TravelPostcards

Jan 19, 2012 11:05:15 AM

How to eat like a local

• Johanna Uy
• Lonely Planet Author

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A huge part of the travel experience is getting to know local traditions, history and culture. Happily, you can get in touch with all three aspects of a national identity just by eating.

Whether through the highly structured affair of Japan’s tea ceremonies or the simple pleasures of Malaysia’s hawker stalls, sampling a country’s cuisine in the way the locals themselves enjoy it is a sure-fire way of making your trip that much more memorable. Here are a few tips to turn you into a locavore:

1. Research, research, research

There is no shortage of food and travel information these days so researching your destination couldn’t be easier. In addition to the usual travel websites, the food and drink sections of local newspapers, such as The New York Times’ Dining and Wine, will feature the latest restaurants and food trends. Also look out for local food blogs. Paris-based American pastry chef, David Lebovitz, features Parisian food haunts and dining tips on his eponymous blog, while the hidden foodie gems of Istanbul are explored in istanbuleats.com. Lonely Planet’s ‘Get Stuffed’ branch on Thorn Tree is also a great spot to research local food traditions (including recipes aplenty).

2. Hit the streets

It’s hard to beat street food as one of the most authentic and vibrant ways to experience the local buzz. Sample spicy bhajis and sticky sweet jalebis by the roadside in India, or lose yourself in Marrakech’s hectic square, Djemaa El-Fna, for snails traditionally picked from their shells with safety pins and gigantic meat kebabs. And let’s not forget Thailand, possibly the world’s greatest street food destination with classics such as the ubiquitous pad thai, sweet and sour som tam salad and soupy kuaytiaw.

3. Shop with the locals

Think about your own habits and how you eat and shop for food at home. Seafood and produce markets are typically teeming and humming with local life on market days. Try haggling over the morning’s tuna catch at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market or jostling with locals in Bologna’s historic delis in the Quadrilatero for freshly made tortellini and succulent mortadella. Even supermarkets can offer clues as to local dining preferences, like the incredible array of raclette and fondue cheeses at a Swiss Coop City.

4. Ask a local

Taxi drivers are usually more than happy to share where locals like to go out to dinner on Friday and Saturday nights – and even take you there and back. Instead of directions to nearby restaurants, ask the hotel concierge where they would go for a meal with their friends. And don’t be shy in getting a recommendation from the barman or wait staff for your next pit stop whilst brooding over a coffee or nursing an early evening aperitif.

5. Time your visit

Festivals and celebrations are a fun and meaningful way to check out the local history and food culture. Christmas is steeped in tradition in many countries, from the kartoffelpuffer (deep-fried potato cakes) and Glühwein (mulled wine) at Germany’s Christmas markets to the pinnekjott (rack of lamb) and ribbe (pork ribs) at a typical Norwegian dinner. The number and sheer variety of food festivals are also endless, from oysters in Galway in late October to the celebration of all things pink garlic at the tiny village of Lautrec in France in August.

6. Broaden your (travel) horizons

Be adventurous and explore beyond cities into the fringes and suburbia, where places specialising in particular cuisines can often be found. A short bus or train trip can see you enjoying kimchi and bulgogi in Koreatown (New Malden in London) or Neapolitan pizza and pasta in Little Italy (Haberfield in Sydney).

7. Open your eyes and follow your nose

It might sound like stating the obvious, but a higher ratio of locals against camera-wielding tourists and a menu written entirely in the local language remain pretty good yardsticks for whether a restaurant is local favourite. The test applies equally whether you’re choosing a spot to eat at the local Chinatown or the bouchons in Lyon. And why not follow your nose and go where the food smells take you, such as local residents plying cheese and tomato pizzas straight from their kitchen windows in Cuba.

8. Trust the experts

Joining a food tour with a local guide is a quick and easy way to familiarise yourself with where the locals shop and eat and even try some of the local produce.  Numerous tours can be found on the internet, with www.roadfood.com one of the best by far, offering self-guided itineraries to legendary food destinations in America, like the barbecue trail around Memphis and top places for a lobster roll in Maine.

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Comments

1. 21 March 2012 5:46AM jdubyu Report this comment

   In India it's probably best not to ask a taxi driver as he will take you to his cousin's place which may well be good but the quality of the scoff is not his prime reason for recommending it - the commission is.

2. 21 March 2012 7:24AM scrappyjam Report this comment

   I would agree with you there. And not just in India; I would be reluctant to ask a taxi driver in most cities. Strangely I've had good experiences asking hotel desk clerks or concierges. Usually, I'll ask them "Where do you like to eat" as opposed to "Where's a good place to eat"?

3. 21 March 2012 1:56PM terence7 Report this comment

   If I can add one more tip, it'll be to research on local food blogs. There are growing (and saturated) amount of food bloggers in every country - thus giving non bias view on local food delights!

