Greece

Rhodes - Nat Geo Day Tour: The Fascinating World of Bees

Your introduction to this fascinating world begins at the Bee Museum of Rhodes, featuring engaging interactive exhibits. Learn about the importance of beekeeping as your National Geographic-trained guide explains the history of maintaining colonies of bees and their hives in the South Aegean islands. Watch bustling beehive life through transparent observation hives and discover intriguing facts about pollination and apitherapy—the medicinal use of bee products. You'll also learn various simple ways to protect these creatures so crucial to our planet's ecosystem. National Geographic travelers will then enjoy an exclusive, live demonstration of honey extraction by one of the Bee Museum staff in a private room. Learn about professional techniques like honeycomb scratching and the use of tools such as manual extractors to fill empty jars. Afterwards, you'll be able to sample the freshly extracted honey in a dedicated space exclusively available to National Geographic groups. Try other types of honey, too, including varieties like pine, thyme and erica. Plus, try the famous Melekouni, a traditional sweet snack from Rhodes. After the tasting, don a protective suit and take a look at an active apiary, examining the open hive with an experienced beekeeper. Surrounded by happy buzzing, you'll learn about important tools, such as frames, smokers and scrapers, as well as gain a practical understanding of how bee colonies are organized. Leave with a new understanding of the humble honeybee and what you can do to protect it.

Crete - Nat Geo Day Tour: The Millenary History of Olive Oil

Approximate itinerary and duration of activitiesIntroduction - 15 minutesWalking tour through the olive trees - 30 minutesPause for questions and raki drink - 15 minutesOlive oil factory tour - 40 minutesOlive oil tasting and questions - 55 minutesCooking demonstration and tastings - 30 minutesPlease note the order of activities may vary at your guide's discretion With millennia of experience behind them, it's no wonder the people of Crete produce some of the finest olive oil in the world. You will appreciate the timeless bond between Cretans and their revered olive trees as you trace the long heritage of olive cultivation on the island. Just outside Kritsa village in the hills of eastern Crete, you'll follow Nikos Plevritakis on a brief walk to his olive groves where some trees are 600-800 years old, and learn about olive cultivation from a true specialist. In the shade of the olive trees, you can try local raki known as ‘tsikoudia' with olives to nibble on while discussing the cultural and societal significance of olive cultivation in Crete. Then it's time to visit a local cooperative factory, to see up close how olives are processed into world-class olive oil. Back on the Olive Path, seize the chance to taste fresh figs, almonds, and grapes, see what the locals are growing, and find out all about the Cretan lifestyle and diet. Then, at an olive farm, you can sample olives, fresh tomatoes, and raki before your olive oil tasting session begins – a great opportunity to learn how to taste oils like a professional and compare the flavor profiles of different varieties. Finish off the day with a cooking lesson on various ways to use olive oil in Cretan cuisine. Authentic dishes, such as tzatziki and Greek salad will feature, and you'll find out why the traditional Cretan diet is so beneficial to health and longevity.

Corfu - Nat Geo Day Tour: Flavours of Corfu, Cook with Locals at an Organic Farm

Feel the soul of Corfu at Bioporos Organic Farm, situated on the banks of Korission lagoon. Your deep dive into Corfiot farming begins with an introduction to your hosts for the day and the true stars of the show: the farm's owners.First, you'll join the host's mother who will teach you how to make organic cosmetics, such as face masks, beeswax cream, and more. You'll use ingredients which you can find in your kitchen or garden back home, and take your creations with you at the end of the day.Next, prepare a traditional Corfiot pie, mix up your own tzatziki and knead bread. Your host will light the wood-burning oven and soon you can enjoy the aromas of the slow-cooked pie and bread you helped to prepare.While your lunch bakes, the owner himself will lead you through the farm, proudly showing off his collection of farming tools, his olive trees and bee hives. His tales illuminate the relationship between Corfu and olive farming, and his passion for regenerative agriculture shines through when he demonstrates how he promotes the conservation of endemic plant species. You'll also discover the history of this EU-protected lagoon and its impact on the local people, as well as details of the surrounding wildlife, rare flora and numerous bird species found here.After your trip around the farm, you'll savor lunch fresh from the oven, paired with a fresh salad from the farm's garden. For dessert, relax with a cup of coffee while you gaze over the idyllic scenery.

Crete - Nat Geo Day Tour: Discover Cretan Farm Life

Small-scale, family-run farms are integral to the Mediterranean diet that Crete is so famous for. A local family will welcome you to their Mitato, a small farmhouse, where you'll be greeted with the genuine warmth of Cretan hospitality. Listen to the local farmer tell the intriguing tale of King Minoas who watched from his observatory, and alerted locals to incoming pirates. Greetings over, it's time for a hands-on bread-making lesson, learning the techniques for typical Cretan bread, made with wheat and barley flour. Then, witness their cheese-making skills using goat's milk from the farm. Next, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in, helping out with daily farm tasks like feeding the goats, pigs, chickens, and rabbits, and tending to the gardens. The adventure continues with a snail hunt over the mountainside, exclusive to National Geographic travellers, peeking under rocks, and among shrubs and flowers. As the day unfolds, your collected treasures, including snails, eggs, fruit, and vegetables, become the ingredients for lunch. Alongside the family, you'll prepare a feast of local delicacies, all made from the products of your day's work. Finish off the experience with a taste of Crete's spirit, Raki, and why not sing along to their traditional Cretan ‘Mantinades,' - traditional Cretan couplets that express sentiments about Cretan daily life.