New Food and Culture Tours to the Caucasus & Turkey

By Feride Buyuran on January 5, 2019 / Travel / Leave a comment

Hello friends! Happy New Year!

It took me long to write this post. I was away from blogging for so long that, honestly, I didn’t know where to begin. Sorry for being silent without any notice.

Life happened in 2018, including many good things, such as my unique food and culture tours to the Caucasus, my birthplace. A crazy idea born in October of 2017 turned into a solid vision shortly afterwards, and came to fruition in July 2018, when I led my very first Food and Culture Tour to Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Food and Culture Tour to Azerbaijan and Georgia with Feride Buyuran

Baker Tila makes bread in her own tandoori oven in the remote village of Lahij, Azerbaijan.

Needless to say, I was as ecstatic as I was a bit nervous – it was my first tour after all! It took me months to prepare and coordinate all the details of the trip – I needed to fully concentrate, hence my absence from here.

Murat and I with Vasiliy and Anastasiya, Molokan Russians from the village of Ivanovka, Azerbaijan.

The tour was a huge success! We were even featured on Azerbaijani TV, nationwide! My travelers were absolutely the best a tour leader could ask work – adventurous to go off the beaten path, enthusiastic to immerse in a new culture, and friendly to connect with the locals and even make friends with them without speaking their language!

Dining with locals was the highlight of our tour. Here we are in Sheki, enjoying homemade food and live traditional music around a friendly table.

We started in Baku, and traversed a vast geography across Azerbaijan to cross the border and find ourselves in Georgia. Along the way, we met many interesting people, rode up the hills into remote villages, sampled delicious homemade foods prepared by the locals, and sipped on tea or wine. We explored beautiful nature along the Caucasus Mountains, got a glimpse of architecture, history, culture, arts, and folklore of both countries.

Endless vineyards in Georgia’s Kakheti region.

At the end of the tour, I was showered with such heartwarming testimonials that I knew I did not have any right to stop. I decided to do more.

And so, these pasts months I’ve been busy planning my next tours. Yes, they are happening! I am leading two more food and culture tours in the summer of 2019. One to Azerbaijan and Georgia, and another to Turkey – Istanbul and the Black Sea region of it, to be more precise.

Turkey has been on my mind for a long time, and my previous travelers asked for a tour there with me. What an honor! How could I refuse? My endless love for the culture and food of Turkey, plus us being an Azerbaijani-Turkish family – it is a sign and the Turkish tour is meant to happen.

Georgian feast at Nika’s place near Gori, Georgia.

Are you ready to join me? I am excited to welcome you in my tours. Note that space is limited as I prefer to keep my groups small, for the best possible experience for everyone.