   Good stuff!

   www.foodtourmalaysia.com

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If I can add one more tip, it'll be to research on local food blogs. There are growing (and saturated) amount of food bloggers in every country - thus giving non bias view on local food delights!

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/travel-tips-and-articles/76979#comments#ixzz1piTrJoSc

Written by Deborah Chan on 15 Jun 2011 with 0 comments. Be the first!

In search for the tiger

The heat of summer penetrated our light clothing and although the air was dry and arid, the scent of the forest laced through the air, hinting evidence that we are indeed in the heart of Central India, the Madhya Pradesh region where Kanha National Park sits. Famed for its lush sal and bamboo forests, tall grassy meadows and deep ravines, Kanha was the hub of inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's famous novel, "The Jungle Book".

There are only a handful of lodges on the quiet south side of Kanha, near the Mukki gate, one of three gates into the national park. Our choice proved to be a great advantage as fewer jeeps are allowed into the park via this gate providing guests a more secluded wildlife experience. Kanha is one of the best managed and monitored parks in India with dedicated park rangers guarding the forests and guiding guests through this magical natural labyrinth.

Morning safaris start at 5am just before the break of dawn. Open deck jeeps form a neat queue in front of the Mukki gate as vehicles register. There is a swell of excitement despite the groggy daze of a premature morning. I was armed with a pair of binoculars and a notebook to pen my sightings while my husband meddled with his digital DSLR camera ready to capture a 'National Geographic' moment, in case nature decided to surprise us.

A park ranger leapt into our jeep , introduced himself, muttered a few words to our naturalist from the lodge where we stayed at, and our engines sputtered to life. The light mist parted as we caught the first glimpse of the magnificent sal trees stretching for miles with banyans dotted around providing shade and cover for the endemic swamp deer or better known as barasingha, spotted deer also known as chital, wild boars and gaurs. A symphony of morning chirps weaved through the air as we caught birds in flight and land birds crossing our path.

The day had just begun as the first few rays of light broke from the horizon. The mahout was already at work. A great big silhouette teased my eyes as I saw huge ears flapping and four giant feet taking gentle strides towards our jeep. Could it be? Yes it was! An elephant with a man riding him atop. The mahout smiled and exchanged a few words with our park ranger. He told our park ranger that the search was still on; the elusive tiger was yet to be found. He waved goodbye and disappeared behind our jeep, eyes peeled for the animal most tourists have come here to see.

Meantime, we savoured in the rich diversity Kanha had to offer with fantastic sightings of jackal, leopard, jungle cat, barking deer, peacock, langur and gaur. With over 350 species of birds, introduction upon introduction were made with every sighting and bird call. From green bee-eaters to Indian rollers to grey hornbills, this was a treat for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.

As mid morning approached, a picnic was laid out for us with the forest as a backdrop. Tea, coffee, sandwiches and fruit were passed around and while we savoured our breakfast, our park ranger scrambled to the office to check if the mahout had recorded sightings of tigers. He rushed back with great excitement and urged us to hurry along.

A tigress had been spotted and in order to see her, we went off the beaten track atop an elephant with a mahout. The ride was bumpy and quite an adventure trying to avoid spindly dry bamboo branches from stabbing us. And then we caught sight of her, majestically seated on a bed of earthy-amber leaves, she stared into the open, in her element completely unperturbed by our noisy rustle. Her orange and black coat camouflaged perfectly into the surroundings. She was not only sharing her space with us but also with a large meandering python. She eyed occasionally at the reptile with no intent of making a kill, just like Shere Khan and Kaa from the Jungle Book.

Most of us when asked to conjure up an image of a tiger imagine a man-eating predator skulking through the steamy jungles of southern Asia, particularly in the subcontinent of India. Here in Kanha, tigers are friendly, welcoming and accustom to the scene of jeeps and clicking cameras. There is a strong unspoken bond between tiger and human. As a result of tourism, conservation efforts such as 'Tour Operators for Tigers' (TOFT) have emerged forming alliances among Indian operators in order to promote best practices in wildlife viewing. Over the years, the Indian government have also realized the need for stricter monitoring and census in order to keep the tiger population at a healthy state.

SINGINAWA JUNGLE LODGE

Protector of the Sacred Forest

My visit to Singinawa Jungle Lodge fuelled my passion to discover this unique relationship between tourism and conservation. I met with Dr. Latika Nath Rana, a petite lady with captivating big brown eyes and her husband, Nanda SJB Rana, a friendly man with an imposing build. Both wildlife enthusiasts heeded their passion for the wild and eventually led them to cross paths. Latika is a wildlife biologist and the first woman to be awarded a doctorate on tiger conservation and management from the University of Oxford. She is also fondly dubbed as the "Tiger Princess" being married to Nanda who hails from the Royal Rana family of Nepal. Nanda is a tiger photography expert and film producer having worked for notable organizations such as National Geographic, BBC and Discovery Channel.

