Description
Itinerary of your Tour
Day 1: Arrival – Chiang Mai!
Welcome to the start of your next big adventure! And what better place to begin than the incredible city of Chiang Mai. Let our team collect you from the airport, train or coach station and welcome you properly. Once collected, we’ll transfer you to the guesthouse to begin your adventure. You’ll be shown to your room, have time to check-in, get to meet more of our team and your fellow travelers, or recover from your journey in the swimming pool!
This evening, once every traveler has checked in and brushed up, we’ll head out to explore the local area, grab a bite to eat and get to know everybody over a few drinks.
Day 2: The ultimate Chiang Mai tour
After breakfast at the guesthouse we’ll have the official tour welcome briefing. We’ll run through the day to day plan, the rules of the road, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to know to really make the most of your time with us. Once we’re all chatted out, it’s time to start a guided tour of this amazing city. Chiang Mai is on every travelers ‘must-see’ list and we’ll show you exactly why!
In the evening we’ll head to the famous night market area of the city for a traditional local dinner and most probably too much to drink! Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3: Elephant Project
As last night will probably have been a late one, perhaps one too many cocktails, we’ll let you have a bit of a late start this morning! Early risers can chill by the pool or head in to town for a spot of shopping or a coffee at a street-side café.
Just before lunch we’ll leave Chiang Mai for the 30 minute transfer to the privately owned elephant sanctuary nestled in the hills on the outskirts of the city. On arrival we’ll get you all settled in to your new accommodation before we have a quick briefing and a chat about the next couple of days. You’ll then be introduced to the elephants, something that we’ll sure will be the highlight of the trip! Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Elephant Project
Elephant day! Today you’ll be spending all day with these incredible animals. You’ll help with preparing food, washing, playing, walking and interacting with them. You’ll learn all about the plight of the elephants in this area of Asia and what projects such as the one you’re at are doing to help. It’s going to be a very immersive and full-on day of amazing! Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Transfer to Koh Samui
After breakfast we’ll feed and then say our goodbyes to the elephants. Before we leave the sanctuary however we’ll have a get together to run through your volunteering option for Koh Samui. We’ll discuss your projects in more detail, what to expect, how to make the most of your time on the island and so on.
Around midday we’ll head to the airport for the flight to Surat Thani. From there we’ll take a quick coach ride to the pier and on to the ferry for the 90 minute ferry crossing; a wonderful way to see the island from the ocean.
We’ll have you at the volunteer house in the early evening; enough time to settle in to your new digs, meet the rest of our award-winning team and prepare for the rest of your stay. Meals: Breakfast
The following four days are for those who’ve chosen to volunteer. Those of you who have chosen the adventure option, your schedule is below.
Day: 6 – 9 (volunteer)
You lucky, lucky people! The volunteering portion of this tour is amazing. You’ll be directly affecting the education of the kids we support at one of three government schools on the island. Our volunteers have been producing amazing results with these kids for over three years. Not just teaching, but also the work that we’ve completed with improving the look and feel of the school. Having a school that’s bright, cheery and happy, makes learning so much more fun and we’ve given these kids schools that they look forward to attending.
There’s so much work to be done here that you have a choice; teaching or development. Whichever you prefer, no experience is required! Our team have all of the experience that you need to make this a huge success, not only for you, but for everybody involved. Our team will talk you through how this works, give you the tools required to make it fun, interesting and impactful and most importantly you’ll be shown how to improve the immediate and future lives of these amazing kids, all of whom deserve the chance to shine. Meals: Lunch
TEACHERS
Volunteering as a teacher is great fun and whether you have experience or not we’ll make sure that you receive the tools required to be successful. You’ll be shown everything you need to have the confidence to make the impact that you hope, the kids need and we all want. Teaching includes English, arts and crafts, sports and more. Days begin at 9am and end around 3.30pm. We’ll even supply you with a lovely Thai lunch (most dietary requirements can be catered to if we’re given notice.)
