Beth and Michael’s 18 year friendship has been fuelled by an unwavering appetite both for travel and food. This has seen them meeting up almost yearly to discover another part of the world together. They met in Japan in 2007 while teaching English and have never lived in the same country since (except for an accidental 2 weeks in Hobart in 2022 - thanks Covid). Instead the world has become their shared address for nearly two decades and they've become wonderful travel companions. Finding the sweet spot of just enough organisation and the right amount of serendipity and discovery that allows those special unforgettable moments to occur - they’ve danced with Vishnu at a temple festival in the hills of Kerala, been whisked into whisky dens in Tasmania, and shared meals in homes across the world where the language was foreign but the welcome was unmistakable.
Not led by guidebooks or TikTok trends but curiosity, conversation and the ultimate window into someone's culture - food. This is how they believe the world should be experienced - not at a distance, but at the table.
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Beth is the force behind Visa Wellington On a Plate, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest food festival. She’s spent her life proving that food isn’t just sustenance, but story, connection, and identity.
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Michael, a polyglot charmer proficient in Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, and conversational in so many more, he has a knack for opening doors, and hearts, wherever he goes. His fluency however isn't just in language but in connection, and finding that perfect, un-Googleable moment.
Beth and Michael
are ready to take you
Off the Eaten Track.
Together whether it’s in Tokyo or Tamil Nadu, Beijing or Berlin, for years, friends, followers, and fellow travellers have slid into our DMs asking, ‘When’s the next trip, and can we come?!’, “when you retire, can you please start a boutique tour company”, so they’ve decided, why wait! In a world when it’s increasingly easier to find great online city guides, people are looking for a more curated and intimate experience and getting out of a city to experience a country not only as they locals do, but with the locals.
Their tours are small, deeply personal, and crafted for those who believe a good meal with locals is worth more than a hundred rushed photo ops. You’ll meet the makers, sit at their tables, and come away not just having visited a place, but having felt part of it.
Because to Beth and Michael, travel isn't a checklist, it's a shared plate, and just like leaving room for dessert, there’s always room for more. So they’ve finally decided to pull out a chair and invite you to join them!
OUR MISSION
We guide adventurous travellers beyond the well-trodden tourist trails of Japan and China to discover authentic cultural treasures hidden in lesser-known regions. Through intimate small group and private tours, we connect our guests directly with local communities, traditional craftspeople, farmers, and artisans who preserve centuries-old ways of life. We take you one level deeper—away from the crowded cities everyone visits—to rural villages, family-run workshops, and mountain communities where genuine culture thrives. While food remains at the heart of every experience, we believe the most memorable travel happens when curiosity meets authenticity, creating connections that change not just how you see these incredible places, but how you experience the world. Because the best adventures aren't found in guidebooks—they're discovered at the table with people who welcome you like family.
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
Whether you're curious about our upcoming tours, want to discuss a custom itinerary, or just have questions about traveling off the beaten path in Japan or China, we'd love to hear from you. Tell us what kind of adventure you're dreaming of.