THAILAND YOUR PROJECT: ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN KANCHANABURI. Change History

Transcription

1 THAILAND YOUR PROJECT: ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN KANCHANABURI Change History Issue Date of Issue CR/DR No. of Pages Changed and Numbers Pages Reasons for Change Changes throughout, please read entire document Changes to work schedule Changes to airport arrival Changes throughout, please read entire document Changes throughout, please read entire document

2 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 2 of 10 Table of Contents Welcome To Your Travellers Programme!... 2 Brief Summary Of What s Included on Your Project... 2 Travllers Partners in Thailand... 3 On Arrival... 3 Your Project: A Background... 4 Project Staff... 4 Travelling To & From Your Project... 5 Dress Code On Your Project... 5 Your Work... 5 Your Accommodation... 6 Equipment Checklist... 7 Getting The Most Out Of Your Programme... 7 Donations... 7 Programme Requirements... 8 Qualifications... 8 Help & Guidance... 8 General Rules & Regulations... 8 Feedback & Keeping In Touch... 9 Why Your Feedback Is Important To Us Photos & Videos WELCOME TO YOUR TRAVELLERS PROGRAMME! I hope you re looking forward to it you re embarking on a wonderful experience that you ll remember for the rest of your life. Your Travellers In-Country Representative is looking forward to welcoming you and so are the people on your project. We all wish you a comfortable and safe journey. BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT S INCLUDED ON YOUR PROJECT What s Included: Airport Pickup & Transfer Accommodation: Food Project Transportation: Training: Orientation & induction. Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, local in-country team and 24hr emergency support. What's Not Included: Flights Travel Insurance Visas Return transfer from Kanchanaburi bus station back to the airport Weekend activities and transport.

3 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 3 of 10 TRAVLLERS PARTNERS IN THAILAND Travellers Worldwide works together with The Green Lion who run the project and who look after all our volunteers during your placement. ON ARRIVAL On this project, we partner with our affiliate organization, called GREEN LION, who provide and run this project for Travellers. Therefore, when you arrive in Thailand, you will be collected from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport by one of The Green Lion/Travellers English speaking coordinators at the arrivals exit doors. Please look out for the Greenway sign. Arrivals need to be at the weekends; on Saturdays before 4pm and Sunday before midday. You will be taken to Greenway s accommodation in Singburi where you will stay when participating on the cultural course or if you are doing a one week elephant project you will stay here until you depart for the elephant project early on Monday morning. If you arrive after this time on Saturday, you may have to spend a night in Bangkok prior to being transferred to Singburi. Please note that there may be some waiting time at the airport as volunteers are usually transferred in groups to Singburi (this includes participants on other Green Lion programmes in Thailand). A member of Greenway staff will take you by Sky train to Mo Chit bus station and you will be put on the bus to Singburi. On arrival in Singburi, you will be met and transferred to Singburi for the night. The approximate journey time to Singburi is approximately hours. During the first few days of your stay you will be given a general induction, so that you can learn about the local area and useful information such as how to get around etc. You will also receive an induction at your project; this will generally take place within a day or two after your arrival. Your induction will give you a chance to meet the people at the project, familiarise yourself with the journey to-andfrom the project, get a feel for the project and see the type of work you may undertake. Please note that it s not uncommon for the general induction and the project induction to be combined into one and for the two inductions to be given at the same time. If after receiving your induction you are still a little bit unsure about certain aspects of your project, please don t hesitate to ask your Travellers In-Country Representative and/or your Project Supervisor. CULTURAL WEEK If you've booked the project for 2 weeks or longer, you'll start with a Cultural Activities Week and your Elephant Programme will start in Week Two. The amazing Siam Culture week is a great way to meet people and the perfect way to prepare for your volunteering project. Please see below a typical schedule, however, please note that as Thailand is a tropical country with occasional violent storms, heavy rains and floods, the schedule below may be subject to change. Monday: Start your day with a Thai breakfast before a walk around Tha Kham village to get familiarised with your new surroundings. You ll then head into Singburi and have some time to buy any essentials before having lunch at a fishing park restaurant. After lunch you will visit Wat Phikun Thong, a Buddhist temple where you will have a short introduction to Buddhist rituals.

