7 Chocolate-Themed Travels That You Need to Go on ...

Your chocolate themed travels can start in the UK, in this quaint hotel in Bournemouth. It’s got 13 chocolate themed rooms, and you can even request an in-room chocolate fountain, if you like. Packages include being taught all about the history of chocolate, how chocolate goes from bean to bar, luxurious tasting experiences, chocolate and wine tasting days, chocolate portrait painting and even truffle making. So it’s safe to say that there is plenty to be keeping you busy.

YHA York has been given unprecedented access to the archives of Nestle to make an amazing new art installation, which measures more than 6 metres long. It’s just a short walk away from York Cocoa House, too, which makes homemade hot chocolate and boasts a selection of retro chocolates that have long been discontinued. Quality Street Coffee Cream or Toffo, anyone?

London is playing host to the world’s largest chocolate event in 2014, which sees craftsmen, chefs and cocoa experts come together to appreciate chocolate in all it’s forms. As well as getting to taste some amazing chocolate dishes and deserts, there’s chocolate art and even a chocolate fashion show.

Head to Birmingham, and you can see a real chocolate factory in action. The birthplace of Cadbury is the perfect place to get a lesson in chocolate history, and Cadbury World is an amazing day out! Take a tour through the Amazon, see the chocolatiers in action, have a sneaky taste of the chocolate, splash around in chocolate rain, and visit the world’s biggest chocolate shop. The best bit, though? The faulty section. Mis-shaped chocolate buttons and crunch-less Crunchies a-plenty.

These little schools are popping up across Europe, and they are so worth visiting if you get the chance. They are more about chocolate as an ingredient than it’s history, being owned by some of the leading chefs and chocolatiers. You’ll find out how to make amazing chocolate cakes, how to melt chocolate perfectly, and how to sculpt chocolate statues. The results are simply amazing.

Hotel Chocolat have set up their very own hotel out in St Lucia. The 14-room Hotel Boucan is set high in the Piton mountains, inside the company’s own cocoa plantation, and has amazing views over the rainforest. You can explore the cocoa groves, talk to chocolate experts, and make your own chocolate. There’s a cocoa spa, and an amazing restaurant. There’s even an infinity pool and spa.

Rabot 1745 will be the UK’s first urban cocoa restaurant, and it opens in London in November. Cocoa has been used as a savoury ingredient for around 3,000 years, compared to around 500 years as a sweet one, and the new restaurant will feature early dishes such as beef carpaccio as well as meringue and cheesecake. You can even get involved with cocoa roasting and chocolate making on-site. Amazing. You can see why this should feature in your chocolate themed travels!

It seems the UK and Europe are getting into chocolate themed travels in a big way! It’s a great excuse for you to travel across the seas and come over to visit. We have great chocolate, and some pretty great sights, too. Do you know some other great places that should feature in chocolate themed travels? Let me know!