Puglia with Shefaly Ravula

  

Puglia is a place best understood slowly, and preferably with a fork in hand. Tucked into the heel of Italy's boot, it's a land of ancient olive groves, whitewashed hilltop towns, and honey-colored limestone, where food is less a meal than a way of life. This journey, with Shefaly Ravula of Precision Gut Health, invites you to experience Puglia the way it's meant to be experienced: unhurried, curious, and with plenty of time at the table. Over seven days, we'll travel from the bustling old streets of Bari to the baroque beauty of Lecce, with a stop in the cave-carved city of Matera along the way. Between them, you'll ride through trulli-dotted countryside, learn to shape bread and pasta by hand in a centuries-old bakery, and taste your way through family-run wineries and olive estates that have been tended for generations. Each day unfolds around the people, places and traditions that make this corner of Italy so unforgettable, and by the end you'll carry home more than recipes: the stories, the flavors, and the friendships that make a trip like this last.

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Trip highlights:

• sessions with Shefaly Ravula. Get invaluable insight on gut health intertwined with culinary medicine from our in-house expert. Informal workshops throughout the trip are planned.

• a walking tour of Bari's old town, where women still roll fresh orecchiette by hand outside their doors

• an e-bike ride through trulli-dotted Valle d'Itria (This is an easy ride but those who prefer to skip it can be dropped off at one of the villages for some free time to explore before we meet again for lunch.)

• a morning spent in a centuries-old bakery in Altamura, shaping focaccia and pasta under the watchful eye of its master bakers

• a walking tour through the ancient cave dwellings of Matera

• lunch among the vines at an organic family winery

• a market tour and cooking class in Lecce

• an olive oil tasting at a family estate and an afternoon free to spend in the whitewashed hilltop town of Ostuni

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Quick itinerary: 

​​9 April: arrive in Bari - 4pm walking tour 

10 April: ebike tour in the Valle d'Itria (b)

11 April: Altamura bread experience - Matera walking tour (b, l)

12 April: winery tour with lunch and a tasting of four labels from their finest reserves(b, l)

13 April: market tour and cooking class (b, l)

14 April: olive oil tasting - free time in Ostuni - farewell dinner (b, d)

15 April: departure day

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The trip includes: 

• Two nights at Borgobianco Resort & Spa, a 4* hotel in the Bari area, twin sharing

• One night at Pianelle Resort, a 4* hotel in the sassi of Matera, twin sharing

• Three nights at Pollicastro Boutique Hotel, a 4* hotel in Lecce, twin sharing

• All activities as above

• All meals as indicated above (b= breakfast, l= lunch, d= dinner)

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The trip does not include: 

• Flights

• Airport transfers

• Medical insurance and trip cancellation insurance

• Alcohol

• Incidentals

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Special considerations:

• The trip starts in Bari and ends in Lecce. If you plan to travel to Italy for the sole purpose of this trip, plan to fly into Bari and out of Brindisi. If you plan to extend your time in Italy after the trip, let us know if you need any help with logistics.

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Trip cost:

$6800 Canadian dollars (about $4800 USD) per person. $1500 CAD non-refundable deposit due on application; balance due by 5 February 2027.

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Join this trip:

If you would like to join this trip, please fill out this registration form and we will contact you about the deposit. For more information, please contact natasha@thevoyagiste.com​​​​​​​