4 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 4 of 10 You ll have a Thai language lesson and learn the do s and don ts in Thailand and after dinner, you will be the special guests of a welcome party with local school children performing a Thai traditional dance for you. Be warned, they will expect you to join in with the dancing! Tuesday: A day in the Historic City of Ayutthaya (Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya), founded in 1350 and contains the ruins of ther former capital of the Kingdom of Siam and is also recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After wandering around the famous ruins, you will have dinner next to one of the many canals of the city. Wednesday: It s a do-it-yourself day! After breakfast, you will visit a handicraft shop where you will create your own bracelet. You will then have a cooking lesson (pay close attention and follow instructions as the result will be your lunch!). In the afternoon, you will have free time in Singburi. Tonight you ll experience a Thai Style BBQ restaurant, a unique experience Thursday: In the morning, you ll visit one of the local schools, where you will meet the children and try your hand at teaching or playing a few games. You ll then journey to some of the beautiful monuments and famous Buddhist temples like Wat Phra Non Jaksi Woravihan (a huge reclining Buddha image) and the Khai Bang Rachan a hero monument. *During school holidays (from mid-march till mid-may and the month of October), when the schools are closed you may visit an English camp or nearby rice fields. Friday: Today is an exciting and action packed day of visiting several sightseeing locations within Ang Thong and Lopburi provinces. After breakfast you ll visit Wat Muang, home to the tallest Buddha statue in Thailand and the 9 th in the world! After lunch you ll visit the famous Phra Narai Ratchaniwet Phra Ram (Monkey temple) where crab-eating macaques love to hang out! Dinner is back at the accommodation. Weekends are always free after the Siam Culture programme to use as a time of relaxation or to expand your sightseeing within the central province or even a trip to Bangkok city. Please note that for visiting temples, schools and sacred sites, you must wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. YOUR PROJECT: A BACKGROUND This project is located in Thailand s Kanchanaburi province, situated 130km east of Bangkok. The town of Kanchanaburi manages to delicately balance the difficult concept of remaining very traditional, whilst accommodating the needs of tourists. Its surrounding limestone hills create an unimaginably beautiful landscape, enhanced by its numerous bamboo-style buildings, its stunning meandering rivers and unique temple caves. Kanchanaburi is truly one of the country s natural gems and the perfect place to indulge in nature and participate in the Elephant project. This elephant sanctuary takes care of rescued and sick elephants. Their main focus is to care for the elephants. You'll be working hands-on with the elephants, whilst also preparing food and making sure the elephants are living in a comfortable environment. Currently there are around 12 elephants at the sanctuary. The focus of the project is re-locating elephants that have been rescued. Many of these elephants were injured, sick or unable to survive in their previous locations; they are taken to the Sanctuary where they are cared for. The Sanctuary tries to replicate the elephants' natural environment as closely as possible to give as much comfort to the elephants as possible. PROJECT STAFF Your key immediate contacts will be your supervisor at the elephant project, who may deal with your specific programme personally. They will have been fully briefed by Green Lion but will want to discuss your programme with you before any final decisions are made. The Programme manager is Phil McGovern who is based in Singburi Thailand. If you are in any way unsure about your duties or project procedures, please speak to the supervisor and/or the staff.

