Shock Foodie Haunts from Booking.com

Eat and drink your way around the world: the top unknown places to go for your favourite foods

• Haputale in Sri Lanka voted the top place for high tea, London voted best for Vegetarians and Tychy in Poland for beer[i]
• English, Americans and Italians are posting the most foodie photos as part of their reviews
• The majority (75%) of global travellers would likely travel somewhere known for its great food and drink

Almost half (44%) of global travellers consider exploring global cuisines a hobby of theirs[ii], so tucking into the local delicacies of a culinary capital of the world is a treat many travellers can’t wait to enjoy. With seven in ten (69%) admitting to indulging in a local delicacy within two hours of arrival[iii], Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, brings you the top destinations to explore for your favourite gastronomic pleasures, according to millions of Booking.com travellers review.

With England being known for its tea, there is now a new player in the game, we introduce Haputale, based in the middle of mountainous Sri Lanka, the place to be for the tea lovers. With high tea growing in popularity, Haputale has seen British tea planters establish a collection of tea estates, meaning tea devotees can visit one of these plantations or trek through misty tropical forest, before enjoying high tea with a view.

For the veggie eaters, you are in the right place, with London being voted the best place for Vegetarian cuisine, make sure you head to Oxford Circus, Soho and Primrose Hill to indulge in the crème de la crème of London's veggie scene.

Fan of beer? Why not hop over to Tychy in Poland to indulge in a pint. With the area being known for having one of the largest breweries in Poland, you can also visit the Tyskie Brewing Museum where you can see how one of the best-selling beers in Poland is made “live” – perfect for that thirst-quenching trip.

For sensational seafood check out Los Abrigos found on Spanish Canary Island, Tenerife’s south coast. The sun soaked coastal village is awash with colourful fishing boats and the charming harbour is the perfect backdrop to enjoy the local shellfish.

Try delectable dim sum in Trang, Thailand. This tranquil hideaway offers secluded beaches and sublime turquoise waters on Thailand’s far southern coast. Ahead of a day spent relaxing on the fine white sands or uncovering the lagoons, waterfalls and hidden caves, enjoy a local tradition of dim sum for breakfast alongside some real Thai coffee.

Tokyo takes the first place for both sushi and ramen, no surprise as one of the world’s most exhilarating dining destinations and the city boasts the world’s highest volume of Michelin stars in any city. Beyond savouring these popular speciality dishes there is so much to see and do in this neon-bright lively city.

To find out where to head to for your favourite foodie dish or past time, Booking.com brings you the top location for each as endorsed by millions of Booking.com reviews.

A photo good enough to eat

In addition to the pure pleasure of tasting new dishes, travellers can also get a thrill from taking photos of their food and sharing with others. This is a growing trend and what better time to get the most beautiful shot then from combining new food and travel. From the precision and beauty of gourmet dishes in uptown New York, to the colour explosions in the street stalls of Indonesia, these moments provide the perfect opportunity to create mouth-watering photos for your social feeds.

The nationalities who are snapping and posting the most photos when it comes fanciful food in Booking.com reviews, are the artistic English, followed by the tech-savvy Americans and true food aficionados the Italians[iv].

Tips for taking the best food photo that make it look good enough to eat from Booking.com include:

• Make the most of the light - natural light is the best light to capture your tantalising dish, pick a seat by a window or in an outdoor area
• Think about the composition and shape - turn your food into a work of art and try multiple shots at multiple angles
• Keep the frame clean, tight and focus on the details of the food
• Don’t overuse filters, let the beauty of the food speak for itself
• Capture people interacting with food
• Most importantly, take the photo quickly so you can enjoy your scrumptious photo subject!

Pepijn Rijvers, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com comments:

“Sometimes, there’s no better way to get to know a destination than through their food. By using real traveller reviews and recommendations, you too can discover the best places to indulge in your favourite (or soon to be favourite) dishes. Not only does food play into the traveller’s decisions of choosing their next destination, but it also plays into accommodation choices, as almost a third (30%) of people think it’s important to have a great restaurant to take advantage of in an accommodation.[v] With over 1.2 million diverse accommodations to choose from on Booking.com, there are always opportunities to discover your next foodie hotspot!”

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CONTACT DETAILS

For further information, contact the UK Booking.com Press Office;

Lon-booking@ketchum.com / 020 3755 6400

[i] Booking.com analysts identified the top destinations by looking at which destinations had the highest numbers of endorsements for various foods and drinks by global travellers

[ii] According to data collected by Booking.com with 12,781 respondents across 13 markets in September 2016. Respondents had to be 18 years of age or older, had to have travelled at least once in 2016 and had to be planning at least one trip for 2017. All respondents had to consider themselves part of their travel decision-making process

[iii] 18,496 respondents completed an online survey between 27th April and 15th May 2017 by Research Now (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan)

[iv] Booking.com analysts looked at the count of nationalities who took the most food pictures as part of their review process

[v] 18,496 respondents completed an online survey between 27th April and 15th May 2017 by Research Now (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan)