6-week Gap Year program: Thailand Culture and Service

6-week Gap Year program 2021: Thailand Culture and Service

Why choose this 6-week Gap Year Expedition: Thailand Culture and Service?

• Use these uncertain times to participate in a gap year expedition, giving you time to reflect and focus on what you really want to do next.
• Live a life-changing experience while giving back, doing service-learning in both a community and environmental context.
• Get a true Thai culture experience and return home with your head full of great memories and new friends!

You can also choose to join our regular Thailand volunteer programs for lower-budget options and flexible start times. Check these out!

Travel during COVID times

Given the special global circumstances and to ensure the safety of participants and local community members, this program has been developed with great consideration.
This Gap Year Expedition Thailand Culture and Service program offers a 6-weeks option to travel around Thailand as part of a small group in 2021. In line with the current Thai Government regulations, for the first two weeks, we will be based on the tourist island of Phuket where our group will stay together in a 3-star hotel close to the beach in an area designated for visitors. As well as plenty of time to soak up the sun, we will engage in a host of activities including shopping at local malls and markets, visiting Phuket old town, experiencing famous Thai street foods, and hiking Phuket’s most amazing trails! Our group will take part in a structured daily itinerary to keep you busy and emerge you little by little into Thai culture! We will also offer optional activities for those wanting to learn to surf or kite surf or interested in snorkeling or diving making the best of their time on Phuket Island!

After 2 weeks, we can leave the island and begin our expedition of 4-weeks, allowing you to discover the rest of Thailand, its diverse culture and its people! Note that if the current Thai restrictions were to change with a shorter quarantine, or no quarantine, your schedule below would be modified accordingly, and you will spend more time in the rural village of Maedtaman described below.

Read all about our project reopening response to COVID-19

The Schedule of the Gap Year Expedition: Thailand Culture and Service

Day 1-14: You will start your Thailand Expedition based on the tourist island of Phuket for the first two weeks, where our group will stay together in a 3-star hotel close to the beach in an area designated for visitors. Our group will take part in a structured daily itinerary to keep you busy and emerge you little by little into Thai culture! Plans include:

• Orientation with Kaya Site Director
• Health and Safety Orientation
• Thai cultural workshops
• Shopping trips at local malls and markets
• Visiting Phuket old town
• Experiencing famous Thai street foods
• Hiking Phuket’s most amazing trails
• And of course, some beach time!

After 2 weeks, we can leave the island on a 4-week-long expedition throughout the country, where we have an awesome Thai culture and program waiting for you!

Day 15-19: We will take part in a service project in Kuraburi, Phang Nga area. The area boasts two of the world’s ecosystems – jungle and coral reefs. Our group will play a role in protecting the local ecosystems by participating in environmental conservation and restoration service activities.

Day 20-23: We travel by speedboat to nearby Surin Island – a paradise of white, sandy beaches, thick jungles, crystal-clear waters, and some of Thailand’s best coral reefs. We will visit the original Moken inhabitants of this tropical paradise and take a long-tail boat trip to the Moken village with a local guide. On Surin Island, we will be staying in a tented accommodation at the National Park headquarters (electricity generated from 6 to 10 pm). You will immerse yourself for 2 days in the Moken culture through handicraft workshop, a forest hike, and a snorkeling coral reef exploration.

Day 24: We transfer to Khao Sok National Park and bask in the beauty of a 20 million year old rainforest and immerse in the natural environment while staying overnight in a jungle resort.

Day 25: You will awake to the sounds of nature, have breakfast and then head out for your Jungle Survivor activity. This day course is led by experienced park rangers. As you walk through the jungle, they will point out local resources, flora and fauna and teach you how to make a fire and cook a forest to table meal with rice and curries in bamboo. You will get to enjoy your freshly prepared meal sitting by the river and have time to relax with your group and swim if you wish. In the evening, go on a scheduled Night Safari to explore the jungle at night and learn about the many nocturnal animals and insects that come to life in the dark!

Day 26: After breakfast, you will transfer to Cheow Larn Lake. A guided nature hike will allow you to appreciate the outstanding beauty of this man‐made reservoir with its towering limestone cliffs and jungle‐clad hills. In the afternoon, we will be able to relax, swim from the footsteps of your bungalow or take a kayak out to survey the surrounding jungle and view wildlife.

Day 27: Awake early to catch the best of wildlife viewing in a longtail boat including the hornbills flying in the mist or gibbons playing in the trees. Travelling back across the lake, your boat driver will show you some hidden bays and rock formations that make the lake so special.
Once you arrive back at the Rajaprabha Dam, our group will head to the airport to take an internal flight from Phuket to Chiang Mai. We’ll check into our guest house, and explore the old town of Chiang Mai, before enjoying a celebratory welcome dinner.

Day 28: Today we meet the elephants at the elephant sanctuary, where we will spend the day learning all about these amazing animals.

Day 29: We will participate in an introductory language class, and a cooking class to learn all about Thai vegetables and herbs and then make five Thai dishes of your own!

Day 30: This is a free day to explore Chiang Mai and surrounding areas. Your program coordinator will have plenty of recommendations for the group to go explore on their own.

Day 31: Today we attend a Buddhist meditation retreat. At the temple, we will learn about Buddhism from a monk. You will be able to take a vow of silence and go on the alms round with the monks.

Day 32: Returning from our meditation retreat, we will enjoy the rest of the day, relaxed.

Day 33-41: For our next adventure, we will travel to the rural village of Maedtaman and meet our host families. Kaya has worked with the local community here for more than 10 years, on a development initiative that includes conservation of the local environment, community development and teaching English at the local school.
We will dedicate 7 days to the village working on the service projects, immersing in Thai culture, and exploring the area.

Day 42: Today we leave the village, travel back to Chiang Mai. We will check out of the guesthouse and this will conclude your program, so you will transfer back to Chiang Mai airport to catch your plane back home. And for those who want o stay a little longer, you have the option of extending your stay with another volunteer or internship placement. Check out those options here!

*Note that we will run a Spring group as well and the schedule will change slightly as we will be in Chiang Mai to celebrate the famous Songkran festival marking the start of the Buddhist New Year with a big citywide water fight! Essentially, you will spend a couple more days in and around Chiang Mai for the celebration and will spend less time in the rural village of Maedtaman.

What skills do I need to be a Volunteer on this 6-weeks Gap Year expedition: Thailand Culture and Service?

No specific qualifications are required other than enthusiasm for the experience and a flexible attitude willing to embrace the beauty of a new culture! Also, note that you will need to be COVID-19 vaccinated to undertake this program.

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