DEVELOPMENT
If you’ve chosen to work on brightening up the schools, your time will be very well spent. It’s not possible to give exact details of the work that will be organized as it will depend on many aspects ranging from the requirements of the school, the weather, the number of volunteers who choose this option and more. We can however guarantee that you’ll be busy! No need for any DIY or handy work skills. If you can lift a paintbrush, use a broom, know one end of a hammer from the other, there’s work that needs to be done! Our team will be with you throughout the day to make sure that you’re safe, you have everything that you need and that what you’re doing has a positive impact on the school and the kids. We’ll even supply you with a lovely Thai lunch (most dietary requirements can be catered to if we’re given notice.)
Whatever you choose as your volunteering option your day will begin around 8.30am when you’re transferred to the school. Our team will be with you each day to make sure you have everything that you need to have nothing but the best possible time and have the best possible impact.
On the evening of day six we’ll meet up with the adventure group and head to a very special little place for an evening drink. Share a story from today over a nice cool drink as we take in the very best view point on the island.
Day 6: (adventure)
Not one for volunteering, then? Absolutely no problem whatsoever, these next four days will give you the perfect introduction to island life. Today we’ll have a mystery island tour and show you the best of what Samui has to offer. We’ll visit heaps of places of interest today from waterfalls to viewpoints, to beaches to jungles. This is a great day, just don’t forget your camera! Meals: Lunch
Day 7: (adventure)
Your own private boat tour to the largely unknown island of Koh Tan. This island is a reminder of how Koh Samui was around 40 years ago – very laid back life, zero traffic, quiet bars and restaurants; the perfect place to hang out. We’ll speed there from Samui and spend the day exploring, swimming, sunbathing, beach games and more! Meals: Lunch
Day 8 (adventure)
Today we’re off on the sea again to visit one of Asia’s ancient wonders- the Ang Thong Marine Park. This place is a ‘must-see-it-to-believe-it’ collection of incredible limestone islands reaching up out of crystal clear water. Soak up the sun on the boat trip out then join in the snorkeling, swimming and more. This is another of Asia’s hidden gems and we guarantee you another day you’ll never forget!
Day 9 (adventure)
Hands up who knows what an X-Quad is? Well that’s your only cue for what today involves – and it’s gonna be a whole heap of adrenaline-fuelled fun!
Day 10 – Transfer to Koh Tao
So now we’re all back together it’s time for the volunteers to show the adventure-junkies a little bit of what they’ve been getting up too. As a group we’ll head to the school to show everybody what we do as an organisation, where a portion of your money goes and why we do what we do.
We’ll then head off to the pier to take the ferry over to Koh Tao island. That’s right, your R&R starts today! We’ll be at our lovely resort by late-afternoon and you can kick off your shoes, run barefoot through the sand, swim in the pool, grab a cocktail and chill out until you can’t chill any more!
Day 11 – Koh Tao Marine Conservation project
It’s not just teaching and school development that we’re involved with. We also support a marine conservation project located on the island and a part of your tour fee goes to maintaining the work that’s carried out here. This project is responsible for the breed, care and conservation of the local turtle population and needs constant support. For those of you interested in knowing more about the work that’s done here, we’ll arrange a guided tour of the project so that you can see how your money is used and the work that’s completed. Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 – Koh Tao boat tour
It’s the last full day on the island today so what better way to go out than with a party! We’ll set sail on the high seas today to see Koh Tao from a different angle. There’ll be plenty of time to swim and snorkel, soak in the sun and think back to what an incredible two weeks we’ve had.
Once back at the resort, tonight there’ll be a group dinner to see off the last night in style! Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13 – Transfer to Bangkok
Unfortunately we’re almost at the end of the tour….Today we need to get you all back to Bangkok for one final send-off ‘Khao San Road Style’! We will have you back to where it all began by 8pm, in plenty of time to check-in, get showered and get out to paint the town red! Meals: Breakfast
Day 14 – Farewell
Say your goodbyes to those who will have changed you forever! Meals: Breakfast
