphides are added at bottling).
The picturesque Kakheti region grows around three-quarters of the country’s grapes.
Cleaning the qvevri is crucial. The larger ones are metres deep, holding thousands of litres, so winemakers climb down inside to scrub them with brushes made from the naturally antiseptic roots of St John’s wort and pressed cherry tree bark. Georgian wine is unpasteurised, so the cleaning process is a balancing act.
Nekresi Monastery in Kakheti has an ancient wine cellar.
Rogue noxious bacteria can spell curtains for a vintage, but because qvevris are re-used, the wine also benefits from ‘good’ bacteria and moulds trapped in the porous clay, which act like a natural yeast.
Qvevri are earthenware vessels used in traditional Georgian winemaking.
Why the singing? It tells those above ground that the winemaker hasn’t passed out from the overpowering alcohol fumes from past vintages. Conversely, if they are bad singers, the lid is slammed shut anyway – so goes the local joke.
Pheasant’s Tears winery continues an 8000-year-old tradition.
2. Mil Centro, Moray, Peru
Travelling with: Kee Foong
Central restaurant in Peru was voted World’s Best Restaurant in 2023, which makes getting a reservation there extremely tricky. Its founder, Virgilio Martinez, however, has a destination dining experience high in the Andes that is slightly easier to book, if not get to.
The impressive Moray Ruins in Mil Centro, Moray, Peru. (Image: Gustavo Vivanco)
Located next to the mysterious Incan site of Moray near Machu Picchu, Mil Centro is part restaurant, part community farming project and part research lab that’s worthy of a pilgrimage for gourmands. Book the full-day Mil Immersion, which includes meeting with Indigenous farmers and artisans followed by a sumptuous discovery of Andean cuisine.
Tuberculos Nativos in Peru. (Image: Ken Motohasi)
3. Le Louis XV, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Travelling with: Catherine Marshall
The chef is an artiste, the maître d’ an entertainer, the dining room a gilded theatre. Diners are expected to dress for the performance at Alain Ducasse’s three-starred Michelin restaurant in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Luxury dining redefined at Le Louis XV. (Image: Monte-Carlo Societe Des Bains)
Here, every set piece is a masterstroke: tissue-thin bread embossed with zucchini leaves and filaments of radish; fish cubes steaming on a bed of pebbles beneath a glass cloche; Champagne to match the brass tableware and buttery interior. This is an extravaganza to be digested long after you’ve delivered your standing ovation.
Indulge in edible art at the three-starred Michelin restaurant. (Image: Monte-Carlo Societe Des Bains)
4. Viennese coffeehouses, Vienna, Austria
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The Austrian capital is justifiably famous for its coffeehouses, known as much for their VIPs as their coffee and cake. From Café Central, where both Freud and Trotsky frequented in the early 1900s, to Café Hawelka, where patrons have included Andy Warhol and Peter Ustinov, to the elegant Café Sacher, home to the original Sacher-Torte cake, there’s a lot to love about Vienna’s centuries-old coffeehouses.
An indulgent slice of Sacher Torte at the Cafe Sacher.
Café Frauenhuber is Vienna’s oldest coffeehouse and is known for having Mozart and Beethoven play piano there in the late 1700s. Waltz through the doors at this timeworn institution to get a glimpse into Viennese society and the great minds that have helped shape the ‘City of Ideas’.
Linger all day in the timeless coffeehouse at Cafe Goldegg.
5. Île Saint-Honorat, Cannes, France
Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead
An island solely inhabited by Cistercian monks is not somewhere you’d expect to be surrounded by bikini-clad glitterati blaring techno on their yachts. Yet, Île Saint-Honorat is an anomalous pocket of asceticism that sits in stark contrast to the revelry of the French Riviera.
Wind down with a bottle of wine at Île Saint-Honorat, Cannes, France.
However, the monastery precedes partygoers by about 16 centuries, as does its ancient winemaking traditions that continue into the present day. I sample syrah in the monastery’s sun-drenched vineyard. It’s peppery and intense, with notes of cherries, blackberries and cinnamon – a little drop of heaven.
Off the coast of Cannes lies the monastery of Lérins Abbey.