Both knew that they had a strong role in the fight to save tigers. With their wealth of knowledge on tigers and Nanda's love for hospitality, they bought an initial piece of land just outside of the buffer zone bordering a local town named Bayar. It was evident that the main reason tourists visited Kanha is for the wildlife, more specifically for the tiger. The pair knew all too well that the fight to save tigers is not a single minded quest; instead it required tourists to be educated, locals to sense pride, government to buck up and private enterprises to take on the role as catalysts. Hence the inception of 'Singinawa', which takes its meaning from a Sherpa term, the "Protector of the Sacred Forest".

Nanda understands the need and importance of embracing the local community, "if we start something, it needs to make a difference to the people around it". They hired over 350 local people for the construction of Singinawa. For 10 months, a small community was formed as local men shared craftsmen skills, exchange stories of wildlife encounters, and shared life together. Many of them stayed on to be part of the Singinawa family.

The construction of Singinawa Lodge was no easy feat with many minute considerations to take into account in order to lessen the impact on the environment. Details such as land use, building material, waste management, energy source and water management and wildlife management were part of the equation. A sustainable property was the only kind of property that Latika was willing to build, stating, "If I as a conservationist and wildlife biologist set a place and don't think about conserving it, who will? It is a responsibility I owe".

The Lodge

Today, Singinawa provides affordable and comfortable living with a grand main house and 12 individual cottages dotted around the 55 acre land. The once degraded land choked by lantana has now been restored and it is home to two resident leopards, chital, wild dog and wild boar.

Every structure is designed and built around existing trees and a great evidence of that is upon entering the main house with a lofty tree at our welcome. The interiors of the main house are decorated with heavy wooden furniture and leather bound chairs giving the impression of castle, perhaps influenced by Nanda's upbringing of living in palaces most of this childhood. The grandeur of this building is further enhanced by the magnificent photos of tigers set in bold frames, all taken by Nanda who is notably the only photographer who has documented six generations of tigers in Bandhavgarh National Park just six hours away.

On wintry nights, the cosy fireplace in the library makes for a perfect seating for stories. The double walls provide adequate insulation in the winter and perfect cooling in the summer. A natural air cooling system channels hot air out and cool air in eliminating the need for air conditioning in the main hall. And where possible, without the disturbance of langurs and macaques, solar panels have been fitted to provide energy for external lighting.

Creative conservation

As conservationists at heart, it wasn't enough just to set up a lodge for wildlife enthusiasts or holiday makers. Latika and Nanda thought up innovative ways to raise money for conservation and community development projects. Last year, Latika rallied a group of well-known artists from all over the world for a 10-day retreat the lodge. Surrounded by incredible wildlife, great food and organic inspiration, the artists produced passion-laden paintings that were later auctioned to raise funds for tiger conservation projects such as the building of watering holes for tigers in Kanha.

In 2008, the Singinawa Foundation was established with a steady flow of funds coming from the Spa at Singinawa. Guests who pay to be pampered at the Spa are contributing to the wellbeing of the villagers around the lodge. Through monies raised, medical camps are organized and critically ill villagers are being sent to hospitals that they could never afford to pay.

The need never stops and as long as operators like Singinawa continues to thrive, protected areas are a little safer, wildlife can continue to flourish and local communities will grow in their sense of pride and belonging that they too are "Protectors of the Sacred Forest".

SHERGARH TENTED CAMP

Not far from Singinawa is another remarkable story of change makers who have steered away from mass tourism to create a unique kind of travel with a focus on nature and people.

The making of Shergarh Tented Camp is a story that tugs at heartstrings. It is a story of love and passion resulting in a concoction of wildlife hospitality. Jehan Bhujwala grew up in the metropolitan city of Bombay having only the concrete jungle as his playground. He furthered his studies in geology and mastered in it but soon realized an insatiable longing to live life in the wild. He purchased a 21-acre land on the fringe of the buffer zone adjacent to Kanha National Park in 2001 whilst working at Kipling Camp, the first camp built near Mukki gate. In 2002, Katie, a British girl from a village close to Bath in the United Kingdom was so drawn to India after an extended backpacking trip that she decided to find a job at the same camp, and love struck.

At that time, Jehan was living in a tiny mud house on his property and had already started conceptualizing the idea of a tented camp. With extra hands and a like-minded partner, ideas soon evolved into reality and Jehan and Katie began building the camp. "This was not going to be any ordinary camp. With Jehan's experience as a naturalist and my insight on travels after much destination hopping during my backpacking years, we both decide that this camp will honour and respect the environment and people living around," explained Katie.

