Top Asia Unique Experiences - page 4

While most cooking classes give you the chance to create a few dishes, this experience lets you learn to prepare nine Balinese classics, making it the ultimate choice for food lovers. As well as mastering the basics of Balinese cuisine, you’ll benefit from the insider knowledge of your guide. Opt for the morning tour to include a market visit and shop for ingredients like a local.

Raise your sword like a true samurai warrior during a private training session in Tokyo. Don a samurai outfit and train with the katana, then enjoy a photo shoot to commemorate your experience. This private lesson offers personalized attention and includes outfit rental and photo and video footage.

Don’t just eat Thai specialities, learn to cook the recipes yourself during a cookery class in Phuket, which provides the perfect introduction to Thai cuisine for first-time visitors. As you prepare local delicacies from scratch at your own personal cooking station, your guide shares insider tips guaranteed to improve your cookery skills. Plus, convenient hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so you won’t waste any time looking for a meeting point.

Gangchon Railbike Park, Nami Island, and Petite France lie in the countryside outside Seoul, offering locals and visitors alike a chance to enjoy a change of scenery from the busy city. On this tour, reach all three sites in one day by air-conditioned coach. With entry fees and round-trip travel from central Seoul included, enjoy a day of diverse outdoor adventure in South Korea.

Bring out your inner warrior with this ninja training experience in Tokyo. After watching a demonstration, you’ll train in an authentic uniform and learn about proper fighting techniques and meditation. A small class size of up to 6 people gives you more face time with your instructor and lets you ask questions.

Hong Kong is home to one of the most diverse culinary spectrums in Asia, so knowing where to start in terms of street food can often be a daunting task. Experience Hong Kong’s street food like a local on a private tour that’s ideal for first-time visitors. Taking a private food tour means you’ll be able to customize the itinerary according to your culinary preferences and sample lesser-known foods that you may otherwise have missed.

Immerse yourself in Thai culinary culture during this cooking class in Phuket. This class isn’t just a demonstration, you’ll get hands-on with your chef/guide while you prep a meal for your group. Sit down to eat the traditional Thai dishes that you’ve made, chatting about Thai culture and food with your guide and group.

Skip the expensive restaurants that cater to vegans with insights from your guide about how to customize typical street food options to suit a vegan diet. Your half-day street food tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi features vegan options in Vietnamese cuisine, along with a look at Hanoi’s history and culture.

Indulge your inner foodie and learn to make ramen and gyoza like a pro with this cooking class in Tokyo. After visiting a local market and heading to a spacious kitchen, enjoy a hands-on experience with a local chef and discover how to prepare the perfect noodle soup (ramen) and minced pork dumplings (gyoza). Then, savor your creation in a fun atmosphere.

Escape the bustling city of Bangkok on this half-day tour to the Maeklong and floating markets. Canoe through the floating markets and see vendors selling everything from fresh produce to everyday items. Get your heart pumping as you continue to the Maeklong Railway Market where vendors sell their goods, and quickly pack them up, along this active railway line.

Learn to create your own bento box, the iconic (and tasty) convenience meal enjoyed daily by millions of Japanese, during this cooking class in Kyoto. Uncover the origins of this uniquely Japanese foodstuff, and watch master chefs as they demonstrate key cooking techniques, before learning to make your own. Finish your course by enjoying your handmade bento box with other food lovers.

Rather than just eating them at a restaurant, learn how to recreate authentic Thai recipes at home during this small-group, half-day cooking class in Bangkok. You’ll prepare classic dishes using ingredients you’ve gathered from a nearby market, which will give you a glimpse into local life. Work at a personal cook station as you blend ingredients to create Thai classics, and learn to customize each recipe to your taste.

Leave the bustling South Korean capital behind, and gain valuable insight into Korean culture and tradition on this 4-hour Korean Folk Village afternoon tour from Seoul. Travel with your guide to the Korean Folk Village in Yongin City. During your 2-hour visit, see traditional Korean houses from different regions across the peninsula and watch a performance of Korean farmers’ music. Admire folk dancers animating the stage with their swirling pirouettes and discover collections of ancient artifacts from across the country.

