Charity treks in Thailand
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Central Thailand |
| departures: | 2008: 30 Oct |
| price: | From £295 deposit + £2575 fundraised (55% to charity) (11 days) including UK flights. Self funders pay £295 deposit + £1259 (11 days) including UK flights & £100 donation to chosen charity. This trip can also be booked without flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This expedition takes place in western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province, location of the infamous Death Railway and Bridge over the River Kwai. Kanchanaburi is inhabited by a mixture of Burmese, Karen, Mon and Thai peoples.
The challenge will take you through the rugged jungles in remote parts of the province close to the border with Burma. You will spend six days trekking, rafting, kayaking and riding elephants through the forests and mountains of the Thung Yai Nareusan Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Thung Yai area is home to the Karen people who traditionally live in small villages and forest communities. The hill tribe people know the region better than anybody else and will be your hosts and guides for the challenge. You will stay overnight in a Karen village consisting of bamboo stilt houses and at a campsite on the banks of the river.
Once the challenge is complete, you will return to Bangkok, home to the Royal Palace and Wat Po.
Please note: Some of the dates are exclusive for specific charities, please contact us for details.
The challenge will take you through the rugged jungles in remote parts of the province close to the border with Burma. You will spend six days trekking, rafting, kayaking and riding elephants through the forests and mountains of the Thung Yai Nareusan Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Thung Yai area is home to the Karen people who traditionally live in small villages and forest communities. The hill tribe people know the region better than anybody else and will be your hosts and guides for the challenge. You will stay overnight in a Karen village consisting of bamboo stilt houses and at a campsite on the banks of the river.
Once the challenge is complete, you will return to Bangkok, home to the Royal Palace and Wat Po.
Please note: Some of the dates are exclusive for specific charities, please contact us for details.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | International Departure |
| Day 2: | Bangkok |
| Day 3: | Kanchanaburi province |
| Day 4: | Thung Yai & the Karen People - 10km to 12km trek |
| Day 5: | Sanepong - 10km to 12km |
| Day 6: | Songkaria & the Mon People - 5km to 7km trekking and rafting |
| Day 7: | Sangklaburi & Thong Pa Pum |
| Day 8: | Death Railway and Hellfire Pass - approx 8km |
| Day 9: | River Kwai & Elephant Camp - approx 6 to 7hrs kayaking |
| Day 10: | Bangkok |
| Day 11: | Arrive home |
Highly Commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Our responsible tourism commitment extends to helping the local communities we visit. We employ local guides, porters and other essential support staff, and use locally owned accommodation.
 We donate approximately USD$300 per trek to The Pattaya Orphanage Trust. Over 30 years ago, a baby was left on the doorstep of a catholic priest in Pattaya, Father Ray Brennan, and he took it in.The Pattaya Orphanage, and all the additional projects like The School for Blind Children, grew from this single act. The Orphanage currently loves and cares for 60 babies under the age of one. It is also home to almost 120 other children and young people between the ages of one and twenty plus, who have all come to the orphanage for many different reasons. The aim of the orphanage is to provide a loving family environment for children who have known very little stability and security in their short lives. Everyone who visits the Orphanage comments on the laughter and the warmth they find there. As well as caring for their emotional needs, the orphanage takes care of the practical aspects of their upbringing. All of the children attend school and 18 of the older children are now at university, which is a source of immense pride to all at the orphanage. We have supported the orphanage for many years and have organised visits to the orphanage after the participants have completed the main trekking challenge so that participants can see first hand where their hard earned fundraised money has gone. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |