Tours Overview
Book your trip with me
Welcome to Culinary Travels by The Sophisticated Life! I am so glad you are here. Culinary Travels are small group trips curated by me with the intention of learning about a destination’s history and culture through its foods and beverages. These trips will provide affordable luxury accommodations in 4* to 5* hotels/resorts with experiential and unforgettable culinary experiences. During our inaugural year in 2023 we explored Morocco, Northern Italy & France via my first river cruise! In 2024 expect exciting coverage of Barcelona & Costa Brava Spain, Morocco-Marrakech, Agafay Desert & Essaouira, and Southern Africa including Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls), Cape Town & Stellenbosch!
So why are Culinary Travels group trips for you? If you are looking for a culinary and cultural adventure but hate to research, plan and execute trips-Culinary Travels is for you. If you enjoy meeting like-minded travelers & joining a community that you can go on future trips with-Culinary Travels is for you. If you get excited about seeing new places and doing new & unique things while traveling- Culinary Travels is for you. If you would like to have a knowledgeable and considerate host who pays attention to detail, who has a wine certification and who’s #1 mission is making sure you have a fabulous time-Culinary Travels is for you! Nadeen
FIVE AMAZING REASONS TO BOOK WITH me!
- Reason 1: Travel with like-minded food & wine enthusiasts
- Reason 2: Pack Up & Go! We do the work & the trips are curated & led by travel professionals
- Reason 3: Immersive & unique culinary experiences
- Reason 4: Small & intimate group settings
- Reason 5: Your host Nadeen is a physician, travel expert who has been to 6 continents, has a WSET Level 2 wine certification & is fun!
My trips
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ALLOW ME TO REINTRODUCE MY COMPANY 😆😆 @culinarytravels_thesophislife
Here is a quick video clip from our walking food tour in Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦! Walking food tours is one of the pillars of my Culinary Travels group trips along with wine tastings, cooking classes and fine dining.
This was absolutely one of my favorite experiences during our Culinary Travels group trip to South Africa! I love walking tours in general because you get oriented to the city, learn about its history, see important landmarks and in this case eat some of the yummy traditional foods!!
Cape Town’s cuisine is diverse and Cape Town Culinary Tours did a great job of capturing that!! @ct.culinary
We made several stops & ate some of my favorite things!
1- Bo-Kaap Deli- Koesisters (traditional spiced doughnuts) and local Rooibos teas ☕️
2- Zannes Fare - Under the Vine. A beautiful restaurant! It is situated in the historical Heritage Square. We enjoyed the aromatic Cape Malay Spices in Bobotie, with a Apricot Chutney and Sambal. It was paired with wine and sparkling Sauvignon Blanc!
3- Meeting Point-Tanzanian East African Cuisine located on Strand street. We got to try a variety of their best dishes-Vegetable curry - Mboga za binzari, Coconut rice - Wali wa nazi, Fried kale - Sukimi wiki, and slow stewed beef with tomato, garlic and ginger - Nyama nyama mchusu. At this point I was not even hungry but everything was so good that I just kept eating!
4- The Fireman’s Arms. It was established in 1864 making it the second oldest bar in South Africa. We had Yoan Inverroche Amber Gin. This was paired with Bunny Chow (tasty like sweet BBQ meat), a syrupy Malva Pudding and local custard to end on a sweet note! This is their signature dessert and it’s a cake soaked in alcohol vs a “pudding”.
I highly recommend trying one of their tours when you are in Cape Town and tell them I sent you!
Do you enjoy walking food tours?
#blacktravel #walkingfoodtours #lovecapetown #visitsouthafrica #tslculinarytravels #culinarytravel
📸 @amilamedia
GREAT NEWS!! 1 space has opened up on my @culinarytravels_thesophislife group trip to Portugal 🇵🇹 next fall November 2025!
We will be spending 10 days in Portugal on one of @amawaterways “Soulful Experience” cruises celebrating Black History & Culture!
It is a land & sea journey with 3 days of exploration in Lisbon (bring comfortable shoes for those cobblestone hills!) followed by a 7 day river cruise along the Douro River in the Douro Valley & Porto!
Douro Valley is one of the most beautiful wine regions I have been to!! 😍😍🍷🍷🍷 And Porto is picturesque and port wine is so delicious!
This is a roommate space in a top tier balcony cabin!
