We make our way further north to the hills of Thailand, where we have some time to explore the sights of Chiang Rai. This city is a lot smaller and less developed than neighboring Chiang Mai, and has the added advantage of featuring the striking all-white Buddhist temple Wat Rong Khun.

From Chiang Rai, we head to the countryside! We will spend a few days in a small hill tribe village to observe their simple way of life. A member of the Lahu community will talk us through the history of the village, their distinct traditional clothing, and the strong commitment to maintaining the Lahu way of life. We will also get hands-on by building a coffee nursery to help the community, head into the jungle, and learn about the irrigation purposes of the local dams. To end this immersive stay, we can join in a dance and cultural exchange during a traditional Lahu dance performance, also called the ‘Ka Kuk We’.

After we have said goodbye to our host families, we make our way to Chiang Mai. Although Chiang Mai is the third largest city in the country, it has the appearance of a large village. We explore the historic center during the day, and spend the evening browsing, shopping and snacking in Chiang Mai’s night markets. We‘ll even visit monks while they are at Buddhist University and chat with them about what a monk’s life is like, Thai culture and Tradition, Buddhism, Meditation, and anything else we are curious about!

Everyone's favorite, we will be staying at an ethical elephant conservation park that aims to solve some of the problems surrounding elephant exploitation in Thailand. Despite a ban on logging, elephant habitat is still being lost and as few as 500 wild elephants are left within Thailand and they are threatened. Over 2,000 domestic elephants, trapped in the traditional elephant tourist industry, have a bleak future. We will be up close and personal with these kind and unforgettable animals for a few days, helping care for them and exploring the complex issue the animal conservation world is currently facing.

By the time we leave the sanctuary, we will have learned an enormous amount about elephant conservation, will be very sad to bid farewell to these gentle giants, and will feel incredibly satisfied at the rewarding work we have done to ensure their protection.

The rest of the week is all about empathy and understanding. We will be based in the forest just outside of Chiang Mai and work to support one of the minority tribes in northern Thailand. We will work alongside a transparent NGO that helps to empower at-risk girls to end trafficking and exploitation within their communities and works to break the cycle of poverty in Thailand.