Experience the daily goings-on of the Damnoen Saduak floating market and the MaeKlong railway market with a dedicated guide on this private tour from Bangkok. Learn about the markets' history, origins, and current iterations through insightful commentary and take a long-tail boat tour on the canal. Taste some traditional Thai desserts and get free time to shop. Round-trip private transportation from Bangkok hotels is included. Choose from two start times to suit you.

Dive deep into the history of sake with a private tour through one of Tokyo’s oldest sake breweries. See a different side of the city and relax as you sample several different varieties of sake and learn about the brewing process. Enjoy a leisurely day packed with culture, sake, and a delicious Japanese lunch.

Straddle the two Koreas on a full-day guided sightseeing tour from Seoul to the Demilitarized Zone. Convenient hotel pickup spares you the stress of using the crowded subway to rush to a meeting point. After your comfortable journey, enjoy detailed commentary at the DMZ area, Dora Observatory, and Imjingak Park with ample opportunity to ask your guide questions. Afterwards, take time to explore on your own, before drop-off in central Seoul.

Learn to cook an authentic Thai meal with a full-day cooking class that includes pickup and drop-off at your Chiang Mai hotel. Pick ingredients from the organic market, then roll up your sleeves to cook a meal of classic Thai dishes. An expert cooking instructor will walk you through each step, and you’ll get to enjoy the meal you’ve prepared at the end of the lesson. Both morning and evening classes are available.

Hong Kong is renowned throughout Asia for its unique cuisine, so what better place to experience a cooking class than the island metropolis. This small-group experience, an ideal choice for travelers seeking a hands-on cultural experience, reveals products you may otherwise have missed during a local market tour and provides insight into Hong Kong’s intricate cuisine. Plus, you can choose from a morning or afternoon departure time to suit your schedule.

Learn about Japanese cuisine in an immersive fashion when you combine a walking tour of Tsukiji Outer Fish Market and cooking class. Shop for the freshest ingredients in the labyrinthine aisles of Tsukiji Outer Fish Market. Then head to class, where you’ll learn how to prepare—and get the chance to eat—a range of traditional Japanese items.

Indulge your love of Vietnamese cuisine with this authentic cooking class in Hanoi. After a convenient hotel pickup, select the dishes you’d like to prepare and head to a local market with an experienced instructor. Learn about Vietnamese food while choosing the ingredients for your meal, then get cooking at a nearby villa. Enjoy complimentary beer, wine, and other drinks, and feast on dishes like green papaya salad, phở, and fresh spring rolls.

Refine your cooking skills and enrich your knowledge of Japanese cuisine during a kaiseki ryouri (haute cuisine) cookery class in Tokyo. In a small group, limited to a maximum of eight people, prepare up to eight different dishes featuring Wagyu beef, Japanese vegetables, and traditional seasonings. Then, sit down to feast on the fruits of your labors, accompanied by sake and green tea.

Northern Thailand is renowned for its unique cuisine, which differs to the rest of the country’s. Delve deeper into Chiang Mai’s culinary culture during a cooking class that teaches you to make signature dishes in an intimate group limited to only 10 other food lovers. Plus, stress-free hotel pickup saves you finding a meeting point.

Learn to draw manga from a professional manga artist in Tokyo’s Nakano neighborhood. During this class, use the manga tools provided, such as screen tone, manga pens and ink, and manga paper. Whether you're just starting out or a practicing manga artist wanting to hone your skills, the instructor will tailor their teaching to your skills. Take home your completed piece of art as a souvenir.

See Jaipur's highlights without having to worry about negotiating with autorickshaw drivers or tracking down taxis by opting for a private tour of the city by tuk tuk (known locally as an autorickshaw). Your driver will pick you up at the location of your choice and take you out to see top attractions such as Amber Fort, the City Palace, and the Jantar Mantar.