2027: Agricultural SEA Tour
January 15 - 25, 2027
Join the founder and CEO of Roach Ag, John Roach, into the rich, fertile landscapes of Southeast Asia on this all-inclusive, small-group to Bangkok, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
From tasting freshly harvested produce to witnessing sustainable farming in action, this tour weaves together nourishment for both the body and the mind. Expect thoughtfully curated excursions, intimate cultural exchanges, and moments that bring the rhythms of rural Southeast Asia to life.
Please contact Masahiko at masahiko@johnshorstravel.com. We'd love to have you join this fabulous tour!
Flights from America usually arrive in Bangkok in the evening, local time.
Note: Some guests will opt to arrive on January 14, so that they can relax at the spacious hotel complex for a day before the tour officially begins. These guests will enjoy a free day, on their own, to relax on January 14
All guests will be greeted at the airport by a representative from John Shors Travel's Thai partner tour provider, Asian Trails. The Asian Trails representative will drive each group of arriving guests to our downtown hotel, the five-star Anantara Riverside Resort.
Meet at the hotel's riverside restaurant for a welcome dinner. Enjoy drinks and wonderful local food with your hosts John Roach and John Shors.
Meet in the lobby and depart, alongside our local guide, Grace, for a walking tour of Bangkok.
Arrive in downtown Bangkok and tour the Reclining Buddha.
Explore the nearby temple complex of Wat Pho.
Enjoy lunch at "Sala Rattanakosin Eatery & Bar", a high-ranking restaurant with views of the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun. We'll enjoy a pre-set, multi-course meal to sample a variety of flavors.
Return to the Anantara Riverside Resort.
Guests will have free time to enjoy hotel amenities, including a pool, spa, and tennis courts.
Take the hotel’s boat across the river for a cocktail at the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Enjoy dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s riverside Italian restaurant, Ciao Terrazza.
Meet in the hotel lobby and walk to our resort’s pier, where we will board a private longboat.
Take a one-hour longboat tour of Bangkok’s famous canal system.
Emerge from the longboat tour into Bangkok’s largest flower market. Tour the market and the nearby area.
Enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Depart for a tour of Bangkok Rooftop Farming Social Enterprise, a sustainable urban farm supporting homeless communities.
Guided tour, composting and planting activities, and a hands-on cooking class.
Head back to the Anantara Riverside Resort. Enjoy the rest of the day to relax, or use the hotel facilities.
Dinner at the rooftop restaurant "SEEN".
Note: A smart casual dress code applies
Meet in the lobby with bags packed, and depart for Bangkok’s international airport (BKK).
Time to be finalized upon confirmation
Meet our local guide after arriving, and transfer to the five-star Sofitel hotel.
After checking in, relax in your room or enjoy the hotel facilities.
Enjoy a pre-set, multi-course meal at the Sofitel’s lovely restaurant, Mouhot’s Dream.
Meet in hotel lobby and take vans, with local guide, to Angkor Wat.
Enjoy an extensive, guided tour of the extraordinary Angkor Wat, which is considered to be one of the World’s Wonders. Enjoy all that Angkor Wat has to offer.
After Angkor Wat, we will stop by a small “Killing Fields” memorial.
We will enjoy lunch at Changkran Khmer Restaurant, which trains street children to enter the restaurant industry.
After lunch, head to the iconic Ta Prohm Temple.
Ta Prohm is a hauntingly beautiful 12th-century temple, famously wrapped in the roots of towering strangler fig and silk-cotton trees. Left largely unrestored, it offers a cinematic glimpse into how nature reclaimed the Khmer Empire.
Head back to the hotel and enjoy free time at our hotel.
Because we are going to a special performance tonight, we will need to have an early dinner.
Meet in the hotel lobby and depart for Butterfly Pea Restaurant, a wonderful local restaurant.
Take vans to Phare, The Cambodian Circus (this is more of a Cirque du Soleil than a traditional circus). We will all have good seats for this dynamic performance.
Meet at the hotel lobby and depart for a tour and workshop at the Angkor Silk Farm.
Enjoy a guided tour of the Angkor mulberry farm and enjoy a silk workshop as well.
Watch live weaving demonstrations, learn the process of silk weaving, and participate in hands-on activities.
Enjoy lunch at a local farm-to-table restaurant.
Aqua Share is a Siem Reap–based NGO committed to providing clean water to underserved communities in Cambodia. Their primary focus is on installing freshwater wells and hand pumps in remote villages across the Siem Reap region.
After meeting the founder and president of Aqua Share, visit a local village together and watch as a new watering well provided by the proceeds of this tour is unveiled.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Meet in lobby and depart to enjoy a drink at one of the most famous lounges in Cambodia, The Elephant Bar at the Raffles Hotel
Enjoy an a la carte dinner at Sokkhak River Lounge.
