WHAT WILL I BE DOING?
PART 1 - SOUTH EAST ASIA ETHICAL TRAIL
Sample Itinerary
Your adventure will begin as you fly into Bangkok and are escorted to a comfortable guest house where you will have the opportunity to acclimatise and receive important briefing and orientation, giving you essential information about the adventure ahead of you.
Thailand
Day 1: Bangkok
Acclimatise and settle in to you guest house in Khao San where you will receive a travel briefing and safety awareness information from your trail leader.
Day 2-3: Bangkok
Visit the phenomenal Royal Palace and museum which have fascinated locals and foreigners for centuries. These intricately and exquisitely carved monuments, erected in honour of Thailand's ancient kings, are a perfect example of the staggering architecture found in this part of the world, and are a perfect start to your Thai adventure. Then you will visit the glorious reclining Buddha, a sacred emblem of Thailand's Buddhist heritage. Other sightseeing highlights at this stage include the Red Cross Snake farm, and the fabulous and important Siam Centre.
Day 3-4: Kanchanaburi
This Thai province is a true Aladdin's cave of natural and historical treasures, magnificent landscapes, including some of Asia's most dramatic waterfalls, expansive pagodas, interactive museums where you can find out more about the regions complex history, and even a school full of chattering monkeys! See the intriguingly named Hellfire Pass, and enjoy visits to luscious hot springs, kayaking down foaming rivers and viewing the bridge over the vast River Kwai (famous from the Hollywood film), and much more. As well as this, visit Wat Tham Seua and Wat Tham Khao Noi by bicycle, the perfect way to appreciate the grandiose splendour of these miraculous temples.
Day 5-8: Chiang Mai
Visit this beautiful city in northern Thailand for the opportunity to do an overnight trek to remote hill villages.
Day 8-10: Pai
Visit Pai in northern Thailand where the pace of life slows to a crawl and accommodation is strung out along wooded hillsides.
Day 11-12: Bangkok
Return to Bangkok via the old capital city of Ayutthaya and spend some time exploring its old temples and ruins. Buy some last minute souvenirs and prepare for the next stage of the trail.
Cambodia
Day 13: Travel to Cambodia
Day 14: Siem Reap
This province is a wonderful introduction to Cambodia with expansive lake scenery, an abundance of lavishly decorated elephants, floating villages and of course the spectacular temple complex of Angkor Wat, a visual feast of temples formed of golden filigrees and blood red stone.
Visit the Terrace of Elephants or find out what the "Churning of the Sea of Milk" entails, in this most significant of historical monuments!
Day 15: Travel by bus to Phnom Penh, the capital and largest city of Cambodia
Day 16-18: Phnom Penh
Once you have arrived in Phnom Penh, you will receive your brief and enjoy some free time in this wonderful city. Over the next few days, you will explore this sprawling metropolis known as the "pearl of Asia", taking in the Royal Palace, the Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields, an important and moving site. Following this, you will receive your field briefings and safety tests before travelling to your project site.
Day 19-49: Teaching OR Conservation OR development project
At this stage of the project, you will get the chance to participate in a volunteering project, teaching, conservation or development.
Teaching
You will be teaching in a temple school for underprivileged children, where you will make a vital contribution to their lives. Your work schedule will cover a comprehensive, varied and enjoyable teaching programme which will engage you fully with your pupils and will awaken your creativity and initiative. Volunteers will teach at a temple school alongside Monks. You are sure to gain huge satisfaction from inspiring these underprivileged children, bringing joy and fun to their dreary lives, whilst enhancing your own skills and experience significantly. You can also gain a TEFL certificate for an additional fee.
Conservation
At the requests of the Ministry of Environment, you will be working on a Biodiversity Survey & Training Project in the Botum Sakor National Park a day's journey from Phnom Penh. You will discover a wealth of species, many of which are likely to be new to science or extinct elsewhere. Trekking into these vast and unexplored tropical forests and jungles, you will search for mammals and other fauna, watching for the tracks and signs of the elusive Sun Bear, leopard and possibly even tiger.
You will become adept at surviving in the wilderness cooking over open fires and swinging in your hammock each night under a spectacular star studded sky. Through immersion in local cultures and activities with local villages, you will assess how reliant local communities are on the forest products for their livelihood and will find out valuable information on the activities and impact of poachers on the threatened wildlife. You will discover the rich cultural heritage of the Khmer communities as you work alongside them on environmental education programmes and community workshops. Discover the rich blend of Buddhist and Hindu spiritualism which infuses their daily lives and is epitomised in majestic temples and elaborate ceremonies and rituals. By carrying out this valuable conservation work, you will have the opportunity to gain a BTEC qualification in Tropical Habitat Conservation for an additional £260.
