Jan 11-18, 2026
Gujarat is India’s western frontier, a land where traders, migrants, and dynasties have shaped a bold, vegetarian-driven cuisine that’s deeply tied to the rhythms of season and celebration. It is also the birthplace of James Beard Award-winning chef Vishwesh Bhatt, who grew up surrounded by the flavors of Gujarat before helping to redefine the food culture of the American South. Now, joined by the celebrated chef Andy Ricker, Vishwesh returns to his roots to guide you through the tastes, traditions, and untold stories of his homeland.
Chef, Storyteller, Author
Vishwesh Bhatt
Chef, Writer, Traveler
Andy Ricker
Overview
Gujarat is India’s western frontier, a land where traders, migrants, and dynasties have shaped a bold, vegetarian-driven cuisine that’s deeply tied to the rhythms of season and celebration. It is also the birthplace of James Beard Award-winning chef Vishwesh Bhatt, who grew up surrounded by the flavors of Gujarat before helping to redefine the food culture of the American South. Now, joined by the celebrated chef Andy Ricker, Vishwesh returns to his roots to guide you through the tastes, traditions, and untold stories of his homeland.
Centered in Ahmedabad’s old city—where 700 years of history come alive in its bustling streets—this is not a high-luxury escape on a trodden tourist trail. It’s an immersion into the flavors and rhythms of everyday Gujarat, led by a chef who understands its soul. Vegetarian-friendly, Low-moderate activity level.
Destination Guide
Chef, Storyteller, Author
Vishwesh Bhatt is an award-winning chef and author of the critically acclaimed book, I Am From Here, which draws culinary inspiration from his upbringing in Gujarat to conjure an evolving American South. Born and raised in Ahmedabad, where we begin this one-of-a-kind journey, Vishwesh has made his home in Oxford, Mississippi for more than 20 years. As the executive chef of Snackbar, he developed a menu that intertwines both Southern and subcontinental foodways, earning many accolades including the 2019 James Beard Award for “Best Chef: South.” Now, he returns to Gujarat—not just to eat, but to reconnect, to share, and to guide fellow travelers through the flavors that form his earliest memories
Chef, Writer, Traveler
Andy Ricker is an award-winning chef and best-selling author widely credited with popularizing Northern Thai in the United States through his Pok Pok Restaurants. Formed in Portland in 2005, Pok Pok later operated in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York, where it earned a Michelin Star. The two-time James Beard Award winner has worked as a pumpkin picker, DJ, house painter and construction contractor, ship’s cook, busboy, waiter, bartender, musician, commercial fisherman, outdoor store salesperson, maintenance man and short order cook. He first visited Thailand as a backpacker in 1987 and now lives full time with his wife and six cats in Chiang Mai city.
Other journeys hosted by Andy: Madeira, Abruzzo, Vietnam, Goa, Chiang Mai, Southern Thailand
Painted Villa
A beautifully restored 250-year-old haveli in the heart of Ahmedabad’s old city, Mangaldas Ni Haveli features carved wooden balconies, hidden courtyards, and a terrace with magnificent views over the city and surrounding courtyards. It’s not only a supremely comfortable base from which to explore the city’s vibrant culture but a also a window into Ahmedabad’s living heritage.
Royal Retreat
Once the residence of local royals, this elegant villa-turned-hotel set amid the lush lower reaches of the Aravallis retains the grandeur of its princely past while offering a relaxed, countryside retreat. The hosts, descendants of Santrampur’s royal family, open their doors to guests with warmth and stories of Gujarat’s regal history.
A Noble House
A century-old heritage mansion that once hosted Mahatma Gandhi has been transformed into a boutique hotel that pays homage to Ahmedabad’s past, with grand interiors, courtyards, and verandas, and a gallery showcasing traditional textiles and jewelry from the proprietors’ family collection. A perfect old-world haven for bidding farewell to Gujarat.
Dawn F.I had no idea what a deeply moving experience this trip would be—far beyond just a culinary tour.
Katie K.If you love far-flung, intrepid travel and food, you will love traveling with Roads & Kingdoms.
Amanda C.The connections R&K has in the community made this trip feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could not be replicated by any other company.
Feb 8-15, 2026
Travel to Thailand for a week of culinary exploration that is sometimes rustic, sometimes luxurious, but always fascinating. By foot, by plane, by private vehicle, by speedboat: this is a kinetic journey through the heart of the South. Your hosts Andy Ricker and Phongsila “Mapeng” Comack are the perfect guides through the big history and bright flavors of the region, mixing places you think you know with locations that few outsiders ever see.
Chef, Writer, Traveler
Andy Ricker
Culinary Connector
Mapeng Commak
Sept 7-15, 2025
From the misty matsutake-rich mountains of Ma Pin Guan to the hidden Bai enclaves of ancient Silk Road towns, this is a weeklong journey through China’s most varied province, a biodiversity hotspot home to more ethnic groups than any other. Yunnan: land of mushrooms, birthplace of tea. Led by the Chinese writer Jane Yang and Roads & Kingdoms co-founder Nathan Thornburgh, we begin in Shanghai and end in Dali, traversing four ancient towns that ring the storied Lake of Erhai—culminating in an extraordinary multi-course dinner in a secret restaurant for Chinese chefs.
Writer, Entrepreneur
Jane Yang
Ready for a new adventure?
Ready for a new adventure?
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