After dinner, a John Shors representative will take anyone interested to get a foot massage on Pub Street.
Meet at the hotel lobby and depart for the nearby countryside via vans or individual tuk-tuks. The drive will take about 45 minutes.
Meet your farm guide after arrival, and tour the complex. Learn about the history of the 43 hectare farm, and the process of growing 30 different kinds of crops.
We will also have the opportunity to visit a nearby local village that assists with farming and production, and even pick and taste several of the farm’s produce.
Enjoy lunch at the on-site restaurant.
We will be splitting into groups, you can pick from the following options based on your interest and energy. A JST representative will be present in each group.
Options include:
Meet in the hotel lobby and depart to Malis, an elegant riverside restaurant.
Meet at the hotel lobby and head to the Angkor National Museum.
Return to the hotel and check out of rooms.
Have a late lunch at the hotel.
Enjoy a few hours independently before we head to our next destination.
Meet in the hotel lobby, with bags packed, and take vans to the Siem Reap International Airport.
Meet our local guide at the airport, take small bus, with local guide, to The Hotel Majestic Saigon, an old French luxury hotel in the best part of town.
The Hotel Majestic Saigon is located on the famous Dong Khoi Street, which is close to the Saigon River. While this hotel is has seen the passing of a century, it’s still John’s favorite hotel in the city.
Check in and order room service if needed.
Meet at the hotel lobby and leave in vans, with local guide, for a tour of the impressive Independence Palace.
After the palace, take vans to the Central Post office, as well as Notre Dame Cathedral.
Enjoy lunch at RuNam d’Or, a beautifully set French-Vietnamese restaurant.
The group will split into direct directions to explore. A JST representative will accompany one van with guests, while another rep goes in the other van with guests.
Options include:
Visiting the War Remnants Museum (please note that many of this museum’s exhibits are graphic and potentially upsetting).
Approximate return to hotel: 4 p.m.
Visiting the Ben Thanh Market and then watching a traditional water puppet show at Golden Dragon Theater.
Approximate return to hotel: 6 p.m.
Shopping on Don Khoi Street, which is near our hotel.
Returning to our hotel and enjoy free time.
Meet in the hotel lobby and head a nearby restaurant called LuLis Kitchen. A sweet mother daughter duo serving up traditional home-made Vietnamese food.
We will be having a long day tomorrow.
Meet at the hotel lobby and, together with our guide, leave by van to explore the lush Mekong Delta. We will take a boat from the Ben Tre City pier.
This drive will take about 2 hours.
In the morning, we will cruise the Mekong Delta aboard a river boat, and visit traditional riverside workshops to learn about local life.
We will see fisheries, traditional brick makers, coconut processing, and a family that makes sleep mats. We will be able to converse with the locals and learn about their life outside the city center.
Afterwards, we will take tuk-tuks to lunch. On the way, we will pass by rice fields and vegetable plantations. We will also get to talk to some other locals and discuss how they grow and maintain their farms.
Enjoy lunch at a riverside restaurant, a beautiful setting for our farewell meal together.
After lunch, we will take row-boats back to the Ben Tre Pier, passing through a water palm creek.
This drive will take about 2 hours.
Enjoy some free time before our farewell dinner.
Meet at the hotel lobby and enjoy a farewell dinner at the Residence Eleven, located at the top of the nearby Hilton Hotel.
Transportation provided to Ho Chi Minh City International Airport.
(*This is an all-inclusive tour with the exception of alcoholic beverages and hotel incidentals such as laundry, room service, etc.)
PRICE OF TOUR:
$8,095 per person, based on double occupancy
$10,695 per person, based on single occupancy
PRICE INCLUDES:
Accommodations at high-end hotels
All transportation, including flights, within SE Asia
All meals and non-alcoholic drinks
Fees (temples, tours, guides, etc.)
Excursions (cooking class, museums, etc.)
All tips
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
International airfare to Bangkok and returning from Ho Chi Minh City
Alcoholic drinks
Activities during free times such as golf, spa, etc.
Hotel incidentals such as room service, mini bar, phone charges, laundry, etc.
Visa to Vietnam (it’s fairly inexpensive, but guests will order online)
Charges incurred if guests arrive a day early or decide to remain in Asia after the tour ends
To reserve a spot for this tour, a $2,000 deposit, per person, is due to John Shors Travel by TBA
John Shors will accompany the group for the entire trip. The maximum size for any group is 16 guests, plus guides
Hotels, depending on availability, may end up being different than those listed above, but will still be in the same hotel class
Restaurants, depending on availability, may end up being different than those listed above, but will be excellent
Exact tour details may differ slightly from what is listed above, depending on recommendations from local guides
This tour includes walks of up to one mile, including over uneven terrain