If interested send me a DM or email to [email protected]
#portugaltravel #grouptripsforwomen #grouptrips #visitportugal🇵🇹 #amawaterways #amawaterwayscruise #soulfulexperiences #rivercruises #portoportugal🇵🇹 #lisbonlife
Don’t miss out on @goaheadtours Black Friday sale!! Book your vacation now and save big on their perfectly curated tours all over the world!! 🌏
I absolutely loved the Northern Italy 🇮🇹 tour I did with them last year with @culinarytravels_thesophislife The experiences were immersive and unique!! Every single day they kept getting better from alba truffle hunting to balsamic vinegar tasting to Ragu bolognese pasta making class!! Also the local guides are very knowledgeable!
AND a few lucky people will win this box filled with really cool gifts from around the world!! But in order to win you have to follow EF Go Ahead Tours! You can also find them on Facebook by their full name.
So what do you think? Are you ready to give yourself the gift of travel on Black Friday?!!!
#goaheadtoursblackfriday #efgoahead #blackfridaydeals #traveldealsonline #traveldealseurope #blackfriday2024 #unboxingvideo #unboxingtime
During my Culinary Travels group trip to South Africa, we had the pleasure of visiting Creation Wines on the stunning Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge—and it was nothing short of spectacular! 🍷✨
My group indulged in their sophisticated food and wine pairing menu, where every bite and sip showcased the best of local, fresh ingredients and cool-climate wines like their award-winning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 🌿🐟 Each pairing felt like a love letter to the region, perfectly balanced and thoughtfully crafted. The peri peri chicken was a big hit! I was pleased that Viognier was served. It’s become one of my favorite white varietals!
The experience was made even more magical by the breathtaking views of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Imagine enjoying world-class cuisine while surrounded by rolling vineyards and endless natural beauty. 🌄 It was the perfect fusion of food, wine, and scenery—a true highlight of our trip! 🥂
#CulinaryTravels #CreationWines #SouthAfricanWine #tslculinarytravels #hermanuslife #lovecapetown #blackwinelovers #blackluxurytravel
ARE YOU READY FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA COVERAGE?!
I spent 2 weeks in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼, Botswana 🇧🇼 and South Africa 🇿🇦 and I can’t wait to tell you about it!!
This was my 6th @culinarytravels_thesophislife group trip! It’s hard to believe that since June 2023 I have done that many! I’m really proud of myself 😊
**** SAVE THIS POST FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP TO CAPE TOWN!
One of my favorite experiences on my recent Culinary Travels group trip to South Africa was the walking food tour that we did in Cape Town! I love walking tours in general because you get oriented to the city, learn about its history, see important landmarks and in this case eat some of the yummy traditional foods!!
Cape Town’s cuisine is diverse and @ct.culinary did a great job of capturing that!!
We made several stops & ate some of my favorite things!
1- Bo-Kaap Deli- Koesisters (traditional spiced doughnuts) and local Rooibos teas ☕️
2- Zannes Fare - Under the Vine. A beautiful restaurant! It is situated in the historical Heritage Square. We enjoyed the aromatic Cape Malay Spices in Bobotie, with a Apricot Chutney and Sambal. It was paired with wine and sparkling Sauvignon Blanc!
3- Meeting Point-Tanzanian East African Cuisine located on Strand street. We got to try a variety of their best dishes-Vegetable curry - Mboga za binzari, Coconut rice - Wali wa nazi, Fried kale - Sukimi wiki, and slow stewed beef with tomato, garlic and ginger - Nyama nyama mchusu. At this point I was not even hungry but everything was so good that I just kept eating!
4- The Fireman’s Arms. It was established in 1864 making it the second oldest bar in South Africa. We had Yoan Inverroche Amber Gin. This was paired with Bunny Chow (tasty like sweet BBQ meat), a syrupy Malva Pudding and local custard to end on a sweet note! This is their signature dessert and it’s a cake soaked in alcohol vs a “pudding”.
Try one of their tours & tell them I sent you!
Do you enjoy walking food tours?
📸 @amilamedia
#CapeTownFoodie
#CapeTownEats
#WalkingFoodTour
#CapeTownCuisine
#SouthAfricanFood
#FoodiesOfInstagram
#CulinaryCapeTown
#EatLocalTravelGlobal
#CapeTownAdventures
#FoodTourExperience
How are my fellow Americans doing today?! I’m in South Africa 🇿🇦 with my @culinarytravels_thesophislife group and we are stressed! Going to @goldrestaurantcapetown was a good way to release some of that stress.