They adopted villages around the vicinity, hired local communities to help build the camp and fostered impeccable relationships with the villagers. "For many villagers, tourism was a foreign and new concept to them, especially when Shergarh Tented Camp was one first few properties established near Mukki gate. Today, they are like family." said Katie. "We have incorporated local skills and techniques into the lodge as much as possible, such as their dry-stone masonry and mud-plasterwork, and have used local carpenters, masons, plumbers and electricians."

Due to poor knowledge of sustainable agriculture practices, the 21 acre land was completely degraded and overused. Katie explained that the entire land space was filled with invasive and chocking eucalyptus trees, biodiversity was close to barrenness and the land was starved. The pair spent many months and years regenerating the land, chopping down eucalyptus for construction and firewood in the winters. Indigenous trees were reintroduced to the land and the beautiful waterbed that sits in the middle of the land continued to feed the trees.

We walked past the waterbed to reach our tents, and much to our delight, we saw egrets, commorants, kingfishers and bee- eaters basking in the water. Katie tells us that jackals and wild boars frequently roam the area and just at the entrance amongst the patch of tall green meadows, a jungle cat has made that his home. Katie recollects an incident when the name Shergarh meaning "Home of the Tiger" resonated. "In November 2008, a 5-year old male tiger strayed from the core forest and took refuge from (in?) the surrounding paddy fields".

Camp in Comfort

As we ambled into the vicinity of Shergarh Tented camp in Kanha, we were expecting high A-framed tents, foldable camp beds, make shift toilets and simple skinny mattresses, but what we found at Shergargh was a haven of comfort and simplicity.

The rugged looking canvas tent is tied securely on concrete A-frame structure with a sturdy roof made of handmade clay roof tiles. The tents are incredibly roomy inside with a large king sized bed, bedside tables and a spacious permanent toilet, shower and open closet area. Just outside the tent, a few plush cushion mattresses and deck chairs are cleverly positioned to great views of the lake and the open skies as we watch the stars emerge at night.

The tents take on names of indigenous trees in India such as Tulsi (Indian basil), Aam (mango), Jamun (blackberry), Imli (tamarind), Mahua and Neem. Many of these trees were re-planted around the property in their effort to revive the degraded land.

Moving away from a tiger-centric approach

While it's easy to take on a tiger-centric approach as tiger sightings are almost a daily affair, the couple knew that that would not do justice to the rich diversity in Kanha. Instead they have expanded their list of activities to include village visits, walking hikes and bike tours.

In October 2011, Shergarh will be offering bespoke bike tours from half day tours to 3-day tours. These cycle 'tolla' tours (tolla meaning village) will take guests off the beaten track from Kanha through villages and obscure towns to Pench National Park (approximately 200km) or Bandhavgargh National Park (approximately 250km). Exploring the Madhya Pradesh region on two wheels opens a new spectrum of experience for guests giving them a chance to interact with locals, savour chai at roadside stalls, weave through tall paddy fields and stay with local communities. For a more rustic camping experience, guests have the option of camping out in the open and cooking meals over fire and charcoal.

Whether it is a lodge or a tented camp, conscious travellers are now looking for more than just a comfortable place to stay. I found myself searching for operators who are committed to preserving the destination and operators that can offer authentic experiences crafted through their commitment and understanding of the destination and the surrounding people. At Kanha, I found two champion operators who are investing time and resources to preserve the very thing that tourists come to Kanha for, a genuine 'Jungle Book' experience.

How to get to Kanha National Park:

By Air: Nagpur is the nearest airport to Kanha National Park. Other airports include Raipur and Jabalpur. These airports are all connected to major cities in India.

By Train: Jabalpur is a convenient rail route to head towards Kanha National Park.

By Road: Kanha National Park is well connected with major roads from Jabalpur (175kms), Nagpur (266kms) and Raipur (219kms). Kanha also has a good network of roads connecting to surrounding national parks such as Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Achanakmar and Phen National Park.

Best time to visit:

The peak season for Kanha National Park visits is the winter season, from October to February. During the summer months from March to June, tiger sightings are at its best as the grasslands dries up making it easier to spot wild animals. The park is closed from mid-June to October during the monsoon season.

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About the Author

Write to Deborah Chan

Deborah Chan
Deb got her first dose of the great outdoors at the age of seven and naturally stuck at it. Her weekends are filled with campouts, hikes, backpacking travels and underwater escapades. After graduating in Mass Communication from Murdoch, she garnered diverse skills in corporate training, tactical com... more inside »

Deborah Chan also contributed 1 other article in this section:

• Home with the Wild at Ngala Private Game Reserve

all articles by Deborah Chan »