WHAT WILL I BE DOING?
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 and meet the rest of the group. Groups range in size from 2- 12 participants.
Day 2-4: 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 5-8: 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 9-11: Chiang Mai
Visit this beautiful city in northern Thailand for the opportunity to do an overnight trek to remote hill villages.
Day 12-14: Pai
Visit Pai in northern Thailand where the pace of life slows to a crawl and accommodation is strung out along wooded hillsides.
Day 15: 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 16: Travel to Cambodia
Day 17-20: Phnom Penh
This province is a wonderful introduction to Cambodia and you will 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.
Day 21: Travel by bus to Siem Reap
Day 22-28: 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! Following this, you will receive your field briefings and safety tests before travelling to your project site.
Day 29-54: 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 55: Phnom Penh
Return to the city to relax and prepare for the journey to Vietnam.
Vietnam
Day 56-58: 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 59-61
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 62: 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 63-64: Sapa
Travel by night train and then by bus along the winding road into the clouds to reach the highland resort of Sapa.
Day 65: Travel back to Hanoi by train and bus
Day 66-68: 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.**
What Next? Apply Now!
