Weeks 1-4
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
This four-week programme gives you a chance to explore the main sites of Northern Thailand and also invites you to partake in activities that are “off the beaten track”. The majority of our programme takes you to locations and activities that most visitors never get to see or experience.
Please note that the order of these three weeks may vary.
Culture and Community Weeks (1 week or 2 weeks)
This week you will be living at our beautiful volunteer house, which is located in Doi Saket district. You will be assisting other volunteers by teaching at Buddhist temples, Thai government schools or local nurseries. You will help to plan basic English lessons, assist with classroom games and organise various activities with the children. Outside of helping in the classroom you will get to see and experience the beauty of rural Thailand. Our tours and planned activities showcase both the well-known parts of the city as well as locations less frequented by tourists!
Elephant Conservation Week (1 week)
The main focus of the project is to care for and have a safe environment for the elephants to live. These elephants have been rescued from the tourist, logging, and other industries where the animals have been mistreated. There are no ‘elephant rides’ here, but you get the opportunity to learn about, feed, and bathe them in the local river, and go on treks in the jungle. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience and a way to see elephants in a sustainable way.
Hill Tribe Week (1 week or 2 weeks)
This week is spent living and teaching in a rural hill tribe in Northern Thailand. These villages are very remote and the journey from Chiang Mai city takes between five to six hours. During the week you will be assisting with English teaching, games, art activities and organising sports/games. Outside of the school activities you get the opportunity to learn about the unique culture of the village. These villages are not visited by other foreigners and cannot be found on the map. Activities include village tours, treks to waterfalls, teaching and games with the children, learning about hill-tribe culture, tasting locally made rice whiskey, learning to cook Thai & hill-tribe cuisine, visiting other local villages, and more!
Weeks 4-8
Location: Siem Reap and Battambang, Cambodia
You will spend the majority of your time in Battambang which is a small peaceful town away from the regular tourist route and we have a lovely volunteer house very close to the centre of the town.
As a participant on this programme you will have the opportunity to get involved with some volunteer work and you can also participate in cultural activities and sightseeing excursions. This is a fascinating programme where you can learn about Cambodian history and culture, learn some basic Khmer language, learn how to cook delicious Cambodian food, explore amazing Buddhist temples and ride on the famous bamboo train. There will also be an excursion to Siem Reap where you can visit the magnificent temples at Angkor Wat (at sunset and sunrise) and you can visit a floating market at Tonle Sap.
The volunteer work will involve working at a local NGO which focuses on protecting children against all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse, trafficking and child labour. You can teach arts & crafts, dance, music, drama, computers, sport and we also encourage volunteers to teach children important life skills, such as personal hygiene, HIV/AIDS awareness and social skills. Or alternatively you can work at a local temple and help Buddhist monks with their English, or help with tasks such as decorating Buddhist temple buildings, cleaning, maintenance and gardening.