We are 7 hours ahead of ET and 10 hours ahead of PT so we won’t know any results until Wednesday here.
I’m praying 🙏 that America does the right thing today. The right thing is voting for @vp the right thing is making history in the right way!!!
#election2024 #harriswalz2024 #electionnight #electionnight2024 #goldrestaurant #capetownsouthafrica #lovecapetown #visitcapetown
@culinarytravels_thesophislife trip #6 has begun!!
For 2 weeks I will be traveling through Southern Africa!
1) Johannesburg South Africa 🇿🇦
2) Victoria Falls Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
3) Chobe National Park Botswana 🇧🇼
4) Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦
5) Stellenbosch South Africa 🇿🇦
THIS TRIP WILL BE EPIC! Be sure to follow along!
On Day #1 the mini group of South Africa 🇿🇦 Culinary Travelers had a great day in Johannesburg on the pre-trip including visits to the Apartheid museum and Soweto.
Tomorrow we are heading to Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park before meeting up with the rest of the group in Cape Town!!
Have you been to South Africa? I can’t wait to show you one of my favorite places in the world 🌍
#tslculinarytravels #visitsouthafrica #cityofjohannesburg #culinarytravel #lovecapetown #grouptravel #luxurygrouptrips
My @culinarytravels_thesophislife group trip to Morocco 🇲🇦 this year had the theme of “city, desert & sea escape”.
The “sea” part was in Essaouira!! This coastal town was a refreshing break from the crowded hot hustle of Marrakech. It’s about a 3 hour drive away. We were only there for 2 nights but we packed it in!
We shopped for beautiful silver jewelry, ate delicious fresh seafood including at a Spanish restaurant in the Medina. The squid ink rice with seafood was insanely delicious!!!
We also visited a historical Jewish museum, I went horseback riding on the beach at sunset with @kitatheexplorer and shopped of course! The textiles here were amazing! Have you been here?
If not, here are five unique and fun facts about Essaouira, Morocco:
1. A Windy Paradise: Essaouira is known as the “Windy City of Africa,” making it a top destination for windsurfing and kite surfing enthusiasts. The strong trade winds create ideal conditions for these sports, especially in the summer months.
2. Jimi Hendrix Connection: In the 1960s, Essaouira became a popular spot for musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, who visited the city in 1969. While urban legend claims Hendrix wrote “Castles Made of Sand” about a nearby ruin, the song was actually released before his visit. However, his connection has added to the city’s bohemian vibe.
3. Game of Thrones Filming Location: Parts of the famous series Game of Thrones were filmed in Essaouira, particularly scenes depicting the slave city of Astapor in season 3.
4. UNESCO World Heritage Site: The medina of Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was designed by French architect Théodore Cornut in the 18th century.
5. Argan Oil Capital: Essaouira is surrounded by vast groves of argan trees, which are indigenous to Morocco.
Parts of the city reminded me of Mykonos Greece with the white and blue architecture. What do you think?!
#essaouira_city #essaouira #essaouiramorocco #morocco_vacations #moroccogrouptours #moroccovacations #moroccotrip
Had to use this audio for something!!!
I had so much fun horseback riding in Essaouira! It may not look like it because I was NERVOUS!! I had hit my head really hard the day before so I probably should not have been doing this but being on that beach 🏖️ at sunset was magical!
The funniest part though was that shower cap that I had on under my helmet!⛑️ It ruined most of my pics BOOOOO!!! But @kitatheexplorer looked fab and her guide got great pics and videos of her!
But yes we were very DEMUR! VERY MODEST! We were not out there in bikinis 👙 with things bopping all around lol
#tslculinarytravels #essaouirabeach #essaouiramedina #essaouiramorocco #horsebackride #blacktravelers #essencetravels #travelnoire
Have you done horseback riding on the beach?
People think of everything!! Since I have a wine certification and run a book club maybe I should open up a book bar!! 📚📚🍷🍷🍷 Have you been to one?
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Happy Saturday!! This is hilarious!! Have you ever been given those huge room keys 🔑 with the long tassels on it while traveling internationally?! Where do you carry them? 😅😅 Can you believe I still misplaced one in 🇨🇺?!! Of all places SMH
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This content isn't available right now
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