5 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 5 of 10 TRAVELLING TO & FROM YOUR PROJECT You will be met at Bangkok Airport and transferred to Singburi where participants for the one week elephant project will stay until early on Monday morning, and participants in the cultural week will stay until the following Monday when you will depart early morning for Kanchanaburi. The journey time is approximately 3 hours. At the end of the project, you ll depart after breakfast on Saturday and you ll be taken to Kanchanaburi bus station where you will pick up the bus back to Bangkok. You should arrive by 3pm Saturday afternoon back at the bus station but please allow for delays and traffic. DRESS CODE ON YOUR PROJECT Polite dress in Thailand is very different from Western nations and it is quite easy to cause the locals offence. During your stay, please do not wear string tops, short shorts or any other revealing clothing. Shorts are acceptable when swimming but not considered polite in most other circumstances. This is particularly so when visiting village and mahout homes. Rules regarding dress code will be strictly enforced. While visiting the temple and in the presence of monks, it is unacceptable to expose shoulders and thighs. Please be sure to pack trousers (pants) and long-sleeved shirts. Please also make sure you take some old clothes and adequate foot wear with you we would suggest old trainers (sneakers) or closed shoes that you don t mind getting covered in elephant dung. Something old that you don t care about! You can bring wellington boots or hiking boots, but make sure they have non slip grips on the soles as it can be very slippery! You also may get too hot in wellingtons or boots, so trainers are ideal. When in the water with the elephants the project staff may advise you to go in barefoot. If you feel you would not want to do this bring shoes or sandals that will easily slip off. The river bed is muddy and sometimes you need to move quickly away from excitable elephants and shoes can sometimes restrict this movement. YOUR WORK Your role and the types of work/activities you are given may vary and may depend on certain factors such as what s required at the time etc. This project is first and foremost a sanctuary for old, sick, disabled, abused or illegal elephants. As a volunteer here, the concept is very much that you will work for the elephant's wellbeing and not the other way round. The project is located on a beautiful lake and offers the unforgettable experience of being able to spend time and bond with the elephants whilst they re in their natural habitat. You will work hands-on with the elephants, swim with them, muck them out, take mud baths with them and clean them. After an introduction to the sanctuary and a traditional welcome ceremony your work will start and your schedule may look like this: Monday: Travel early morning from Singburi to Kanchanaburi Breakfast and Introduction to the centre Feeding the elephants and observation of elephants in the river After lunch, it s time for their mud bath! There will then be a short film presentation and then you will prepare fruits, you will have a cooking lesson on how to make sticky rice balls. And before dinner, its elephant bathing and feeding time! Tuesday: Before breakfast you will prepare the fruit basket. Afterwards you will walk with the elephants, feed them, bathe them and observe them After lunch you will watch the elephants have their mud bath, feed and walk with them Then a visit and float on the River Kwai! After dinner, you will watch a documentary on Thai elephants. Wednesday: Before breakfast you will prepare the fruit basket and then visit the Erawan National Park and its beautiful waterfall.

6 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 6 of 10 Thursday: You will prepare the fruit basket before breakfast and then clean the fruit shop! After lunch you will clean the elephant feeding area and then go nature trekking with an overnight jungle stay! Friday: After breakfast there will be a course on snakes! You will feed the elephants and then it is bathing time! Before lunch its elephant observation time and then you will clean the elephants sleeping area. In the evening there will be a farewell party and BBQ. Saturday: After breakfast you will depart from the elephant sanctuary and be taken to Kanchanaburi bus station where you will continue on onward travel or make your way back to the airport. YOUR ACCOMMODATION Accommodation during the weekend of your arrival and during the cultural week, is at one of 3 Eco Houses near Singburi. They are all located riverside (River Noi Little River) in the village of Tha Kham and depending on which house you are staying at, is about 8-15km from Singburi. The 3 houses sleep from 30 to 72 people. All rooms in these houses have 2 bunk beds and are shared on a single gender and maximum of 4 people per room. All rooms have a private western style toilet and cold showers (refreshing in the heat of Singburi). All doors and windows are fitted with mosquito screens and there are 2 fans in every room. Although not directly on site, there are laundry facilities offered by locals, which many of our participants take advantage of, otherwise you can easily wash your clothes by hand. All houses have a communal area where you can eat, relax, meet fellow participants or use the free Wi-Fi. Please note: A security cash deposit of 500TBH is required for the key to your room. It is payable upon arrival in cash and will be returned when the key is given back at the end your stay. No alcohol is permitted in the accommodation. Accommodation at the elephant sanctuary is provided in a spacious wooden house with the sanctuary grounds. The rooms are simple yet comfortable; the rooms are doubles and usually shared with volunteers of the same sex. Showers (hot), bathroom, mosquito nets, fan and a comfortable decking are all provided. The centre is situated 32 kilometres north of the city of Kanchanaburi. The nearest town is Lad-Ya, which is approximately 15 kilometres from the centre and here you can find internet, ATMs, a post office, supermarkets, local markets and a hospital. Close to your accommodation there are a couple of small shops where you can buy some food and drinks and also credit for your mobile phone. At both sets of accommodation bed linen is provided but you will need to bring towels. Clothes will need to be washed by hand. YOUR FOOD Three healthy and delicious meals will be provided Mondays-Fridays, carefully balancing Thai food for the Western tongue with plenty of rice dishes and fruits. Vegetarians can be catered for and water, coffee and tea are available all day.

