2024 Key School Thailand Conservation Expedition
| Travel Dates: |
March 27, 2024 -
April 6, 2024
Dates are tentative until flights are secured
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| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,590 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Estimated Airfare: | $1,500 |
This program is currently at full capacity.
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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 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
Contribute to sustainability efforts on a conservation project
Volunteer at an elephant sanctuary
Stay on a houseboat in Sai Yok National Park
Stroll through a Bangkok flower market
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 27 | USA - Thailand | Fly from USA to Bangkok, Thailand | Airplane |
| March 28 | 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! | 56 Surawong Hotel |
| March 29 | Bangkok | Spend the day exploring the busy and bustling capital city with a longtail boat ride through the small canals of Chao Phraya River. We'll also visit the famous religious temples Wat Pho and Wat Arun, and spend some time wandering through a market or two. And the food will be fantastic! | 56 Surawong Hotel |
| March 30 | 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 |
| March 31 | Salakpra, Kanchanaburi | After having a traditional Thai breakfast in our homestay community, we will have a busy day working on the check dams and visiting a local school. | OWL HOUSE Community Cabins |
| April 1 | 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. | Aek Pailin River Kwai Hotel |
| April 2 | 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 |
| April 3 | 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 sit for dinner at a local restaurant that includes a cooking class! After dinner, we will visit night market for some shopping. | Aek Pailin River Kwai Hotel |
| April 4 | Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi - Bangkok | On our last day full day in country, we will visit Somboon Legacy Foundation, a hand-off elephant sanctuary where animals are being "re-wilded." Help prepare an elephant-sized fruit salad, visit an interactive conservation museum, and observe elephant bathing with their mahouts in the river. | Aek Pailin River Kwai Hotel |
| April 5 | Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi - Bangkok | After breakfast we will travel back to Bangkok. We’ll have time in the afternoon to visit a few markets for last minute shopping, and then enjoy a delicious celebratory final dinner! | 56 Surawong Hotel |
| April 6 | Bangkok - USA | Fly 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 and everyone will have their own bed. Some of the amenities include private bathrooms, air conditioning and hot water.
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.
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.
Aek Pailin River Kwai Hotel
Located in Wang Dong, Kanchanaburi, Aek Pailin River Hotel is a very comfortable three star hotel. The hotel is located along a very scenic river and feels like you are right in the jungle! Students will be split by gender in double, triple or quadruple rooms depending on availability. The hotel comes equipped with Wifi, air conditioning and breakfast is included.
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
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.