Hear what some of our clients have to say about Active Gourmet Holidays!
"Dear Jo-Ann - We just had the most amazing week. It was everything we could have hoped for and more. We are already planning a "make your own pasta party" at our house to introduce friends to the very unique flavours we tried and made! Jo-Ann, the others who came through Active Gourmet - Ed, Cathy and Kelly were all very complimentary about the service they had received from you, as were we. I was hugely impressed with your immediate attention to every detail and I will certainly recommend friends to your website if they are considering similar trips to ours." - Joneen and Ray S., Auckland, New Zealand
"Once again, Jo-Ann, you've outdone yourself. We had a fabulous time - from the spacious Barcelona hotel in the gothic quarter and tour with our fun and knowledgeable guide, to the quaint masias with welcoming hosts; we had an incredible time! I won't even get started on El Cellar de Can Roca. Diners usually have to wait a year to get a reservation, yet you got us in! Fantastic meal "of a lifetime". I travel frequently and feel very comfortable making my own arrangements; that being said, there is no way that I could have arranged a specialized trip to this degree on my own. I certainly don't have the pull to have gotten myself into El Cellar with only 4 months notice! Yelp and Trip advisor only get you so far...Active Gourmet Holidays is the only way to go…." - Angelique O., Greenfield Center, New York
"Active Gourmet Holidays helped us to plan a one of a kind honeymoon. Everything was so simple and stress free, from initial inquiries and booking to the actual trip. I know we will be talking about our amazing experience in La Rioja over and over again. Thank you so much! " - Anna K., Brooklyn, New York
"Our experience with Active Gourmet Holidays was incredible. The service we received from the moment we considered booking through to after we returned home was nothing short of spectacular." - Sarah A., Vancouver, Canada
"Everything was very professional, from the upfront planning to the trip itself to the follow up afterwards. The lodging was perfect and allowed us to feel as if we were experiencing a part of Italy that not everyone is able to. The hosts and instructors were charming and accommodating and seemed to really care about as as people (friends now)." - Deanna L., Cedar Rapids, IA
"Comfortable, breathtaking, exciting and restful when it needed to be!! Everything was wonderful. I loved Sicily and can't wait to get back. Thanks Jo-Ann. I will give your company name to all of my traveling friends." - Robert R., Waltham, Massachusetts
"We travel several times a year, but this vacation was by far the best ever! It was unique because we made wonderful friends and really felt like part of a family rather than tourists!!" – Brad and Beth C., Oxford, Connecticut
"Dear Jo-Ann, Thank you so much for helping me find "The Perfumes, Colours and Flavours of the Luberon" in Provence! My week was absolutely amazing. The trip was all I hoped for, and more! I would love to stay in touch with you about other, future programs! Thanks again for your help!" - Kate P., Atlanta, Georgia
"I was so impressed with your gift and message. You made me feel so special with your own words. The hosts were always concerned about our feelings, and treated me like their family. I would absolutely consider another trip with Active Gourmet Holidays. Your service is much much better than I ever expected. Fantastic!"- Hideko M., Kanagawa, Japan
"Everything was great. The hosts were wonderful! So hospitable and friendly. And the cooking sessions were great. I honestly can't think of anything more you could have done. You were quick and responsive when I had questions. And, I enjoyed your little thank you gifts!" - Ethel Z., Baltimore, Maryland
"Thank you so much for organising what turned out to be the holiday of a lifetime. Everything was first class from the luxury accommodation and transportation to our fantastic tour guides and spectacular excursions. While we went without a true understanding of Peruvian cuisine, we were blown away by the variety and quality of the produce and techniques used in the restaurants selected for us. We are already looking on the website for our next destination!" - Brenda A. and Lynne A., Glasgow, Scotland
"The trip was awesome, just what I was looking for. Wonderful guides who picked great hikes that were off the beaten path and very scenic and interesting. It was a good combination of hiking, sightseeing and culinary experience. They arranged for some wonderful wine tastings and dinners. I also enjoyed the hotels, very comfortable and beautiful. Thanks again!" - Bonnie H., Denver, Colorado
"I loved the balance of sightseeing, the local markets and festivals, the three hours of cooking classes most days! Thank you for helping me have such a wonderful holiday by myself!" - Genie H., Englewood, Florida
"AGH has come through again with a wonderful cooking school nestled in olive groves in Andalusia, Spain. We had a wonderful experience, something we will always remember. The chef is the ultimate of chefs with one on one cooking lessons and we were honored to have him teach us Andalusian cooking. We would never have found this cooking school on our own. Thank you Active Gourmet Holidays!" - Peter and Dianne S., Calgary, Canada
"Heidi and I had a wonderful trip to Spain, especially due to your follow up and follow through with the last minute details for our trip. I can’t say enough for our appreciation for your quick response in pulling together our trip. You represented your trips accurately and everything you said about A Taste of Seville and the visit to the Finca was reliable (yes, the finca was the highlight of our trip—what a wonderful ending!!). And thank you for our aprons! We will wear them with wonderful memories! If you have an email list, I would love to be on it just in case you have new trips, special offerings etc. Again, thank you." - Joan D., Sonora, California
"We attended two different cooking classes in Umbria. Thanks to Active Gourmet, the instructors had coordinated their menus so that we learned completely different dishes in each course. The food was fantastic; the instructors informative, patient and great fun; and, recipes will pay dividends for many years. My family and friends insist the Tiramisu I learned to make is the best they've ever tasted!" – Jackie L. ,Austin, Texas