6. Kanda, Tokyo, Japan
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The word delicious is written as ‘beautiful flavour’ in Japanese. It’s at the heart of what inspires chef Hiroyuki Kanda-san, whose eponymously named restaurant Kanda has been awarded three Michelin stars since Michelin began ranking restaurants in Tokyo in 2007.
The Japanese unagi eel is known for its somewhat sweet taste. (Image: Gozen Koshida)
Epicureans will find it worth their while to seek out the intimate eight-seat eatery in the Moto-Azabu area of Tokyo, where everything from the kaiseki cuisine to the ceramics reflects Kanda’s meticulous attention to detail. The acclaimed chef has also been the recipient of the Michelin Mentor Award for his continued dedication to the hospitality industry in Japan.
Restaurant Kanda has been awarded three Michelin stars. (Image: Masatomo Moriyama)
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7. Pisco Sour, Chile
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
Have you even been to Chile if you haven’t sipped a pisco sour? Chile and Peru both claim pisco as their national tipple, but Chileans reportedly produce and drink more of the distilled grape spirit.
Pisco Sour is a mix of pisco, lime, sugar and ice.
While Peru may be the birthplace of its signature cocktail, Chile’s pisco sour recipe wins me over for its lip-smacking simplicity; its mix of pisco, lime, sugar and ice producing a frothy top layer without the need for egg whites. Salud!
8. Khao Soi, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
Many cultures lay claim to the world’s best coconut curry, but there’s something special about khao soi. Typically made with chicken, the signature dish of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is decadently rich and creamy, with the combination of soft and crunchy noodles creating the perfect texture.
Khao soi is a specialty coconut curry noodle soup in Chiang Mai.
Anthony Bourdain put rough-and-ready Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom’s eye-wateringly spicy version on the map, but we think the more refined version at historic general store-turned-restaurant Kiti Panit is well worth sampling.
Kiti Panit is a former colonial mansion refurbished into a new dining space in Chiang Mai.
9. Penang Street Food, Malaysia
Travelling with: Emily Murphy
Penang’s rich multicultural history is what landed its capital George Town on the UNESCO World Heritage list. But it’s also what shaped the state’s famous street food scene. Penang’s thriving outdoor hawker centres have an abundance of stalls, each unique to its neighbour, using age-old family recipes to serve up affordable, flavourful dishes.
Penang is a wild hodgepodge of lively food stalls and restaurants.
You won’t receive a perfectly presented plate, but when the quality, flavour and price are that good, who’s complaining? Must-try dishes include nasi kandar, char koay teow and asam laksa, an all-time favourite. The famed eatery Air Itam Asam Laksa does it best, serving the addictive sweet-sour broth with rice noodles, bunga kantan (ginger torch), red chillies and fresh mint.
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Cathlyn Botor is International Traveller's Digital Content Producer with a degree in Speech Communication from the University of the Philippines. She’s also a Creative Storyteller for The Panoramic Soul, a Filipino travel blog. She had a short stint in digital lifestyle publications like When In Manila and Guide to the Philippines, the largest marketplace for Philippine travel. Cath was also a Senior Associate Copywriter at the US-based digital marketing agency AffinityX and a former Web Content Specialist at ADEC Innovations. Outside work, her friends deem her an island girl who loves chasing sunsets. Cath likes being spontaneous and prefers to wander aimlessly with a relaxed itinerary. If she’s nowhere to be found, she’s probably at the beach, lost in her thoughts. Part of her travel wish list is to set foot on the beaches of Bali and the Greek Islands.
From sophisticated new sleeper trains and opulent hotel openings to the exploration of new frontiers, we’re now finding ourselves in our own gilded era of travel. These 21st-century travel experiences are leading the way.
If we were to turn back the clock 100 years, there was a real romance to travel – the dawning of a glamour-filled jet age, refined rail sojourns and first-class cruising where the voyage itself trounced the destination.
We’re feeling a similar excitement in the air about travel in 2026. Think state-of-the-art cruise liners allowing access to destinations formerly off-limits, resort launches where avant-garde architecture takes centre stage, and a return to the days of luxury locomotives. This reoccurrence of the advances, adventure and elegance of a bygone era has not only come full circle; it’s now superior.