Day 50: Phnom Penh
Return to the city to relax and prepare for the journey to Vietnam.
Vietnam
Day 51-52: Ho Chi Minh
Venture into this vibrant and industrious urban centre with its bubbling and exhilarating vibe. Visit the War Remnants Museum containing eye-opening exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. See the pastel-hued pagodas and pick up some real bargains from the tiny merchants and traders of the many side streets and alleys. Take a day tour of the Mekong Delta, home of many rice fields and floating markets. Gaze up at the arching ceilings of the Halls of Mandarins, as you breathe in the exotic aura of this testament to Vietnam's past rulers.
Day 53-56
En route to Hanoi you will have the chance to encounter several of Vietnam's most diverse towns and villages. Nha Trang offers sand-boarding on huge dunes and sunbathing on the fabulous beach – for a combination of relaxation and a real adrenaline rush! Hoi An is a stunning little town with Chinese influences around every corner. Famous for its tailors, you could stroll past a delicate Chinese temple with colourful lanterns lining the streets, and drop in to a tailor to get measured up for your new suit or ball gown made from Thai silk! Along the way, visit Hué and see the imperial tombs, the old citadel and take a boat trip on the Perfume River. See the unimaginable splendour and fantastical elegance of the Royal enclosure, and the Forbidden Purple City.
Day 57-58: Hanoi
Explore Hanoi, by taking a walking tour of this vibrant and colourful city of a million bicycles, picking up a last few souvenirs. Visit the Temple of Literature, one of Hanoi's finest historical sites and Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum.
Day 59-60: Sapa
Travel by night train and then by bus along the winding road into the clouds to reach the highland resort of Sapa.
Day 61-64: Sapa
Take a four-day trek in the highlands and attempt to reach the peak of Fansipan – Vietnam's highest mountain at 3,143 metres.
Day 65-66: Travel back to Hanoi by train and bus
Day 67-68: Halong Bay
Explore Halong Bay with a two-day boat trip along this spectacular coast with its enormous limestone caves, dense jungle and monolithic islands. The area boasts incredible biodiversity with a fantastic array of wildlife including antelopes, monkeys, lizards and bantams living on some of the offshore islands.
Day 69: Hanoi
Return to Hanoi to do some more last minute shopping and prepare for your homeward journey.
Day 70: Fly home!
This itinerary is very flexible and subject to change. It is intended as a guide. You and your fellow travellers will change the itinerary according to your interests and depending on how you are progressing.
PART 2 - FIJI MARINE CONSERVATION & DIVING
The Frontier-Fiji Reef Conservation Project has two aims:
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To better understand the marine resources of the island, and to provide teaching and training to enable communities to make informed decisions regarding the management of their coastal ecosystems
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To better understand and promote the importance of turtle conservation on the island of Gau.
To achieve this mission, we conduct scientific baseline data surveys of reef areas, mapping the sea grass beds and mangrove fringes of the region, we identify patterns of resource use, and we work with local communities to build awareness of the value and vulnerability of their marine environment. We also locate nesting beaches on Gau and create seasonally protected areas.
The marine research and conservation programme is run in association with the University of the South Pacific. The work aims to provide the local stakeholders, research organisations and government bodies with the information they need to design and implement management plans for the future protection of Gau's island marine ecosystem.
To gather the data needed you will be diving to locate and map the extensive coral reefs and study the various communities living on them. You will also explore and record the organisms that inhabit the luxuriant mangrove forests, dense sea grass beds and productive inter-tidal areas. To do this you will deploy a wide range of newly learned research skills and scientific techniques including: underwater visual census of reef and commercial fish such as triggerfish and parrotfish, assessment of algal and coral cover to determine the extent of coral bleaching and damage, and line intercept transects for benthic life and indicator invertebrate species such as nudibranchs. You will record observations of the feeding habits and behaviour patterns of a range of marine life. You may even get to study the impact of artisanal fishing on the coral reefs, report the effects of Global Warming on marine communities or observe the impact of the marine-curio trade on endangered marine invertebrates.
