Thrilling Thailand (Thailand, Asia)
In a Nutshell
For some, Thailand represents beautiful beaches. For others, it is a shopping heaven. But for a special few, Thailand is a place to do good. No worries, you don’t have to choose between the three: this adventure has three anchors: one is a town by the coast called Hua Hin, that will offer the spectacular, Thai coastline together with urban energy.
The other is the town of Singburi, located about three hours north of Bangkok. In Singburi, home to a multitude of temples and historical sites, far from the beaten tourist track, you will have an uplifting experience with the local community, either teaching the children or participating in community construction projects. The last anchor will be in Petchaburi. Therewe will immerse ourselves in an eco lodge and wildlife refuge, submerged in the Thai forest, with some huge grey friends to inspire us (yes, we ment elephants…)
We can safely say that your contribution will create a far greater impact than a delicious cocktail on the beach or a new pair of shoes, but hey, why choose when you can have it all?
Project I.D
We all know that education is important; that it is key to social and economic mobility. Tell us something we don’t know! But instead of hearing and talking about it, why not do something about it? On this project you can uplift the local community in two ways: first, you can help improve the physical spaces available to the disadvantaged Thai kids by participating in construction and renovation work at their schools. If at this point you are thinking, “Darn, that’s me forty years ago,” think again, as there is much to do that doesn’t require extreme physical effort (such as heavy lifting).
From painting to cleaning and about a dozen more things, you can participate in a manner that suits your current abilities. The second way to help others is by teaching: the schools we work with allow and even encourage external knowledge to be brought in, and so you can decide what will be in your class curriculum.
Since knowledge is power and joy, we believe that you will be hugging goodbye kids who are slightly stronger and happier than when you bashfully greeted them hello, just a few days before. And if we, as New Meaning, do our job right, the next participant will be arriving soon, to continue your great work, creating a sustainable chain of caregivers.
*This program does not require any prior qualifications or experience. Your attention, warm heart and hugging abilities are all that is needed. For teaching, the lessons will be prepared in advance by teachers and participants. For community construction work, tasks will be suited to each participant’s experience and fitness level.
Itinerary
Day 1, Sunday: Arrival Day – Arrive at Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK). The local field team will be waiting to pick up participants for transfer to the accommodations, about three hours north. Meet and greet with fellow participants.
Day 2, Monday: Following breakfast, participants will receive an introduction to the program. We will then walk around Tha Kham village and head to Singburi for essential shopping before the contributional work. Following lunch, participants will visit Wat Phikun Thong for an introduction to Buddhism. Upon return to the accommodations, participants will join Thai language and cultural lessons before attending a welcome party with traditional dancing.
Day 3, Tuesday: Today, the rewarding contributional work starts! Participants will choose between teaching at local schools or participating in construction projects at one of two schools that were designed for children of impoverished families. After dinner, we will visit the Singburi evening market.
Day 4, Wednesday: Getting the hang of the contributional work. Participants may decide to continue with their original choice or switch to the second option. In the evening we will have a festive dinner at the Fishing Park Restaurant.
Day 5, Thursday: Contributional work as chosen by participants. After a short rest, the evening activity will include a traditional Thai cooking class.
Day 6, Friday: Final day of contributional work. After a farewell ceremony in the morning, Friday afternoon and evening will be free for participants to explore the area and to relax.
Day 7, Saturday: Sightseeing day: after an early morning start we will head to Kanchanaburi and visit the famous bridge over the river Kwai. In our next stop, the famous Erawan waterfalls will revive our body and soul. Next stop, after an authentic dinner, that will also split our travel time in half is Hua Hin.
Day 8, Sunday: Good morning Hua Hin! After a bountiful breakfast and a lazy morning, we will get comfortable in our new pampering accommodation and our host town. In the early afternoon, we will visit the Monsoon Valley Vineyard and enjoy a nice glass of wine from the local vineyards. Come evening we will visit the Cicada market.
Day 9, Monday: Rise and shine! An early start for Hin Lek Fai Mountain viewpoint will allow us to enjoy a beautiful sunrise and view of Hua Hin. After a bountiful breakfast at the viewpoint, we will head to the beautiful Wat Huay Mongkol Temple and visit the Plearnwan market. The afternoon will be our beach time – we will head to Sai Noi Beach and enjoy a few hours of free time. Come evening, we will visit the Hua Hin Night Market.
Day 10, Tuesday: We will start our day with a tour of the Artist Village. After this inspiring visit, we will head to Wat Khao Takiab, the Monkey Temple, to enjoy the beautiful scenery and, of course, the monkeys. The afternoon offers more beach time, but a new beach for a new day. Upon arrival to Sea Pine Beach, we will enjoy the rest of the day, soaking up the sun by the beach or the pool or exploring the town. A seaside seafood dinner will serve as a suitable closing for this day.
Day 11, Wednesday: Today is Cycling Day- after breakfast, we will cycle to the local market to buy ingredients for our upcoming traditional cooking class. We’ll enjoy the meal we’ve prepared for lunch and then cycle to the massage shop for an exhilarating, traditional Thai massage, followed by a relaxing evening by the pool, and a festive dinner on our last night in Hua Hin
Day 12, Thursday: Goodbye Hau Hin. For the last part of our adventure, We will head to the Elephant & Wildlife Sanctuary in Petchaburi. After Settling in, we will be introduced to the challenges and opportunities the sanctuary has, and introduced, of course, to our new free-spirited, wondering-about-as-they-should-be friends, the elephants! we will spend an evening with them and call it a night towards a big last day.
Day 13, Friday: Our last day will start early and be wildlife and care-oriented: A visit to the exciting nearby national park will help us learn about the wildlife condition in this area and Thailand in general. A relaxed evening will help us reflect on everything we have experienced and prepare us to the big city commotion.
Day 14, Saturday: Pack your bags and say farewell. Transfer is provided this morning from Petchburi to the airport in Bangkok.
Fast Facts
- Location of the Project: Sing Buri Province, Hua Hin, Petchaburi, Thailand (multiple locations)
- Project length: 14 days
- Arrival Airport: Bangkok Airport (BKK) or Don Mueang Airport (DMK). Departure airport: Bangkok Airport (BKK)
- Contributional Work: Teaching and renovation work
- Family Option: This project accepts families with children as young as 5 years old.
Number of participants: This adventure requires a minimum of four participants.
What’s Included
- Accommodations: Comfort rooms in the Sing Buri Eco-lodge campus: The rooms include air condition, hot water showers, Wifi, and TV. They are uniquely designed and are noticeably quieter than the rest of the campus. Hua Hin accommodation: Two participants per room, air-conditioned, hot water showers, Wifi, TV, fridge and swimming pool. The Phetchaburi accommodation: an eco-lodge with comfortable and spacious rooms running on groundwater and solar power!
- Food: In Singburi -Three meals a day are included. In Hua Hin stay- half board plus one complimentary dinner. Phetchaburi- All meals are included
- Airport Transfers: Airport pickup is included on arrival day
- Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 emergency hotline, experienced local field team.
Adventure Departure Dates
- June 16th, 2019
- July 21st, 2019
- August 18th, 2019
- September 15th, 2019
- November 17th, 2019
Adventure Cost : $2500 USD