Southeast Asia - Cambodia, Laos & Thailand
It was one of those amazingly fun, unbelievably beautiful, life-changing experiences...the kind that can never be forgotten. I wanted you to know that trip will always be looked upon as one of my favorite experiences.
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The program will spend approximately 12 weeks traveling, studying the local languages, and volunteering with local non-profit organizations (both social and environmental services) throughout Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand.
CAMBODIA
Orientation:
You have 3-4 days of orientation at a backpackers hostel in the capital city of Phnom Penh where we'll focus on group dynamics, the finer details of your program, and of course learning about relevant health and safety issues specific to our program. We'll visit local markets and get a sense of Cambodia's flavor of Buddhism, then, we will see the darker more infamous past of the Khmer Rouge as we learn about the Killing Fields and S-21. We値l also launch you into a series of activities designed to familiarize yourself with the local customs and travel nuances of Southeast Asia.
Social Service:
Spend two weeks based in Battambang, a town about 4 hours outside of Siem Reap living in a community with a focus on integration and self-sustenance for the poorest families in Battambang and trafficked girls. During the days we値l split into two groups and while one group is teaching at the on-site school our other group will be working on a construction project to benefit the community. The living here will be hard as the poverty is quite abundant.Siem Reap:
From Battambang we値l travel on a 6-hour boat ride up river to Siem Reap and the oldest Hindu Temples in Cambodia: Angkor Wat. We値l spend two days taking in Angkor Wat, studying their architecture, history, and generally getting a feel for how Hinduism and Angkor Wat played in the formation of modern Southeast Asian culture.LAOS
Wildlife Conservation:
Spend 7 days volunteering at a local environmental project focusing on working with Elephants. You will be living in dormitory style housing in the evenings while during the day working with wildlife biologists studying these unique and gentle creatures ultimately caretaking those injured or orphaned elephants as well.Trekking:
Spend 5 days trekking from village to village in an incredibly authentic portrait into the lives of the rural Laotian countryside. We'll be camping most nights, but also occasionally sleeping in local village huts, eating traditional Laotian meals.
Gibbons:
For three days we'll take part in a unique and inspiring program working with Gibbons and zip-lining from tree-top to tree-top. This unique project was created to protect the wilderness and provide a small source of income for local villages. We'll be sleeping in treehouses while getting an incredibly rare perspective into this local ecosystem.THAILAND
Language Study:
Spend two weeks studying Thai with a tutor for 4 hours each morning in the city of Chiang Mai
while living with your own homestay family. Afternoons are free to spend with homestay families, learn Thai massage, or to participate in optional cultural activities (traditional cooking, outdoor conservation work, etc.) On the weekends we'll have time to organize and design trips outside of town.
Environmental Conservation & Sustainable Building:
Work for a week with a local Non-Profit (NGO) outside of Chiang Mai learning about sustainable practices and volunteering in their efforts to promote green agricultural practices and peace-working.Introduction to Thai Buddhism:
Outside of Chiang Mai, as we drop from the Northernmost areas of Thailand a bit, we'll also drop into our spiritual selves and learn about Thai Buddhism through an introductory course offered through a local monastery.Free-travel:
Of course this is the week where students direct their own travel. Every Carpe Diem group learns the complexities of developing-country travel by planning, orchestrating, working with a foreign-currency budget, and manifesting their own week according to their own interests. The only stipulation: at least one leader must be with the group at all times.
Volunteering with the Mokken People:
On the coast we'll spend a week volunteering with the Mokken people - sea-gypsies originally from Myanmar. The Mokken people have lived culturally their entire lives by the water and after fleeing from Myanmar's oftentimes-brutal dictatorship have now found themselves citizens of no nation with almost no rights in Thailand.SCUBA:
Taking a train south to the Gulf of Thailand we値l then overnight and take a boat to Koh Tao for a week of rest, recreation, and of course SCUBA. You will live in a hotel on the beach and take a course leading to PADI Basic Open Water SCUBA certification. Higher levels of certification are available for those with previous dive experience. When not diving, you will have time for lazing on the beach and other recreation activities.Program Details
Program Dates:
Fall 2010: September 15 - December 8, 2010Spring 2011: February 9 - May 4, 2011
Group Size:
A maximum of 12 Students & 2 Adult Leaders
Eligibility:
Ages 17 and Up
Academic Credit:
Up to 18 credits available
Language Requirement:
None
Admissions:
No deadline - applications accepted on a rolling basis until start date.
Program Fee:
$8,900 Program fee includes all food, accommodations, and scheduled program activities for the duration of the program. International airfare, health insurance and spending money are extra. International airfare estimated at $1500; internal Thai flight estimated at $180. For information on Financial Aid click here.
Program Policies:
For a detailed description of our Program Expectations and Rules, please click this link. These are the rules that we expect of all of our students for their overall safety and to provide the best possible program.
Online Application