"I had a special request of a class only - no accommodations and Joanne found it for me. On top of that, I had a specific day, time and area of the country that I needed so it could fit in with the rest of our trip. She took care of it all. The chef, the food, the atmosphere and the instruction we great. Would do it again in a heartbeat.” – Christine R., Haymarket, Virginia
"Hello Jo-Ann, I had a great time, it was such an experience, I can only recommend it to others!!! I am so happy, that I could make it, and that I found out about this possibility!!!! I hope, there will be other times as well when I can travel with your agency! Thank you!” – Szilvia B., Budapest, Hungary
"Everyone had a great time -- both the hosts are wonderful people and went out of their way to accommodate our interests. The schedule includes just the right mix of cooking, touring and free time - to the extent that everyone said they'd go back and do another cooking vacation!" - Karen B., Los Angeles, California
"Michael and I had a great time and cannot say enough wonderful things about the trip - the food, wine and accommodations were great. We felt very much at home. Thanks again and if we do this kind of trip again we will contact you."- Betsy H., Englewood, Colorado
"Dear Jo-Ann - The holiday in Sorrento was outstanding! All we could have wished for and more! All the crew were welcoming without being intrusive and made us feel like part of their family. The communal meals out on the patio were a highlight both for the quality of the fare and for the varied company of the other guests from all corners of the globe. Our excursions by car (and, unexpectedly, by boat) around the peninsula and by car to Pompei were all quite memorable so, altogether, we loved it!" - Phil O., Tasmania, Australia
"This ranks as one of our top holidays. The area was beautiful, the trip relaxing and the cooking was fun. We enjoyed the other guests and our hosts and their family made us feel welcome in their home. A great experience!" – Janet W., Vienna, Austria
"My trip to Portugal was absolutely perfect - the food, wine, cooking instruction, excursions and accommodations were all wonderful; most importantly the people who were my guides allowed me to experience the country in a much more meaningful way. It is one of the best vacations I've ever experienced." - Christine P., Charlotte, North Carolina
"Jo-Ann, I cannot thank you enough for recommending this trip to me. Somehow you knew that it would be right for my first trip to Europe, my curiosity and my love of cooking. The sightseeing was more than I ever expected, the cooking classes were wonderful and challenging and more than all of that, the hosts were charming and caring with much passion and humor to their lives. It was an amazing trip in a beautiful place and I will never forget it. Thank you." Sincerely, Pam S., Bloomington, Indiana
"Hi Jo-Ann, We just returned from Italy today. The Sorrento class was terrific! The facilities were great, the instructors were interesting and clear, and the content was actually much more informative than I expected. I learned a number of useful hints which I know I will apply in the future. Thanks again for arranging it so quickly! It was one of the highlights of my trip! I will certainly consider other classes in our future travels!" - Chris M., Minneapolis, Minnesota
"We took two tours from Sevilla organized by Active Gourmet Holidays with a local tour guide. The tour guide has been in the Sevilla area for around 25 years and his personal relationships with farmers, winery owners, restauranteurs and others led to amazing, up-close-and-personal experiences with local people and sites that could never be had on your own. - Steve and Heidi B., Edina, Minnesota
"Fabulous trip, great hosts, perfect plan to absorb all in that area of Provence. Excellent cooking instruction." - Carl S., Branford, Connecticut
"For my 60th Birthday present to myself, I decided to take a risk...something we seem to do less of as we get more settled. I went to Marbella Spain and took an Active Gourmet cooking class...travelled by myself and had the most amazing time anyone could imagine. We went to markets in the morning, bought and learned about the fresh fish, cooked an amazing meal each day in a beautiful estate on the Mediteranean Sea, with the most engaging, friendly, knowledgable woman who made you feel so welcome. I went from a guarded cook to a confident in the kitchen "chef", and after all the prep, we ate a wonderful meal together. I have made several of the meals for family and friends and plan on making more of them... It was a memory of a lifetime." - Debi B., St. Pete Beach, Florida
"Fantastic trip! We are normally more independent travellers, but this experience was fantastic! Sicily itself really surpassed our expectations. And we could never have packed in so many wonderful and diverse experiences by coordinating things on own. In just one week we felt like we entered into the whole WORLD of Sicilian food, wine, olive oil, local markets, and even a bit of the history, culture, language, and geography. Thanks Jo-Ann!" - Jamie F., Yukon, Canada
"The AGH experience was exactly what I hoped for in a cooking adventure! Not only was the sign up easy, but there was a proper amount of interaction prior to the trip. At no time was I concerned that my trip wasn't going to go as planned. Once I arrived, my guide was both professional and friendly. He was very welcoming and made the experience one that I will always remember. Not only did we cook and eat (a lot!), but the guide introduced me to the culture of Crete. I appreciated that I didn't feel like I was on a "tour" but able to learn about the Cretan culture in a very organic and spontaneous way." - Kimberly Alexander, Nevada City, California
"My experience with AGH was outstanding. Jo-Ann was very accommodating and provided us with all the information we needed. We had an amazing experience. The chef and his wife were very welcoming and the cooking lessons were the highlight of the trip." - Bonnie T., Livermore, California