2022 Westgate Thailand Elephant Conservation Expedition
| Travel Dates: | May 10, 2022 - May 22, 2022 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,690 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Confirmed Airfare: | $1,347 |
Tuition Calculator
There are two options for payment, including an interest-free installment plan. Follow whichever works best for your family. If we are within 90 days of travel, only the pay in full option is possible.
Program Tuition: $2,690
Pay in Full
$2,690.00
due today
Payment Plan
Pay a $500 deposit at the time of enrollment and establish an interest-free monthly payment plan. If you enroll today, your estimated* monthly payments would be:
$104.29
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Thailand Conservation Expedition
With world class rood, stunning natural beauty and friendly people, it’s apparent why Thailand is one of the most renowned destinations in all of Asia. It’s impressive geography ranges from thickly forested mountains to towering limestone pinnacles and from white sand beaches to bountiful rice paddies that extend to the horizon. While Thailand has become increasingly modern, many Thais pride themselves on maintaining their traditional culture, values, and lifestyle. Discover for yourself what makes Thailand so unique and experience first-hand all this enchanting country has to teach you!
Conservation Expeditions
Conservation Expeditions bring travelers to the heart of the modern-day conservation movement. Whether building nurseries for sea turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica, snorkeling alongside sea lions in the Galapagos or teaching local school children in Thailand about the importance of wild elephants to their ecosystem, these trips make the wonders of our world, and our responsibility to protect them, abundantly apparent.
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Eat AMAZING Thai food!!
Have the adventure of a lifetime with your friends
Contribute to sustainability efforts on a conservation project
Volunteer at an elephant sanctuary
Stay on a houseboat in Sai Yok National Park
Explore Bangkok, one of the world's great cities
Explore Wat Pho Temple in Bangkok
Tour the Grand Palace of Bangkok
Visit the Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers and given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 10 | USA - Thailand | Fly from USA to Bangkok, Thailand | Airplane |
| May 11 | Munich, Germany | Wait, I thought we were going to Asia?! You are, but the best flight option included a long layover in this charming European city. Maybe there's enough time to escape the airport and get a Weißwürste for lunch? | In transit |
| May 12 | Bangkok | Sawatdee ka! Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand! We'll check into our hotel for some rest after all that travel. We'll also hold an orientation meeting and enjoy have some free time in the evening to explore the neighborhood around our guesthouse, soaking up the new sights, smells, and sounds! | 56 Surawong Hotel |
| May 13 | Bangkok | Spend the day exploring the busy and bustling capital city with a longtail boat ride through the small canals of Chao Phraya River, visit the famous religious temples Wat Pho and Wat Arun. | 56 Surawong Hotel |
| May 14 | Salakpra | Today we will head to Kanchanaburi Province. We will partner with the organization Our Land, and learn about wild elephant conservation, the farmer/elephant conflict in the area, what action is being done to help, and how we can contribute! | Homestay Cabins |
| May 15 | Salakpra | After having a traditional Thai breakfast in our homestay compound, we will have a busy day working in the tree nursery, helping the park rangers build a check dam in the wildlife sanctuary, and visiting a local school. | Homestay Cabins |
| May 16 | Salakpra - Sai Yok | Team up with local community members and students in a tree planting event, to help sustain both local farmers as well as provide a larger habitat for the wild elephants. In the late afternoon, we will head to Sai Yok National Park, where we will spend the night camped on a houseboat, swimming in the river and sleeping underneath the stars. | Houseboat |
| May 17 | Kanchanaburi | After an early morning boat cruise, we will make our way to an elephant sanctuary close by. Meet the elephant herd, feed them delicious treats, and bathe with them in the river. | Legacy River Kwai Resort |
| May 18 | Kanchanaburi | Today we will make a short trip to visit another organization called Somboon Legacy, a sanctuary where we will learn another approach to elephants conservation that avoids direct physical contact with animals. We will spend time walking in the forest, preparing their food, taking care of them, and helping with an ongoing projects. | Legacy River Kwai Resort |
| May 19 | Kanchanaburi - Kui Buri | We will wake up bright and early and head to Kui Buri National Park. Once we arrive, we will go on a tour of the park and have our first opportunity to see elephants in the wild! | Baan Rai Kong Mun |
| May 20 | Kui Buri | After an early morning safari tour, we will begin our service project, working alongside park rangers to help construct check dams and watering holes. In the late afternoon, we will take a tour of the surrounding farm plantations and relax at our guesthouse. | Baan Rai Kong Mun |
| May 21 | Kui Buri - Bangkok | After a leisurely morning, we will start the drive back to Bangkok. We’ll have time in this afternoon to get our COVID tests done and if time allows, some last minute shopping and a celebratory final dinner before heading to the airport for our flight home. | Airplane |
| May 22 | Bangkok - USA | Arrive home | Your own bed! |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe. We vet and inspect the accommodations to ensure they uphold the ethos of our programs, are great values for our travelers and nice places to rest after enriching days of travel.
56 Surawong Hotel
56 Surawong Hotel is centrally located as it’s walking distance from Bangkok’s Skytrain, market places, restaurants and other street food vendors. 56 Surawong Hotel can accommodate 2-3 students per room and everyone will have their own bed. Some of the amenities include private bathrooms, air conditioning and hot water.
Elephant Haven Thailand
Students will stay in a comfortable, air conditioned hotel that is located right next to the Elephant Sanctuary. Staying at the Elephant Haven offers students a once in a lifetime experience to interact with these magnificent creatures. Each room is equipped with a TV, private bathroom and hot shower. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the common areas keeps everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Sai Yok House Boat
The entire group will spend one night on their own private house boat in the Sai Yok National Park, a truly unique and Thai experience! Accommodations will be rustic and simple, but comfortable and unforgettable! A sleeping pad, pillow and light blankets will be provided. After floating down the river, the boat docks during the night. The boat also comes with a private bathroom. Life jackets are provided.
Safety and Support
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
Walking Tree gave us everything we needed to make our vision of the perfect educational trip to China a reality.
Andy
Repeat Group Organizer on programs to China
Your Adventure Includes
Estimated Airfare
In order to give our travelers the best possible price, we break out airfare from the Program Tuition. We will still handle all booking and ticketing via our flight partner who has access to special fares not available to the general public. Once confirmed, you will be invoiced for the flight roughly 75 days prior to travel.
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on itinerary.
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Resource Center
Why should high school students travel abroad? What happens if a participant gets sick? How quickly do we need to enroll? We’re sure you have plenty of questions and we’ve got you covered! Visit our Resource Center to discover the answers to your most pressing questions and contact us anytime with additional questions.