A week exploring Provence with your new besties? Sign us up.
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Lavender fields and sandstone abbeys, sun-soaked streets of ancient towns and local wine sipped under shady trees.
This is Provence, the beating heart of the South of France and a dream destination for just about everybody – and this June you could experience the best it has to offer – and make a heap of new friends in the process.
From 1-8 June, KMH Interiors Tours will host an all-inclusive (exc flights and train transportation) boutique tour, Provincial Life in Style, with 13 places available in total. This tour of Provence, offered by KMH, will focus on exploring the sights, sounds, tastes and style of the South of France at a pace that won’t leave you needing a holiday after your holiday.
With accommodation in a Provincial French country house featuring views across The Luberon Valley, an Instagram-worthy pool terrace and plenty of quiet corners to curl up in with a good book (and a library to discover!) when you’re not exploring.
Kim Hocking, Tour Director for KMH I.T and an interior designer, says this is the ultimate tour for solo travellers and pairs of friends looking for a low intensity, culturally-rich way to experience this vibrant region.
“Provence is a place like no other,” says Kim. “The combination of Provence’s natural beauty of colourful landscapes, charming villages, numerous art galleries, museums, local crafts and artistic influences yet laid back and slow-paced lifestyle makes it an ideal, inspirational and captivating destination for a lively yet leisurely design-focused tour.”
“A curated and considered itinerary encourages guests to enjoy this experience at a relaxed pace enabling deeper appreciation of the historical design details, architecture and craftsmanship, discovering what that might otherwise be missed if rushed.”
Accommodation, meals, alcohol, ground transportation and activities are covered by the tour cost – all you have to do is be at Marseille Airport or Avignon Train Station on 1 June and Kim will do the rest. Imagine exploring postcard-perfect provincial towns, finding treasures at local ‘brocantes’ (French outdoor flea markets), dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, exploring Cistercian abbeys and Franciscan convents and indulging in wine tastings, a French cooking class and more.
In addition to seven glorious days of sun-soaked provincial exploring, this tour will also feature co-hostesses in the shape of lauded Melbourne-based interior designer and stylist Lynda Gardener and the wonderful Lean Timms, one of Canberra’s most celebrated photography talents, both of whom will share their skills and experience in interactive workshops.
“On this tour we will not only be having the most incredible opportunities to dine in grand style – most notably at two Michelin star establishments – shop at three flea markets, visit significant cultural landmarks and engage in a French cooking class with our private Chef for the week but also meet two of Australia’s most notable creatives.”
“Our small tour size encourages deeper engagement, meaningful one-on-one conversations and personal interactions with our Guest Hosts, enhancing the overall experience and creating long-lasting memories with newly acquired lifestyle skills.”
It’s this deeper engagement and welcoming community that Kim wants to foster on all her tours.
“This is the ideal tour for solo travellers or pairs of friends to connect with like-minded individuals, foster new friendships, enjoy a personalised experience, create professional collaborations all while provided with an added sense of safety and support in a secure travel environment,” says Kim.
“A design-focused tour also provides an excellent opportunity to share and discuss design inspirations, ideas and perspectives. It allows for meaningful conversations between guests enhancing the overall experience of ‘Provincial life in style’.”
With a detailed day-by-day breakdown of the tour on the KMH Interiors Tours website, you’ll know exactly what sensory delights await you in Provence – although we don’t recommend reading while you’re at work unless you’re ready for some serious daydreaming (trust us).
For Kim, the most important part of this tour is simply immersing oneself in the region, embracing the slow pace of life and feeling like a local – if only for a week – and says her previous Provence tour, held in May 2023, was “exhilarating”.
“After years of not being able to travel overseas because of the pandemic, our 18 guests were filled with energy, enthusiasm and excitement eager to explore, discover and engage.”
“The atmosphere fostered reflection and introspection as guests were able to take the time to admire and analyse the beauty and wonder they encountered. It was a harmonious blend of energy, curiosity, inspiration, appreciation, relaxation and gratitude to be having this opportunity to travel overseas once more immersing themselves in the cultural, social and culinary delicacies of Provence.”
