When seeking the best luxury travel experiences, many schedule a visit during a major event so there’s plenty to do during the day. Others tailor a visit as a way to experience the food of another place. Of course, those who assume the two approaches are entirely separate miss the point and the joy of a food festival. F.O.O.D. week in Orange, Australia, is one such case that mingles the hustle of a festival with the chance to really experience the food and wine of this amazing country.
The festival takes place in the Australian Autumn, each April. Orange, as its name suggests, is a place of color and light, and during the fall the leaves are a many-splendored sight to behold. The orchards and forests in this area, just a few hours from Sydney, fill the skyline with an array of sights and colors that serve as a gorgeous setting for early morning breakfasts and mid-day tea gatherings.
There are literally dozens of activities one can get up to during Orange F.O.O.D. Week. Visitors can travel to vineyards and apple orchards to sample food and drinks at the source of the product, or they can take a chance to learn how to prepare local dishes themselves, trained by local and celebrity chefs.
Come evening, there are more formal events to attend. Guests are encouraged to don their best attire and visit formal balls and samplings while exercising their classier side. Then there is the local attraction, the 100-mile Diner — not one ingredient served comes from more than 100 miles away, making the place an extravagant microcosm of the cuisine of this unique area.
Accommodations in Orange range from the more intimate and personal bed and breakfast to some truly excellent lodges set among the vineyards of this cool-season wine country. Whichever way one chooses, F.O.O.D. Week is definitely a time to savor the experiences that travel can provide for the luxury-minded.
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