2023 Colorado Springs Thailand Elephant Expedition
| Travel Dates: | May 31, 2023 - June 12, 2023 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: | $2,790 USD |
| Deadline(s): | As of 4/10, new enrollments will pay live cost of airfare. All group seats at $1779 are accounted for. |
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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 bright green rice paddies that extend for miles. Thailand has become increasingly more modern, as you’ll see during your visits in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, yet the Thais also pride themselves on maintaining their traditional culture, values, and lifestyle. Come discover for yourself what makes Thailand so unique and experience first-hand what this enchanting country is all about.
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
Stroll through a Bangkok flower market
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 31 | USA - Bangkok, Thailand | Fly from USA to Bangkok, Thailand | Airplane |
| June 1 | USA - Bangkok, Thailand | In transit, continue flying to Bangkok, Thailand | Airplane |
| June 2 | Bangkok | Sawatdee! Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand! After our long day of travel, we will check in and rest for a bit at our guesthouse. In the evening, we will have welcome dinner and explore the neighborhood around our guesthouse, soaking up the new sights, smells, and sounds! | 56 Surawong Hotel |
| June 3 | Bangkok | We will have an orientation meeting and brief Thai culture introduction in the morning. In the afternoon, we will explore 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 |
| June 4 | Bangkok - Salakpra | Today we will head to Kanchanaburi Province. We will partner with the local community and the organization 'Our Land' to learn about wild elephant conservation, the farmer/elephant conflict in the area, what action is being done to help, and how we can contribute! Before heading to Our Land's conservation center, we will learn about river and jungle ecology in during our hike of the area. | OWL HOUSE Community Cabins |
| June 5 | Salakpra | After a traditional Thai breakfast prepared by our hosts, we will start our training session on Human Elephant Conflict and begin helping village leaders and local community build a check dam in the wildlife sanctuary that allows water resources to be available for humans and elephants. Later, we will visit a local school before heading back to our lodge. | OWL HOUSE Community Cabins |
| June 6 | Salakpra - Sai Yok | Team up with local community members to work at the tree nursery as part of a project meant to help sustain both local farmers as well as provide a larger habitat for 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. | Sai Yok House Boat |
| June 7 | Sai Yok - Kanchanaburi | After our relaxing breakfast on the river, we will make our way to 'Elephant Heaven', a nearby elephant sanctuary where we'll spend the day learning more about the conservation movement and helping with the daily activities of the sanctuary and interact with elephants. In the afternoon, we will make a visit to the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum to learn about story of the Thailand to Burma Railway built in 1942/43, largely by Prisoners of War of the Imperial Japanese Army. | Pavillion Rim Khwae Resort |
| June 8 | Kanchanaburi - Kui Buri | Today we will participate in BTEH's Coexistence Walk to learn how the local community of farmers coexist with the local population of elephants sharing resources and finding alternative sources of income other than do not depend on crops that the elephants feed from, such as pineapples, mangos and durian. We will finish this walk with a workshop on how to make soap and candles, products that the farmers are encourage to make as part the Tom Yum Project that looks teach farmers to rely on crops that are not affected by the elephants and avoid conflict between theses groups. | Baan Rai Kong Mun |
| June 9 | Kui Buri | After breakfast we will begin our service project. Today we will continue working in BTEH's tree nursery and learn about alternative crops such as lemongrass and chili. After lunch we will learn how the local community makes natural dyes, pineapple leaf paper and beeswax as an alternative to agriculture. We will end the day swimming at the reservoir and a cooking class with our friends from the Tom Yum project where we will prepare our own dinner. | Baan Rai Kong Mun |
| June 10 | Kui Buri - Bangkok | Today we will head back to the city but before we will get the chance to enjoy nature one last time. We will wake up early to catch breakfast at a viewing spot and on the way back we will do some birdwatching. We will then pack out bags and start the drive back to Bangkok in time for a celebratory dinner ahead of our international flight the next day. | 56 Surawong Hotel |
| June 11 | Bangkok - USA | Today we'll spend some time exploring some city markets for last-minute souvenir shopping before heading to the airport for our flight. Say your goodbyes to Thailand, we're off to the U.S! | Airplane |
| June 12 | 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 locally-operated, three-star equivalent hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe.
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. 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 basic, but comfortable. Students will be divided by gender and split between sleeping areas. A sleeping pad, pillow and blankets will be provided for each person. After floating down the river, the boat will dock along shore. Students will sleep in the boat, which is open air and makes for a unique and unforgettable experience! The boat also comes with a private bathroom. Personal flotation devices are also provided for each student.
Baan Rai Kong Mun – Kui Buri
Baan Rai Kong Mun is a comfortable lodge located near Kui Buri National Park surrounded by nature and wildlife. This hotel offers air conditioned rooms with private bathrooms, TV and a mini fridge.
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
I thought all in all it was a great experience and wonderful program!! My daughter speaks about her experience daily. She had a ball!!
April
Parent of Jaylah, traveler on 2017 Program to Costa Rica
Your Adventure Includes
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on the 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.