Eat your heart out baby! Travel tips for the wandering gourmet

Get ready to dine in style - here are five food-cation suggestions that will have you packing your bags.

Do you need a glam-cation?

Just for the girls - how about a holiday with a little luxury, a little shopping, a little sightseeing, some champagne and a few cocktails and a hot foodie destination.

Glamarama Getaways has put together a list of fully escorted all-girl getaways that tick lots of boxes. My favourite from their line up is the 'Glam Apple Tour of New York City from November 22 to 30. You'll see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, bag serious bargains at the 'Black Friday' mega holiday sales, visit some of NYC's best stores, tour 'Sex and the City' hot spots, have dinner at Grand Central Station and brunch at the famous Loeb Boathouse. The idea is to enable women to travel to exciting destinations and attend fabulous events without the worry of having to organise a travel companion. Visit Glamarama Getaways for more information.

Let the feast begin

The palm fringed beach side paradise of Palm Cove will come alive again this October with a 10 day Palm Cove Reef Feast from October 1 to 12. Restaurants will vie for Best Restaurant of the Cove with their favourite local signature dish, Food Trail Tours will depart for the Tablelands and Port Douglas to visit some of Australia’s most unique food producers of the region and purveyors of boutique brews will be lured to Palm Cove for the annual TNQ Beer Awards. The Taste Paradise Night Market will bring chefs out from their restaurant kitchens and onto the street to serve up special meals based on local tropical food ingredients while the Gourmet Market Day will showcase local food producers and their products. For more information, go to

Wine and sea

Sounds a bit too good to be true - MSC Cruises has put together a series of wine-themed cruises, where guests can delight their palates and hone their knowledge through expert-led tastings and talks, and excursions to wine estates.

Their ‘On The Wine Routes’ immerse guests in the ancient world of Mediterranean wine production, trade and tradition with city tours, talks, tastings and insights from Masters of Wine.

The eight-day / seven-night cruises on MSC Splendida will depart from Genoa, Italy, on 2 and 9 November, and 14 December, making stops in Italy, Tunisia, Spain and France.
They are priced from A$664 per person, twin share. The November cruises are scheduled to call at Naples and Messina (Italy); Tunis (Tunisia); Barcelona (Spain) and Marseille (France), while the December departure’s Italian stops will be in Civitavecchia, near Rome, and Palermo, in Sicily.

“Many people enjoy a glass of good wine, but some want to take this a step further and learn more about wine, its production, history and so on,” says MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato. “On The Wine Routes is a unique chance to discover more about wine in different countries under expert guidance, in an unhurried and enjoyable way.”

Are you a 'Paradise Foodie' ?

Are you a food lover with a discerning palate who enjoys seeking out top destinations with the finest culinary experiences?

According to Fiji’s Likuliku Lagoon Resort Group General Manager, Steve Anstey, you are a ‘paradise foodie’ and you’ll find just what you are looking for in his resort’s dining room. Likuliku’s hot tropical climate lends itself to a wide range of fresh local seafood, lush tropical fruits and gourmet products reflecting the diversity of cultures that shape the South Pacific.

“Island guests are relishing the magical combination of the resort’s paradise location, over-water bures and incredible food, says Anstey. “Executive Chef Ihaka Peri’s food methodology fits with what we are achieving at Likuliku. He understands our style of menu, while adding his own flavours and flair to provide a truly extraordinary culinary experience.

Cocktails for the well-heeled

How much do you love your Jimmy Choo shoes? World-class mixologist, Lewis Tsang at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong has unveiled exclusive “His & Her” cocktails inspired by Jimmy Choo’s Autumn/Winter 2014 (AW14) Women’s and Men’s Collections. For men there’s Leather Revolution mixing French herbal liqueur and 18 years Islay smoky single malt to create a beautiful blending of leather and cigar taste, shaken with a dash of Italian vermouth for a tinge of bitterness and sweetness, resulting in a silky smooth finish. Topped with a cotton-candy cloud and a golden high heel, women will be tempted by Cotton Berry Cloud: a vodka-based, no added sugar, frozen raspberry smoothie with a hint of fresh lime juice and elderflower liqueur. Find these innovative fashion cocktails at Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong’s The Lounge & Bar at throughout September.