**Tour dates will be announced in January, 2024**
How Early Bird Pricing Works
Because we are dependent on a good fruit season to run a good tour, we like to wait to announce the final exact dates until we understand when the peak season will occur. We typically know the month that the tour will happen (May) but we will select the exact dates 2.5 to 3 months before the actual tour departs.
If you sign up as an Early Bird, you’ll get discount pricing and you’ll get to hold your spot.
Once dates are announced, you have 14 days to decide whether or not those dates work for your schedule. If the dates don’t work for you, you can either change to another tour or you can request a full refund (within the 14 day time period). Once the 14-days have passed, our normal cancellation policy resumes.
This is a Durian Hunter’s Dream
Can we catch them all?
This 10-Day Durian Tour aims to capture and devour as many of the 230 Durian Varieties in Thailand as possible while learning about the development of durian within the context of Thai history, culture, and of course – cuisine.
Through our love of durian, we will learn snippets of Thai language, the cultural significance of durian names from hundred-year-old varieties, and understand how different peoples moved around the country, bringing durian with them to new landscapes.
This is a mid-season tour, designed to capture as many varieties of durian as possible.
We’ll start in the historic canals of Bangkok, where some of the oldest durian orchards in the world still produce fruit, and follow durian’s footprints inland to old orchards where some of the oldest varieties are still preserved. From there we will explore the farmlands of more modern plantation-style farms, and dive back into the traditional mixed-cultivation community farms that may be the future of Thai agriculture.
Then we’ll head right into Thailand’s Durian Heart: Chanthaburi. Here we’ll flavor our durian experience with durian cooked in various preparations and go to some of the oldest farms with the most variety of durian.
We’ll end our tour with a Durian-Elephant party on gorgeous Koh Chang Island, finishing with a relaxing beach-side durian feast before returning to Bangkok.
You better be a botanical enthusiast or plant-lover to handle this easy-going Eating tour!
🤩 Thailand Durian Tour Reviews 🤩
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Other Rare Fruits Besides Durian
We love all the fruits! We’ll be trying to expose you Durian Nerds to as many local varieties and also wild fruits as possible, but if you have a particular genus or species that has captured your attention, don’t hesitate to let us know what kind of fruits you’re hoping to taste on your Most Epic Ever Plantscapade in Thailand. The more specific, the better.
Meals: This is a Botanical Tasting Tour
Durian is the star of the show of course!
But we will be applying the same careful attention to each of your meals to make sure that you get to taste as many of Thailand’s cool edible plants as possible during our 10-day adventure.
Snacking will definitely be a Thing because there are edible plants everywhere!
Each sit-down meal will highlight regional local plants prepared in various traditional styles. Many of these plants you will have experienced during the day’s excursions. All meals will be plant-based, and many of them vegan, as previous to modern times people ate much less meat than they do now, and we also have so many plant species to experience that we don’t want to fill up your belly on something as boring and common as fried chicken.
However this is not a Vegan Tour, and during some meals there will be eggs and seafood available for those who want it.
Just be prepared to eat an intriguing and delectable selection of local fruits, vegetables and herbs!
Raw vegans and those following special diets are welcome, however due to the cost of providing excess Durian, Coconuts, and other requested fruits, the price is the same as those following diets that include cooked food.
Where We Stay
We’re not minimalists – we’re essentialists. We like natural surroundings and gorgeous views, but we like the Western comforts too. Think upscale-rustic.
Our hotels are typically family-owned, eco-boutique bungalows with a cozy vibe.
Accommodations are for the solo traveler (you’ll have your own room), unless you bring a buddy of your own to share the room. Group sign-ups of 2 or more people planning to share a room will have a discounted rate. You must bring your own room-buddy to get a shared-room price.
Contact [email protected] for more shared rooming options for families.
Entering Thailand
In the pandemic era, dealing with entry regulations was intimidating.
Nowadays, all pandemic restrictions have been lifted and entry requirements have returned to normal. There are no vaccine requirements to enter Thailand. Pre-departure testing is no longer required to enter Thailand.
- Currently, people from most countries do not need to apply for a visa if they are planning a trip of less than 30 days.
Covid19 Cultural Sensitivity
People in Bangkok still wear masks in public areas, primarily for concerns about air pollution.
There is no longer any government mandates concerning Covid19.
Eddie (verified owner) –
I was on the 2023 Thailand tour and I loved it. Lots of durians, mangos, and many other fruits to try, and also lots of different Thai dishes to try. I was most surprised how good cooked durian tasted in a curry, the texture is like a mixture of potato and taro. Durian is so good on its own, that it’s hard to imagine using it for cooking, but it is a different yet very tasty experience. It was also nice visiting many farms and asking the growers questions.
Olivier –
Where to start other than to say that this tour is absolutely worth every penny! You’ll join it only thinking about the durians and you’ll come back having experienced so much more. When you’re not stuffing yourself with high quality durians or eating delicious dinners with only local dishes, you’ll be enjoying a wide variety of outdoor adventures, whether hikes, snorkelling, bathing with elephants and feeding them, visiting orchards & farms, learning about grafting techniques and more! And let’s not forget the cooking classes where you get to prepare and eat durian dishes! What more could you want? This tour is packed with durian feasts and fun activities and I absolutely recommend it to everyone interested. Lindsay and Richard know how to create an unforgettable experience.