More than 70% of travelers report seeking out travel that offers cultural immersion and experiential elements, according to a recent study from media research firm MNTN.
And while many tour operators tout their ability to provide genuinely authentic experiences and personal interactions with locals, I've found that the delivery can be mixed.
That's not the case with Explore Worldwide, a 45-year-old British adventure tour operator that specializes in hands-on activities for groups of just 12, on average. The company offers 400 curated itineraries in more than 100 destinations, ranging from small-group and solo adventures, to walking and cycling journeys, cultural discovery and wildlife trips.
I recently traveled on Explore Worldwide's 13-day "A Taste of Vietnam -- Halong Bay to the Mekong Delta" culinary tour of Vietnam, which took us from Hanoi in the north of the country to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. Along the way, we planted rice in the paddies, made our own spring rolls at a cooking class, ate home-cooked meals with local families, watched water puppets with village children, participated in a homestay in the Mekong Delta, learned to make traditional green bean cakes and dined at back-alley eateries that rarely see foreigners.
Here's what clients can expect when booking with the operator.
Having family meals
Dining in a family home in Northern Vietnam, with a magnificent gilded altar as the central feature. Photo Credit: Veronica Stoddart
For an intimate, authentic experience, I believe nothing compares to eating a home-cooked meal, and our tour provided multiple occasions to do just that. From historic houses in tiny villages to modern residences in large cities to organic country farms, Vietnamese families welcomed us into their homes for traditional multicourse feasts served on outdoor terraces. We enjoyed not only their favorite dishes, but also a glimpse of their simple kitchens and household decor (often highlighted with a family altar). This kind of insider access unveiled the lived experience of local people.
Cooking with locals
Making spring rolls at the Green Mango Cooking School in Hoi An. Photo Credit: Veronica Stoddart
Far beyond just sampling the cuisine, we had memorable opportunities to roll up our sleeves and prepare local dishes ourselves — gleaning firsthand insights into culinary traditions and customs within Vietnam. At the Green Mango Cooking School in the river town of Hoi An, we cooked and ate five traditional Vietnamese dishes -- including deep-fried duck spring rolls and coconut chicken soup with lemongrass.
In the ancient imperial capital of Hue, a local family showed us how to fashion green bean cakes into jewel-toned fruit shapes. These nutty mung bean confections, a cherished part of Vietnam's culinary heritage, are popular during special occasions, such as weddings and Lunar New Year celebrations.
And in the Mekong Delta, we hand-grated tapioca to make traditional tapioca cakes guided by a villager on her remote jungle-swathed terrace where she served us honey jasmine tea.
Experiencing local culture
We delighted in Vietnam's signature cultural activity, water puppetry, a 1,000-year-old art form where puppeteers stand in waist-deep water behind a screen, controlling lacquered wooden puppets with submerged bamboo rods and string.
But rather than watch a tourist-oriented theater performance, we visited a rural village for a private show in an open-air community center. As the performance unfolded, accompanied by five musicians on traditional instruments, a gaggle of village kids trickled in, wide-eyed with wonder at the spectacle, eliciting grins from our entire group.
Elsewhere, we watched creators at work, from incense and conical hat makers to broom and palm frond weavers, and we made colorful silk lanterns ourselves in a workshop.
Planting rice and fishing in the paddies
Planting rice seedlings and fishing on a family farm. Photo Credit: Veronica Stoddart
For an unusual hands-on experience, we got down and dirty on a family farm. Donning work shirts, waterproof waders and traditional conical straw hats, we waddled through the muddy, flooded paddies to painstakingly plant rice seedlings and scoop up tiny fish with straw baskets.
This provided an up-close connection to -- and a hard-earned appreciation for -- the source of Vietnam's two culinary essentials: fish and rice. In Vietnam, it's a rare meal, indeed, if it doesn't feature signature fermented fish sauce and sticky rice, rice noodles, rice pancakes or rice paper.
Dining alongside locals
Tour members slurped traditional soup alongside Hanoi residents in a backstreet eatery. Photo Credit: Veronica Stoddart
Many of our meals featured backstreet eateries where only the locals go. We bypassed popular tourist venues and fancy restaurants for noodle shops, simple food stalls and unassuming holes in the wall, heady with exotic aromas. At communal tables, we sat elbow to elbow with locals as we slurped steaming bowls of soup, including pho, the national dish.
Elsewhere, we joined residents on traditional low stools and heaped our plates with a cornucopia of dishes, doused with fermented fish sauce, soy sauce and chopped chilis. I felt that our tour leader's observation that "the Vietnamese way of eating is a tasting menu" came vividly to life in this moment.
Experiencing homestays
The Ut Trinh Homestay guesthouse on the Mekong River. Photo Credit: Veronica Stoddart
The undisputed highlight of our trip was an overnight at the idyllic Ut Trinh Homestay, which is perched on the serene Mekong River amid fruit gardens. The homestay featured a wooden guesthouse with outdoor ensuite bathrooms, and we explored nearby hamlets and country markets, took boat rides on the river and along palm-shrouded canals, and helped the family grill and cook our meals. A delightful window into rural life, it was eye-opening and memorable -- just like the tour itself.
How to book
Explore Worldwide offers travel advisors a base commission of 15%. It also provides a 50% discount for the first booking, and 25% off for travel companions.