How? Travel has become more mindful, intentional and accessible. This includes environmental initiatives by operators determined to leave less impact on the planet and a shift towards a deeper cultural exchange with the local communities we visit. Whether it’s exploring previously hard-to-reach cities such as Uzbekistan’s Khiva, staying with a family to experience village life in Nepal or discovering new frontiers in Antarctica, our round-up of ‘new golden age’ travel experiences is a snapshot of how we are travelling today, as well as into promising new horizons.
Exploring the emerging city of Khiva
The walled inner city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. (Credit: Getty/Mlenny Khiva)
Uzbekistan’s Silk Road city of Khiva used to be off the radar for many travellers, but 2026 has changed all that. You can thank a new bullet train service connecting Khiva to Bukhara and Samarkand, slashing the trip from the capital of Tashkent from 15 hours to under eight. Add renovations to Urgench International Airport, and interest in this fascinating city is rapidly on the rise.
Check out Khiva’s preserved inner-walled fortress, the first UNESCO site in Uzbekistan, explore ancient minarets and ornate mausoleums, and try traditional fare at Terrassa Cafe & Restaurant. Looking for fancy digs? The Mercure Khiva is due to swing open its doors later in 2026.
Riding the rails on the Eastern & Oriental Express
Onboard the train, rich fabrics are complemented by elm, cherrywood and teak marquetry. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
The resurgence of train travel reflects how we are travelling today – slower and with a new appreciation for both scenery and cultural exchange. Include a large dollop of old-world glamour, and the three-night Wild Malaysia tour truly delivers. Winding its way deep into the Malay jungle, the journey makes plenty of pit stops for exploration along the way.
Having been resurrected from a 1970s sleeper, the luxury locomotive now comes replete with plush interiors of hand-cut marquetry dressed in oriental silks and embroidery – there’s even a Dior Spa. Watch the world go by from the Observation Car, indulge in fine wining and dining, kick up your heels in the Piano Bar, then snooze it all off in your sumptuous sleeper car.
Embracing Mother Nature in Peru
Befriend local llamas in Peru.
Travelling to Peru is like stepping into a kaleidoscope of contrasting cultures and landscapes. Whether you’re learning about shamanic natural remedies in the pre-Inca Colca Valley, cruising the wilds of the Amazon on a luxury river ship or discovering firsthand why the contemporary capital of Lima is celebrated for its culinary and artistic scenes, there are myriad reasons why this colourful country is topping wish lists.
One such experience is the Ultimate Peru by River and Rail journey (five days) by Abercrombie & Kent, available in 2026. This incredible river cruise allows you to truly connect with the jungle rhythms of the Amazon via skiff and on foot with in-the-know local guides, and includes nights onboard newly launched luxury riverboat Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary.
Spot exotic creatures such as sloths, macaws, piranhas, and pink dolphins on the daily excursions, before juxtaposing these wild encounters with a return to pure pampering on the boat.
Seeking sustainable community experiences in Nepal
Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)
While Nepal has traditionally attracted visitors to traverse its majestic mountains – Everest and Annapurna in particular – travel experiences in this beautiful Himalayan nation are expanding.
Home stays, where you reside with Nepali families and take an active part in their daily lives, are a growing attraction. It’s a win:win for local youths – who took their country back after bloody protests in 2025 – wanting to stay in Nepal rather than moving abroad for work, as well as foreigners seeking a deeper cultural experience. Nepali women, Indigenous people and marginalised castes are also benefitting from home stays, upping the feel-good factor even further.
Leading the charge is Community Home Stay Network, which links travellers to local-family hosts. Travel off-the-beaten path to homes in areas including Tharu in the south, learn how to cook Nepali style, and take part in traditions such as making moonshine, dancing and weaving straw handicrafts.
Exploring new frontiers in Antarctica
A breathtaking ice window captured at Wilhelmina Bay on the Antarctic Peninsula. (Credit: Renato Granieri)
Gone are the days when a trip to Antarctica meant a perilous voyage through the Drake Passage on a vessel holding the mere essentials. Innovative cruise ships now offer a smooth and sophisticated passage to the White Continent, as well as experiences formerly off-limits.