7 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 7 of 10 At the weekends you will have brunch (instead of breakfast and lunch) and dinner. EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST The list of items given below is a general list of items and is provided as a guide only. If you are in anyway unsure what you should or shouldn t be taking with you please speak to your Project Coordinator. Remember - be sure to speak to them before going off and spending lots of money on potentially needless equipment. Please remember to also read the Packing List as detailed within your Travellers Country Fact File. Required / Highly Recommended Mobile / Cell Phone (this is a requirement) Clothing & Footwear - Suitable for your programme good walking shoes and clothes you don t mind getting dirty (at the elephant project). Clothing & Footwear - For the evening Jacket / Raincoat Daypack (Small Rucksack). Sun Hat Sun Cream (at least factor 30+) Powerful Torch Camera, Binoculars (optional) Alarm Clock Adapter Plugs Ear plugs Batteries Toiletries Towels (bath/beach/hand) Optional Ipod / MP3 player Games, books, a pack of cards etc. Items Better Left At Home Any unnecessary high value items such as expensive Jewellery & watches. If you have a new & expensive smart phone then you should consider taking an older phone out with you instead. Remember to check that it works before you set off! GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PROGRAMME The way of life is very different to that of the UK. It is important to be patient whilst on your programme. Having a positive can do attitude will go a long way. Positivity, perseverance and being pro-active are also key if you want your programme to be a success. Don t be afraid to ask if there is something specific that you d like to get involved in. If you have any doubts at all, please speak to your Project Coordinator, they will be more than happy to assist you in making sure that your project is right for you and that its one that you ll get the most out of! DONATIONS Where possible please avoid giving donations direct to individuals. This might seem a strange thing for us to say that but we have found that giving donations can sometimes have unintended consequences, such as creating dependency and/or even causing frictions and disputes etc. If you would like to give a donation it is generally better to give the donation to the project, a group or organisation, the community etc rather than direct to an individual. This will will also help to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from your gift. Please speak to your Project Coordinator for more information. Items that would be very much appreciated include: Old laptops, cameras, mobile phones, printers, scanners etc. Quite simply, if you have room left in your luggage fill it up with anything that might be useful. Some volunteers have contacted their airline, and after explaining the purpose of their trip, they ve been given additional baggage allowance by the airline to allow them to take over equipment. If you are thinking of taking over some items with you why not give your airline a call and see what they can do for you. Please don t give cash donations where ever possible. If you would like to give a donation to a good cause then it is much better if you can purchase something that they will find useful. If you are considering giving money to a good cause please speak to us first, and if you would like us to, we will be happy to oversee the donation for you to ensure that the money is used as it was intended. Please speak to your Project Coordinator for more information.

8 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 8 of 10 PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS On application for this programme we will ask you to provide us with a copy of your CV/Resume. Within your CV/Resume you should list and give details of any qualifications and/or experience relevant to your programme. In addition to your CV/Resume, we may also ask you to provide a Letter of Motivation giving explanation as to your reasons for wanting to take part in the programme and what you hope to get out of the experience. The information you will provide to us will go to form the basis on which the project will make their decision as whether or not to accept you. You will therefore need to provide these items to us in good time. You will only receive confirmation of being accepted on to your programme once we have received confirmation from the project that they are willing to take you. QUALIFICATIONS If you are one of the lucky ones and you already have a qualification, or if you have some prior experience, then it will help and you will certainly be able to put it to good use on your placement. If you have a qualification relevant to your programme please take a copy of your certification with you as proof. If you don t have any qualifications or previous experience then don t worry! If you don t have any qualifications or previous experience then don t worry! The whole idea of Travellers is to provide help and assistance wherever possible. HELP & GUIDANCE If you have any problems or, if you need any help or guidance, please don t hesitate to speak to your Supervisor and/or a member of staff at your project. We have had many volunteers over the years and the vast majority have a wonderful experience on their programme we have no doubt that you will also thoroughly enjoy your time on your project and in the country. You can also contact your Travellers In-Country Representative. Contact details are provided in your Country Fact File. Emergency contact details are also provided on the back of your Volunteer ID card. Alternatively please don t hesitate to contact your Project Coordinator in the UK. GENERAL RULES & REGULATIONS The following rules and regulations should be read in conjunction with the terms and conditions of your programme. Code of Conduct It is very important that your behaviour and conduct is in keeping with that which is considered to be acceptable. The following list is not exhaustive but is given as a guideline to how you are expected to behave and conduct yourself whilst on your programme. You Should: Behave appropriately, with co-operation and with consideration for one another. Treat everyone equally and with respect regardless of differing culture, ability, race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability or social class. Remain mindful of cultural differences. Act in a manner which does not bring the project and / or Travellers into disrepute. Abide by the rules and regulations of the project. Take responsibility for your own safety and to look after yourself and your belongings, and to never put yourself at risk. Act in accordance with the law of the land. You Must Not: Damage or deliberately misuse any equipment / resources provided to you. This includes using equipment / resources responsibly i.e. avoiding wastage (e.g. turning off lights and water).

