From The Straits Times    |

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Good news chocolate lovers – we’ve found your happy place. In fact, we’ve found 17 of them, from hotels set among cocoa bean groves to master classes with the world’s finest chocolatiers and chocolate museums. Travel the world for your passion and make your next holiday just a little bit sweeter.

1. Margaret River Chocolate Factory, Australia

Free entry, free tastings – do you need any more reasons to visit? If so, the signature Cashew Clusters, Salted Caramel Truffles and surrounding wineries might make it even harder to resist.

2. World Chocolate Wonderland, Shanghai, China

A chocolate theme park? Oh yes – and it’s glorious. Take a wander through the sweetest world ever with buildings, cars and trees, all created from chocolate.

Set among the heady cocoa groves of Saint Lucia’s oldest cocoa plantation, this luxe hotel offers cocoa spa treatments and chocolate tours around the estate.

3. Swiss Chocolate Train, Switzerland

Travel in first class comfort through the famous chocolate making riviera region and visit the Nestle factory. We hear it’s a sweet ride.

Head straight to the source of your favourite treat. This plantation grows and makes chocolate. Learn to grind your own cocoa beans in the “make it yourself” workshop.

4. Chocolate Museum, Cologne, Germany

In Rheinau Harbour in the Old Town there lies a museum, with an amazing 4,000 sq m all dedicated to the history and culture of chocolate.

5. Chocolate Walking Tour, Brussels, Belgium

See chocolatiers at work and savour delectable samples as you tour some of the city’s famous chocolate shops and makers.

6. Cooking Class at Valhrona’s Ecole du Grand Chocolat, Paris, France

Learn from Parisian master chocolatiers with a week-long, hands-on chocolate making course. For serious chocolate connoisseurs only.

7. ChocoMuseo, various locations, Peru

8. Rosas & Xocolate Hotel, Yucatan, Mexico

This romantic, Mayan-inspired mansion offers chocolate-based spa treatments and sweet-smelling amenities lovingly engineered by renowned Belgian chocolatier, Mathieu Brees.

9. Chocolate Week at Olympia Hall, London, UK

This October, indulge in abundant tastings and try out your chocolate making skills at this week-long, all-about-chocolate festival, in its fourth impressive year.

10. Hummingbird Chocolate Shop, Ottawa, Canada

Experts recently awarded their “Hispaniola 70 per cent cacao bar” the best dark chocolate in the world. A must visit on any chocolate lover’s itinerary.

11. Omnom Chocolate Tour, Reykjavík, Iceland

Sea Salt, Persian liquorice, coffee and burnt sugar – watch Icelandic Omnom chocolate makers blend unique flavour combinations to create pure magic.

12. El Castillo del Cacao, Nicaragua, Central America

The first chocolate factory in one of the world’s finest cacao growing regions. Tour the factory and observe the traditional techniques, from roasting and cracking to tempering and tasting.

13. Cadbury World, Birmingham, UK

Take a British chocolate day trip to the world of Cadbury chocolate. Try the 4D experience and ride the crunchie rollercoaster which dives right into a pool of liquid chocolate.

14. Boucan Hotel, Saint Lucia, Caribbean

15. The Shop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Drop into the Shop, Cambodia’s first chocolate production workshop and try uniquely delicious local flavours such as their Mondolkiri honey pralines.

16. Haigh’s Chcolate Factory, Adelaide, Australia

Heading to South Australia? Don’t miss visiting this famous Aussie chocolate brand’s headquarters. See skilled confectioners hard at work as they handcraft exquisite sweets.

17. Fudge Cottage, Christchurch, New Zealand

Watch and drool as a 30kg batch of mouth watering hot fudge is poured out to be sliced (and then tasted, but naturally).

This story was originally published in SilverKris