2023 NWC Thailand Conservation Expedition
| Travel Dates: | June 10, 2023 - June 22, 2023 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,990 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Confirmed Airfare: | $1,897 |
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: $2,990
Pay in Full
$2,990.00
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:
$830.00
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Thailand Conservation Expedition
There is a reason that Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. It’s impressive geography ranges from forested mountains and thick jungles, to white sand beaches with towering limestone cliffs, to lush green rice paddies that extend to the horizon. With amazing food to friendly people, Thailand has become increasingly modern, yet many Thais also pride themselves on maintaining their traditional culture, values, and lifestyle. Discover for yourself what makes Thailand so unique and experience first-hand what this enchanting destination has to offer!
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
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, but given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but if inclement weather pushes us off course or an unexpected opportunity arises which travelers are excited about, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 10 | USA - Thailand | Fly from USA to Bangkok, Thailand | Airplane |
| June 11 | Bangkok | Sawatdee ka! Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand! We will hold an orientation meeting and cultural introduction, and then rest after our long day of travel. We'll have some free time in the evening to explore the neighborhood around our guesthouse, soaking up the new sights, smells, and sounds! | The Bangkok Christian Guesthouse |
| June 12 | 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. | The Bangkok Christian Guesthouse |
| June 13 | Bangkok - Salakpra, Kanchanaburi | Today we will head to Kanchanaburi Province to settle in the Chongsadao community. Here, 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 such as helping village leaders and local community build a check dam in the wildlife sanctuary. | OWL HOUSE Community Cabins |
| June 14 | Salakpra, Kanchanaburi | After having a traditional Thai breakfast in our homestay community, we will have a busy day working in the tree nursery and visiting a local school. | OWL HOUSE Community Cabins |
| June 15 | Salakpra, Kanchanaburi - Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi | Today we will team up with local community members and students in a tree planting activity aimed to help sustain both local farmers as well as provide a larger habitat for the wild elephants. After checking in at our hotel for tonight, we will learn about Our Land’s snake rescue and rehabilitation program. | Pavillion Rim Kwai Resort |
| June 16 | Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi | Today we will continue learning about conservation efforts with Our Land sustainable agricultural program to help better ecosystems for local commutes and elephants in the area. In the late afternoon, we will pack a day pack and 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. | Sai Yok House Boat |
| June 17 | Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi | After an early morning boat ride, we will make our way to Elephant Haven, elephant sanctuary, close by. Meet the elephant herd, feed them delicious treats, and observe their behaviors while they bathe in the river. After checking in the hotel, we will head to downtown Kanchanaburi to visit River Kwai Bridge. Then, we will enjoy vegan food dinner at a local restaurant with vegan cooking class. After dinner, we will visit night market for shopping. | Pavillion Rim Kwai Resort |
| June 18 | Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi | On our last day in the Western region of Thailand, we will visit Somboon Legacy, hand-off elephant sanctuary. Prepare elephant fruit salad, plant some trees for elephants, visit an interactive elephant museum, and observe elephant bathing with their mahouts in the river. Today we will have discussion and dinner at Ourland, bid farewell to Ourland staff. | Pavillion Rim Kwai Resort |
| June 19 | Kanchanaburi - Bangkok - Phuket | Today the group will depart from the western part of the country and head back to Bangkok to catch a domestic flight to the southern region of Thailand. We will travel from Kanchanaburi back to Bangkok by van and then we will fly from Bangkok to Phuket. Upon arrival to Phuket, we will settle in our hotel. If time allows, we will do some sightseeing of Phuket in the late afternoon/evening before heading for dinner. | Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong |
| June 20 | Phuket - Phang Nga | After a long week of conservation work, we will spend our day exploring the blue waters and characteristic limestone rock formations of the famous Phang Nga Bay by boat. Our boat tour will take us to several islands in this bay and have some relaxing beach time. Along the way, we will get to do some kayaking to explore one of these beautiful islands. | Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong |
| June 21 | Phuket | We will have a relaxing morning at the hotel in Phuket. After checking out, we will make a stop at the local souvenir shop, and take a flight back to Bangkok in the afternoon. We will visit Asiatique Riverfront for our final dinner and last minute shopping before we head back to our hotel to prepare for our international departure tomorrow. | The Bangkok Christian Guesthouse |
| June 22 | Phuket - Bangkok - USA | Today we say goodbye to Thailand. We will start out day early to catch our domestic flight back to Bangkok airport where we will wait for out international flight to the US. | Airplane |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with locally-operated, three-star equivalent hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe.
The Bangkok Christian Guesthouse
Bangkok Guesthouse is centrally located as it’s walking distance from Bangkok’s Skytrain, market places, restaurants and other street food vendors. Bangkok Guesthouse can accommodate 2-3 students per room. Some of the amenities include private bathrooms, air conditioning and hot water. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the building keeps everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
OWL HOUSE Community Cabins
This community lodge is owned by Mrs. La-or, community leader of the Chongsadao, one of the host communities in the Kanchanaburi Province in Western Thailand. It’s simple and colorful cabins can fit 3 or 4 people each and are surrounded by nature and are only a short walk from a river where the group can freshen up after the service activities. Students will be able to engage with the host family that runs this community lodge. Students will be divided by gender.
Pavillion River Kwai Resort
Pavillion River Kwai Resort is located in Kanchanaburi, a 10-minute drive from the famous River Kwai Bridge. Its air conditioned rooms have private bathrooms with hot showers and cable TV. The hotel offers an outdoor pool with hot tub, free Wi-Fi throughout the property and free parking on site. Students will be distributed according to gender.
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
This was our daughter’s 2nd trip with Walking Tree. In 2016, she took her school’s first trip with Walking Tree to Ecuador, and absolutely loved it. Once again, the Walking Tree representative was excellent. My daughter said Ben really made the trip, and worked hard to keep the group happy. Other positives: communication before the trip, website outline, daily blogs and trip photos. Very professional organization. We feel very secure sending our student out into the world with Walking Tree.
Andrea
Parent of Olivia, traveler on California Cultural Journey
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.