9 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 9 of 10 Be under the influence of drugs or banned substances whilst on your programme. You must not be under the influence of alcohol whilst participating at your project this includes being hung-over from the night before! Attendance & Punctuality These are serious programmes, it takes a lot of different people giving their time and energy to arrange each programme, so please don t think that you can treat them casually You will be expected to stick to the schedule that s been arranged for you. You should make every effort to turn up in good time and to attend as scheduled. Naturally this does not apply if you re ill. See the section below on Sickness for more details. Taking Time Off If you would like to take a day off from your project You must first speak to your project and make a request for time off. When requesting time off make your request as early as possible, giving the project plenty of advance notice. This is very important as the project will need to time to reorganize the work, rearrange your schedule, and they may also need to arrange for someone to stand in for you whilst you are off. If your request is turned down you should accept the decision gracefully. The project won t turn down your request without good reason. If your request is turned down you should not continue to pursue the matter. If your request for leave is accepted you should inform your Travellers In-Country Representative. Please Note: You can only take time off from your project when you have received confirmation that your request has been accepted. Taking unauthorized time off and / or failing to turn up when scheduled, may lead to your programme being terminated without appeal and without recompense. Sickness If you are sick and unable to attend your programme Please inform your project as soon as possible. This is very important as the project will need to time to reorganize the work / activity, and they may also need to arrange for someone to stand in for you whilst you are off. And if they can t make alternative arrangements they may be forced to cancel the work / activity in which case they may need to let people know in advance. Please also inform your Travellers In-Country Representative as soon as possible. This is important as they may need to liaise with your project. And of course, they will unable to help in anyway if they don t know that you are ill. As soon as you can, let your project know when you think you will be well-enough to come back this is important as it may take some time for all the necessary arrangements to be made ready for you to return to your project. Please note that if you persistently don t turn up due to illness, you may be asked to see and doctor and / or be required to produce a doctor s certificate confirming. FEEDBACK & KEEPING IN TOUCH Please remember to keep in touch throughout your programme to let us know how you re getting on. Where we ve asked you for your feedback, please do take some time out to let us know your thoughts whether it s simply an asking how you are getting on or if it involves filling out one of our feedback forms. When providing your feedback please your feedback to your Project Coordinator. You can also your feedback to us at: info@travellersworldwide.com When you ve been on your programme for a few days, we would really like to hear from you describing for us what a typical day in the life is like for you whilst on your programme. These reports are invaluable to us in that they enable us to continually expand and improve our projects, as well as being a source of additional information which can be very helpful to future volunteers.

10 Thailand Project Description: The Elephant Sanctuary at Kanchanaburi Page 10 of 10 WHY YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT TO US Feedback is extremely important to us as it is fundamental in helping us to develop our projects for both the short-term and long-term. Whether you have just arrived at your placement or are on your way to the airport to catch your flight home, if you have any piece of information no matter how small and insignificant it is please get in contact with us whether it s by phone, or post. It really does help! We really do appreciate hearing from you so thank you very much! PHOTOS & VIDEOS If you take any photos and/or videos, and if you are able to them to us, we d love to see them. We d also be delighted to enter one or two into one of our competitions. The competitions are run throughout the year with regular draws taking place so there s a good chance of winning! ENJOY YOUR TRIP! Copyright TRAVELQUEST LIMITED. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be used, translated into another language, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of TRAVELQUEST LIMITED. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this document, TRAVELQUEST LIMITED assumes no responsibility for omissions and errors. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. TRAVELQUEST LIMITED reserves the right to revise any information contained in this document without prior notice. Questions or comment regarding this document or the project to which it relates should be directed to: Travellers Worldwide 2A Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4AP, England Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) info@travellersworldwide.com Web: