Tsunami Volunteering - Voluntourism Tour
In October 2006 this trip was nominated by National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of their Top 50 Trips of a Lifetime... Need we say more?
In the aftermath of the tsunami, we were overwhelmed by the generosity but also by the number of people wanting to volunteer in order to assist with the recovery efforts... In the first few months this was not easy to arrange... the kind of locally-focused projects we wanted to support were stretched to breaking point and could hardly cope with the task in hand, let alone cope with short-term volunteers...
Go Differently continued to assist the relief efforts both financially and through practical support, until finally in June 2005, things were sufficiently organised for us to send our first small group of volunteers. Since that time, we have been running regular two week trips which offer a combination of time spent assisting the recovery efforts (although these days it's more likely to be helping to teach English, gardening and/or handicrafts/youth projects than any heavy construction work) together with some time for adventure and relaxation.
By joining us, your assistance will be two-fold – one through your volunteer work and two by bringing much needed business to the area.
And of course, we’re not forgetting that for many people this will be their holiday too… so we’ll do our best to make sure it’s fun as well as offering you a unique opportunity to get more involved with the local people.
Itineraries may vary slightly depending on which month you join us and according to needs at that time.
Highlights
Explore the unforgettable sights of Bangkok
3 days adventure in Khao Sok National Park including elephant trek and lake trip
5 days volunteering with the tsunami relief project including village homestay
3 days chilling out on the beautiful island of Koh Kho Khao
Day 1: Arrival In Bangkok You’ll be given a warm welcome at the airport by our team leader or local guide and transferred to a comfortable and friendly Bangkok guest-house. In the afternoon, the group will meet for a cultural orientation meeting, before enjoying a delicious Welcome Dinner, on the banks of Bangkok’s famous Chao Phraya River.
Day 2: Explore Bangkok Explore the wonders of this most vibrant and ancient city including the magnificent Grand Palace and a boat trip into the backwaters to witness life as it has existed for centuries along and often, on, the river itself.
Day 3: Khao Sok National Park Today we'll catch a short flight to Phuket and then head into the breathtaking scenery of Khao Soke National Park for a jungle adventure.
Day 4: Khao Sok National Park Take an elephant trek to explore further into the jungle before returning for lunch. In the late afternoon, go tubing down the river - an experience not to be missed!
Day 5: Khao Sok National Park Set off on a lake trip adventure. Khao Soke National Park is one of South East Asia’s best-preserved habitats for tropical flora and fauna. The park covers an area of about 645 km, with evergreen virgin jungle, waterfalls, massive limestone cliffs and crystal clear rivers and streams. Many species of protected wildlife live in the park including elephants, gibbons, monkeys, tapir, birds of prey and wild gaur. Strikingly beautiful Chio Larn Lake features spectacular limestone karst rising out of the sparkling waters, it’s a part of the park that you won’t want to miss.
Day 6: Volunteering Leave the jungle and head to the Andaman coast where we will be volunteering our services for the next 5 days. Work may vary depending on the time of year (see below for more details) but we will be staying with the local villagers and whatever else we do, you can be assured of a very warm welcome... delicious food... and lots of fun!
Leaving Khao Soke, you will make your way to Kuraburi in Phang Nga, a region left devastated after the tsunami in 2004. You will head to the North Andaman Tsunami Relief, an organization that has been assisting with grass roots development projects since the tsunami hit. Here you will be welcomed by staff and shown around the Training Resource Education centre which offers free computers, English and vocational training to villagers. The English department will conduct an introductory workshop to communicative and interactive teaching methodology to assist you with your English training in village.
We will then drive to Ban Talae Nok village, where you will be welcomed by the host families at the homestay and taken on a tour of the village, providing plenty of time to get to know your host families and the villagers. The tour is a chance for the villagers to be proud of their village and culture.
The evening will be spent relaxing on the 7-km deserted beach, watching a stunning Andaman sunset against the backdrop of Koh Kwai island. Returning to the homestay, you will enjoy a traditional dinner, while putting into practice your new found English teaching skills.
Day 7: Volunteering
After a hearty breakfast of Muslim pancakes and sweet coffee, you will visit the Tsunami Craft Soap Cooperative and help the tsunami widows make natural handmade soaps, providing vital supplementary income for the ladies of the village.
In the afternoon you will go the local school and play fun and games with the energetic young children. In the evening you will help your host family prepare dinner. If you have any energy left, you can help the villagers shell cashew nuts ready for market, while learning some Thai!
Day 8: Volunteering
You’ll spend the morning at the local school, playing games, teaching English and even singing. After a traditional Thai lunch, you will make your way to the beach, where you will participate in a beach clearance activity, clearing the beach of litter, swept in from the sea, which will then be recycled. After this you will plant seedlings along the beach before heading back to the homestay for a well-deserved rest.
Back at the homestay, you will use specially designed English teaching packs to assist with hospitality training with your host family, who require assistance to improve their English to allow them to interact with guests to their village.
Day 9: Volunteering
Wake to a hearty breakfast of traditional Muslim pancakes and Thai coffee and prepare for a morning at the school playing games and entertaining the children. After a lunch of delicious Southern Thai curries, garden-fresh vegetables and exotic fruit prepare for an afternoon helping local guides practice their guiding skills as you take a gentle walk through the jungle.
Returning to the homestay, you can help your host family to prepare dinner, learning how to create the culinary delights of Southern Thailand.
Day 10: Volunteering
After working hard, it’s time to relax and reward yourself with a snorkeling trip to the idyllic Koh Kwai island. Swaying palm trees, powdery soft sand and crystal-clear waters make this a picture-perfect destination to laze away a couple of hours in the sun. Snorkeling reveals the island’s splendid underwater paradise, teeming with colorful fish and vibrant corals. Sea turtles frequent the coast which is well-known for its amazing bio-diversity. Your trip will provide vital practice for the local guides wanting to communicate with regular tourists.
Upon your return you will bid farewell to your host family and make your way back to Kurabri. Here you’ll feast on a dinner of traditional Muslim rotis and delicious curries.
Day 11: Head to the beach A short drive will take us a little further down the coast where we can enjoy a well-earned rest at a small hotel on a beautiful beach.
Days 12/13: Relax Chilling on the beach!
Day 14: Bangkok We'll head back to our Bangkok hotel where we'll enjoy a farewell dinner with the group.
Day 15: Last Day Free time for last minute shopping before you return to the airport and homewards.
NB. This itinerary is intended as a guide only and may be varied depending on the specific volunteering needs at the time of travel. Whilst Go Differently and their partners will do everything possible to ensure that this itinerary is followed as closely as possible, participants will need to be flexible and accept that the current situation in southern Thailand may mean that we have to make changes, sometimes at short notice.
More about the Tsunami Recovery Project
Sadly, in the early days following the tsunami, whilst well-intentioned, much of the support was lacking in co-ordination and in many cases, only temporary in nature or targeted towards those areas where tourist interests were already well established.
Not so with the project we will be supporting... started from the outset by a handful of willing volunteers, two years on they are an independent, non profit organization that continues to provide assistance to tsunami-impacted coastal communities of the North Andaman. To date, they have implemented over 120 projects in twelve villages, focusing on human needs and services and Go Differently is proud to have played our own small part in that.
All of the projects work towards self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability.
Before the tsunami, most affected communities lived a traditional fishing lifestyle and many young, talented people would leave the region to find work in larger cities. There is very little economic diversity in the area, so tourism as it slowly makes its way north from Khao Lak, presents a real economic opportunity. More than ever, the region is being exposed to the threat of large and exploitative tourist developments. Unless action is taken soon there is a danger of local communities being unprepared, both in terms of job skills and cultural resilience. This could lead to rapid community and natural degradation.
Here you will experience untouched Thailand in traditional fishing and farming villages just off the beaten track in Southern Thailand. Join in traditional activities with locals as they go about their daily life.
Explore diverse, pristine eco-systems: take a traditional long-tail boat through dense mangrove forests; hike through virgin rainforests that hum with the sounds of exotic wildlife; or snorkel in clear, emerald-colored waters teeming with vibrant marine life!
At the end of a busy day, play football with the children on the beach or relax while watching a stunning sunset. The region boasts long stretches of palm-fringed deserted beaches that rival nearby commercial destinations.
Located a stone's throw from the developed beaches of Phuket and Khao Lak, these tsunami-affected villagers invite you into their communities to participate in a voluntourism tour developed in accordance with their traditional lifestyle and natural environment, under the auspices of Community-based Tourism (CBT).
Activities we may well get involved with include -
Teaching English in village schools
Light construction work
Environmental youth projects
Helping tsunami handicraft cooperatives
Mangrove restoration
Designing and making community information boards and maps
Hospitality training with homestay families
Fun and games with rural children
Beach clearance and recycling assistance
Working on community gardens
Guide training with local guides
Piloting tour activities for community-based tourism development
Writing and editing materials for publication or promotion
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