Abercrombie & Kent’s 19-day Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands: Holiday Voyage captures it all. Spot breaching whales and gracefully gliding albatrosses from the deck, before stepping onto this Narnia-like landscape with daily Zodiac excursions. Observe adorable penguin and fur seal colonies, visit Antarctic communities that were previously too remote, and get so close to colossal icebergs that you’ll feel humbled by their scale.
Silversea‘s Antarctica Fly Cruise voyages will soon include a stay at The Cormorant at 55 South, the southernmost hotel on Earth purpose-built to bring uncompromised comfort to guests travelling to Antarctica.
When it comes to protecting this fragile eco-system, the future is also looking bright: HX Expeditions has partnered with the University of Tasmania to create a world-first educational course allowing cruise guests to dive into Antarctic science and sustainability, while A&K pours funds into conservation efforts and uses energy-efficient hybrid ships – all in trademark luxury, of course.
Indulging in New Zealand’s exceptional dining
The Ayrburn precinct serves up delicate dishes.
By welcoming the Michelin Guide to sample Aotearoa/New Zealand’s finest gastronomy for the first time, our cousins across the ditch have now become serious players on the world culinary scene.
And there’s never been a better time to experience NZ’s greatest gastronomy with the inaugural guide currently going to press. Sample haute cuisine in Queenstown with a side serving of theatrics by culinary director Paul Froggatt at Essence in the new ROKI Collection hotel, and pull up a chair at Amisfield for its delicious degustation experience under new chef Sung Peng, with the world-renowned restaurant slated to reopen in July.
And it’s not just Queenstown holding all the culinary cards. The Michelin inspectors travelled to rate the best epicurean artistry in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Te Whanganui a Tara/Wellington and Ōtautahi/Christchurch against the world’s most renowned restaurateurs (bring loose pants).
Bedding down at design-led hotels and farm stays
A woodfired sauna deepens the meditative state at Azuma Farm Koiwai. (Credit: Azuma Farm Koiwai)
New grand dames on the global hotel stage are receiving a standing ovation for their triumphant 2026 openings.
Return to old-world elegance at the Orient Express Venezia, a reimagined former 15th-century royal residence set in Venice’s Palazzo Dona Giovannellii. It certainly makes for a regal stay, with grand Neo-Gothic windows and restored Baroque splendour blending seamlessly with modern luxury flourishes. Also bringing the fantasy factor is France’s Zannier Île de Bendor on a petite private island off the Provençal coast. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea – and with three luxe, design-led accommodation concepts to choose from – this resort exudes golden-era glamour.
In a breath of fresh air, we’ve also seen an uptick in farm stays. Trade the urban rush for a rambling rural retreat at Sibbjäns, Sweden’s first boutique farm stay, or opt for horseback riding followed by woodfired saunas on the sprawling eight-hectare Azuma Farm Koiwai in Japan.
Cruising the Danube on a festive Eastern Euro adventure
The magical Pécs Christmas Market in Hungary. (Credit: Emily Murphy)
Dreaming of a white Christmas? While floating past snow-dusted, fairytale cities on a river ship in Eastern Europe makes for an amazing voyage, when you add the magic of Christmas the whole experience becomes, well, more magical.
From twinkling trees and tinsel to red-nosed reindeer and wreath decorations, the festivities greet you the moment you step aboard AmaMagna by AmaWaterways. The ship then spirits you away along the Lower Danube for a seven-night Gems of Southeast Europe adventure from Romania to Hungary.
Explore Bulgaria’s medieval city of Veliko Tarnovo, glide into the dramatic Iron Gates crossing into Serbia; and sip on fine wines at Croatia’s Kast Winery (one variety made famous by Queen Elizabeth II). The highlight? For many it’s wandering the shimmering Christmas markets in Hungary’s Pécs. Peruse stalls selling unique handicrafts, try the traditional treat of kürtőskalács (chimney cake), and warm your cockles with a cup of mulled wine.
Delving into the buzzing city of Beijing
Calm and chaos at Lama Temple in Beijing. (Credit: Natasha Bazika)
Walking the line between its imperial past and a frenetic, futuristic present – Beijing is an exciting city to dive into.