Whilst diving, you'll see an extraordinary array of animals from turtles to manta rays, sea cucumbers to feathery starfish, spiny urchins to octopus and jellyfish. When you motor out each day on the Frontier boats to distant dive sites you may even encounter gigantic manta rays or flying fish. By the end of your project you will be expert at identifying hundreds of colourful and patterned reef fish as well as being an experienced and competent diver. Although the work is intense and challenging you'll get immense satisfaction from having survived and from having made a valuable contribution to the conservation of this untarnished marine wilderness. You will return home with the new friends you've made and a wealth of fascinating stories and memories.
You'll find your team to be a fun, dynamic mix of ages and experiences, with members who all share a passion about travelling in developing countries and saving endangered life. Your staff will be young, friendly individuals who are highly experienced in their field and many have volunteered on a Frontier project earlier in their career.
PART 3 - CENTRAL AMERICA ETHICAL ADVENTURE TRAIL
MEXICO
Mexico City: the adventure begins with a whirlwind tour of this leviathan of a city. You'll delve into a history as rich and colourful as any in the world, typified today in magnificent monuments such as the zócalo, the western hemisphere's largest cathedral, the Catedral Metropolitana, the museum of anthropology and, of course, the famous murals of Diego Rivera.
San Cristobal: ride horseback through the hills of the legendary Zapatista uprising and trawl markets for crafts built in the spirit of revolution. You'll discover how one small group of dedicated villagers brought the whole world's attention to the plight of indigenous Mexicans.
Palenque: improve your language skills with some Spanish lessons with the locals, and then try your skills against a backdrop of live music as you sit down to a dinner feast. Find ancient ruins hidden in dense jungle and cool off in the clear waterfalls at Agua Azul.
Playa del Carmen: a hedonistic paradise, Playa del Carmen has been hosting flocks of sun-worshippers for decades who come as much for the fantastic nightlife as the pristine beaches.
Tulum: bask on a white sand beach or dive into crystal clear water. When you're tired of swimming and snorkelling with dolphins and rays you can relax with a delicious picnic under a palm tree.
GUATEMALA
Flores / Tikal: watch the sun rise over Central America's most famous ruins which have towered over the jungle for thousands of years and learn about the ancient Mayan empire from an experienced local guide.
Chicicastenango: kayak across the tranquil volcanic paradise of Lake Atitlan or explore the endless alleys of the most colourful indigenous market in Central America.
Antigua: sip organic coffee at a roadside café as you take in the magnificence of this ancient UNESCO heritage city. Stand at the edge of Pacaya, Central America's most active volcano.
HONDURAS
Copán: explore mighty Mayan ruins by day and rest your weary bones in warm thermal pools in the evening, before you set out to dance the night away in a hilltop disco.
Útila: Central America's diving paradise is an island built solely around exploring the underwater world and is an ideal place to do your PADI dive training. You'll also go on a day trip to a perfect deserted island, finishing the day with a barbecue on the beach.
NICARAGUA
León: the echoes of revolution still hang in the air of this exciting city, where you can stroll cobblestone streets amidst murals depicting the heroes of the revolution. To learn more you can visit fascinating museums and art galleries with works found nowhere else on Earth. You can also go volcano-boarding, which is an adrenaline-pumping rollercoaster-ride down soft ash.
Granada: a magnificent colonial town, where tree-lined streets host musicians and entertainers of all sorts is the perfect jump-off point for your visit to the volcanic islands of Ometepe, situated in the middle of the luscious Lake Nicaragua.
Santa Elena: soar through the jungle canopy on a zip-line tour and canopy walk, the perfect way to get up close and personal with the exotic creatures of the rainforest. You'll uncover the hidden mysteries of the rainforest with the help of friendly local people.
COSTA RICA
Costa Rica Forest Project: in-season, join our fight to save critically-endangered sea turtles, or trek up remote volcanoes in search of spider monkeys and macaques. You'll spend a month with other eco-warriors on our conservation camp, helping to change the world under the guidance of field experts.
Montezuma: there's no end to the adventure as you horseback trek and cycle your way around this tropical beach wonderland. At the end of your day you'll be treated to an awesome beach party.
Cahuita: spot jaguars, monkeys, and other fascinating creatures on a jungle and coastal trek and enjoy a picnic on a deserted beach.
San José: do some last minute shopping and eat your last gallo pinto before you fly home, alive with memories and friendships that will last a lifetime!*
*This is intended as a sample itinerary only and is subject to change.
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