HAL Expands Food & Wine Shore Excursions
Holland America Line’s (HAL) collection of immersive culinary-themed Food & Wine shore excursions is expanding to add the flavours of Tahiti and Hawaii with the addition of eight new tours.
During these exclusive tours, guests take hands-on cooking classes with top restaurant chefs, go on culinary walking tours, visit wineries, sample authentic street food, explore local hideaways and more. In addition to Hawaii and Tahiti, Food & Wine tours are currently offered in Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada & New England, the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
“Holland America Line’s tours in partnership with FOOD & WINE resonate with our guests because they want to connect with our destinations through the universal language of food, and Hawaii and Tahiti offer cuisine with such vibrant flavors,” said Holland America president Orlando Ashford. “Culinary excellence in the South Pacific has really taken off on a global level and these new tours are a great addition to this program.”
On the “Famous Oahu Sites and Bites” tour, for example, guests get a memorable taste of Hawaii’s buzzing food scene at one of star chef Ed Kenney’s hot local restaurants while also taking in Diamond Head, Waimanalo Beach and Pali Lookout in the rugged Ko’olau Mountains.
“A Taste of the Garden Island” tour in Kauai offers treats from one-of-a-kind specialty stores, well-regarded local restaurants and under-the-radar food trucks that officials say are practically unknown to tourists. Along the way, the tour makes six stops where guests meet owners and chefs who proudly introduce their culinary creations.
“The Big Island: A Farm-to-Fork Experience” in Kona visits two farms in the northern part of the Big Island, then follows up those visits with lunch featuring fresh-grown ingredients. The tour takes guests to Parker Ranch, founded more than 160 years ago, as well as a family owned farm where organic produce is grown for area restaurants. The tour concludes with a three-course lunch at Merriman’s Restaurant, prepared by chefs using products from local farms.
Two tours in Papeete, Tahiti, showcase the island’s exotic fare: “Papeete Market and Master Chef Lunch at L’O à la Bouche” enables guests to discover the flavours of French Polynesia during a market visit and walking tour with displays of colourful and aromatic pineapples, mangoes, bananas, papayas, guava, ginger, vanilla and coconuts. Guests then indulge in a three-course gourmet lunch at L’O à la Bouche, one of Papeete’s top French restaurants.