If you want to be centrally located, the palatial Peninsula Beijing is hard to beat. From here, strap in at street level for a stroll among the city’s famed hutongs (ancient alleyways), pausing to taste traditional delicacies such as jianbing (savoury breakfast crepe) and dumpling soup. Then scope out the narrow lanes dotted with siheyuan courtyard homes (there are only 1000 left), and if you love to shop, head to Taikoo Li Sanlitun for a mix of luxury brands and local labels.
And it wouldn’t be a well-rounded trip to this history-rich city without experiencing its highlights reel. Admire golden-topped architecture in the Forbidden City, take a hike on the Great Wall of China and pay a visit to Tiananmen Square for both remembrance and observation on how it operates today.
Embarking on a round-the-world cruise
Sitting pretty in a Queen Anne cabin.
Can’t decide where to go on a cruise? On a round-the-world voyage you can live out all your dreams at sea.
It’s not a new idea – the first world cruise occurred more than a century ago on Cunard’s RMS Laconia in 1922 – but a reimagining. If you don’t have a spare year up your sleeve, you can now join for specific legs of the journey (unlike the 1922 trip), and ships have been modernised with sustainability measures, contemporary designs and a less formal feel.
Queen Anne, also by Cunard, cruised the world in 2026 with guests joining at handpicked ports, including in Central America for the extraordinary experience of crossing the Panama Canal. If you want the full adventure by circumnavigating the globe, Queen Anne will set sail on another world voyage in 2028.
Discovering the joys of small-group travel in Spain
Sample organic wine and olive oil on a tasting tour in Molino El Vínculo in Grazalema with Intrepid Travel. (Credit: Intrepid Travel/Tim Luck)
Small-group touring is a travel trend currently soaring, with many embracing it as an authentic, intimate and insightful way to visit a country – with VIP benefits to boot.
The small-group format, typically capped at five to 15 guests, is now accounting for around 62 per cent of group travel worldwide. And operators such as Intrepid Travel, APT Luxury Travel and Janesco Travel are among the frontrunners in this space, handling all navigation and insider experiences within an intimate group led by expert guides.
Seeking a Spanish sojourn? Small-group journeys to the vibrant southern Andalusia region are now topping bucket lists. Be mesmerised by flamenco dancers from a professional dance school (rather than touristy versions), learn how to make authentic sangria with a private class, skip queues at the Real Alcázar of Seville royal palace, and score a seat at the best Andalusian restaurants, sans waitlist.
Learning from the past in Japan
The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum presents a sobering dive into the nuclear event. (Credit: Eleanor Edström)
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to experience a war-time atomic bomb, hopefully the closest any of us will ever get is a visit to Nagasaki.
While on a cruise excursion to the Japanese city aboard the Diamond Princess, you can visit the fascinating hypocentre of the Second World War bomb dropped to widespread annihilation in 1945. While there is no doubt this is heavy material to digest on a tour, it comes with a message of hope – that the horror of a nuclear war should never happen again.
There is also much more to this 11-day Japan Explorer Cherry Blossoms with Princess Cruises voyage. Witness the world’s most active volcano in Kagoshima, join a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto and marvel at Mt Fuji in Shimizu. Also don’t miss the onsen experiences onboard the ship or its many mouth-watering local culinary offerings. Next departure is March 2027.
Supporting a typhoon-ravaged community in Vietnam
Time to kick back at Zannier Bãi San Hô. (Credit: Amber Hunter)
When typhoon Typhoon Kalmaegi ripped through Vietnam’s south-central coast in November 2025, it left a devastating trail of destruction.
And Zannier Bãi San Hô, an expansive 98-hectare beachfront resort, took a direct hit. An incredible five-month clean-up and restoration has now seen the Green Globe-certified retreat reopen, thanks in large part to the local community who rallied to help rebuild it. The support goes both ways; the 180-strong resort staff is made up of 177 locals – their livelihoods dependent on it.
You can help by simply booking a stay here. It’s hardly a punish, when you consider the beauty and luxury of this place; picture private pool villas and powder-white beaches. Take to the sapphire waters for water sports, visit local fishing villages and sweat it out at the onsite fitness centre. Or, if relaxing’s more your jam, simply loll by the pool with a good book.
9 Epicurean Wonders Of The World - International Traveller
