South African barbeque is on the menu in Hermanus for travelers on Trafalgar’s Essence of South Africa and Cape Town Explorer tours. During Trafalgar’s exclusive Be My Guest Experience, travelers will have the chance to enjoy a sensory experience dining on a traditional braai (the local term for barbeque) prepared by a local chef as the host, Stefan, shares stories and his homemade wine.

The lush climate of Costa Rica lends itself to the cultivation of abundant edible plants—including the palm tree that produces the heart of palm, known as palmito in Spanish. Guests will learn to enjoy the heart of palm the way it is enjoyed by the locals on the Costa Rica Eco Adventure tour from San Jose to Liberia. During the Connect with Locals experience, guests visit the Tico family at their palm plantation in Sarapiquí. During the excursion, sample farm-fresh heart of palm as hosts Gerardo and Nidia explain the local ways to prepare the protein-rich food.

Trafalgar knows that no trip to Tennessee is complete without a whiskey tasting. On the Nashville Explorer tour, between visits to the Grand Ole Opry and Shelbyville, guests sip on celebrated premium-aged Tennessee whiskey. The tour introduces travelers to a whiskey that’s inspired by the legendary Nathan “Nearest” Green, the first African American master whiskey distiller. While he was enslaved, he specialized in filtering bourbon through sugar maple charcoal and taught Jack Daniels how to distill. You’ve probably never tasted whiskey quite like this before.

Trafalgar travelers on the Highlights of Vietnam tour are treated to a home-cooked meal of local delicacies in the ancient citadel city of Hue. Lunch is served in a well-preserved historic royal garden house on this Be My Guest and Connect with Locals experience. Local hosts will share stories about their collection of artifacts from the heyday of the Vietnamese royal empire.

What is Italy without pasta? Trafalgar guests on the Best of Italy & Sicily or Colors of Sicily trips won’t have to find out. In the Jewish village of Castiglione di Sicilia, travelers can Connect With Locals and learn how to make homemade macaroni by hand before sharing the delicious Sicilian meal they helped prepare with the hosts.

For travelers who love farm-to-table experiences, look no further than the Perfect Tasmania trip which includes a guided tour of a local farm. During this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^® and Be My Guest experience hosted by fifth-generation farmer, Guy Robertson at his free-range farm, Mount Gnomon Farm, travelers will see for themselves what it’s like living on a rural Tasmanian farm where apple trees and veggie patches grow. You’ll stay for a meal prepared with farm-fresh ingredients paired with Guy’s refreshing Mount Gnomon Cider.