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From Discovery and CruisingTo Advanced Mountaineering Expedition
Koh Tao is a major tourist destination, and the small island has around 500,000 visitors annually. If not managed properly, this high volume of tourists can have a detrimental impact on the local ecosystems. However, with innovative policies and a more participatory approach from visiting tourists, it is possible to have a healthy balance of economic growth while limiting its damage to the environment. Through working with local organizations, students will learn about regional and global environmental issues, marine conservation, coral reef ecosystems and local marine life. Students will contribute to local efforts by participating in multiple beach clean ups while constructing an artificial reef. The artificial reef is a project that can be added to on an annual basis. This can be a ‘Your School Name’ reef, built exclusively by your students and grown on an annual basis. There is an element of creative design in which the students can direct and add their own ideas as well as ways to improve/grow the reef! Also the growth and progress can be tracked by the students! We combine this with cultural explorations and an activity-based visit to Ang Thong National Park where we explore hike and kayak.
Countries:
Start and Finishing Point:
Koh Samui
Activities:
Grading:Introductory
Addressing:
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Day 1
Arrival into Koh Samui, Trip and Safety Briefing
The flight arrives in sunny Koh Samui where your team is waiting to greet you and welcome you to the island! It's a quick drive to our hotel where we check in, have an in-country orientation and safety briefing and to discuss the plans for the coming week. After that, we head to our welcome dinner where delicious Thai food awaits and we get an opportunity to discuss more about the project and plans for the week, as we dig into dinner. Once our meal is finished, it’s off to the local night markets for a quick shopping session before heading back to our hotel for an early night sleep.
Meals: D
Day 2
Ferry to Koh Tao, Introduction to Marine Conservation
After breakfast, it’s off to the pier where we board a ferry and make our way to Koh Tao. We soak in the warm sun and enjoy the ocean breeze as we take in the stunning views. Once we arrive at Koh Tao, we get checked into our new hotel and enjoy a nice lunch complete with ocean views. After lunch, we meet our community partner for an afternoon session about marine conservation. We learn the basics about what is marine conservation, as well as local & global issues, efforts, and projects in place to help make an impact. The day concludes with a well deserved dinner before heading back to our hotel to rest up for another big day tomorrow!
Meals: B,L,D
Day 3-4
Construct Artificial Reefs, Beach Clean Up and Micro Plastic Survey
These days we work on constructing the artificial reef. This structure will be placed into the ocean and serve as a reef where ecosystems and marine life can build and thrive. We work together as a team to not only build, but also design the reef. The construction is guided by our local community partner as the reef starts to take shape. In the afternoons we head out to the beach for beach clean ups and micro-plastic surveys. We collect data that will be put into global databases that tracks the type and quantities of waste that is found around the island. The day ends with a delicious local Thai dinner to celebrate all our hard work. After dinner, we check out the local night markets for shopping and souvenirs before heading back to our hotel.
Day 5
Coral watch, Coral Bleaching Program. Build Coral Nursery, BBQ Beach Dinner
Today we jump into the ocean to focus on the coral around the island and the affects of coral bleaching. We observe the changes in the coral with Coral Watch, a global database that is monitoring the health of reefs across the world. In the afternoon we will be building coral nursery's and bottle nurseries that will also be submerged in the ocean. Broken or dying coral can be transplanted to these nursery to be cared for and help give it a new place to regrow and flourish in the ocean. We celebrate with an amazing beach BBQ dinner right on the water.
Day 6
Snorkelling with Marine Specialists, Koh Nang Yuan
Today is an all day snorkeling tour. Joining us for this trip is our local community partner team of marine conservationists. Throughout the day, we get to see first hand the damage being done to the reef, in addition to examples of solutions that are working to restore it back to its natural beauty. It will be a fantastic day of enjoying the crystal blue waters and marine life, as well as gain a deeper understanding of our surroundings. The snorkelling trip takes us to various parts of the island including the infamous Koh Nang Yuan, a small island just off Koh Tao. In the afternoon, we hike up to a beautiful viewpoint to enjoy the amazing sunsets that Koh Tao is infamous for. We see beautiful views of the islands and the many surrounding boats and it is a great end to our time in Koh Tao! We head back down for dinner and return to our hotel.
Day 7
Ferry to Koh Samui, Culture and Community. Thai Cooking Class, Night Markets.
We say our goodbyes to our community partner as we take the ferry back to Koh Samui. Once at Koh Samui, we check into our hotel. After lunch, we visit the cultural and iconic highlights around Koh Samui taking in the major sites and better kept secrets on the island. Our expert guides explain more in depth about Southern Thai culture, local Buddhist traditions and more about the livelihoods of the communities on the island. After that we head to a Thai cooking class where we learn how to make several Thai dishes including some of our favorite local dishes. As we chop, stir and dice our way through the afternoon our hard work pays off as we enjoy the spoils of our labor sampling the freshly cooked dishes we created for our dinner. In the evening we head back to the bustling night markets to test our bargaining skills as we search for the best deals. Once our shopping is complete it's back to our hotel for the evening.
Day 8
Ang Thong Protected National Park, Hike and Sea Kayaking
Today is the last full day on Koh Samui and we make the most of it by visiting Ang Thong National Park. This protected area of 42 small islands is paradise, located just a short ferry ride from Koh Samui. We have the day to enjoy all it has to offer! We hike up to the viewpoint to take in Koh Samui and all the surrounding islands, and snorkel, swim and go sea kayaking. It is a great last day as we enjoy all the natural beauty together. After returning to Koh Samui, we enjoy a farewell dinner and can look back on all the adventures and what we have learned throughout the week. We return back to our hotel to pack and get ready for the flight tomorrow.
Day 9
Transfer to Koh Samui Airport for your Outbound Flight
Departure day. We pack up and get ready to head home today. After breakfast, transportation will be waiting and ready to bring us to the airport. We say our last goodbyes and make sure to capture one last group photo before checking in for our departing flight. Make sure to take one last look at the beauty of the islands as the plane takes off back home!
Meals: B
Responsible Production and Consumption: Responsible Production and Consumption
Sustainable Cities And Communities: There needs to be a future in which cities provide opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more.
Climate Action: Climate change is a global challenge that affects everyone, everywhere.
Life Below Water: Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future.
World Expeditions Schools journeys are designed to encourage positive personal development and the learning of life skills, while leaving the communities and environments we travel to, in a better condition than when we arrived.The programs are designed to:• Build strong friendships and bonds with their peers, their teachers, and the local people they meet. • Increase the confidence to engage with new people, and collaboratively make informed decisions.• Discover the benefits of working cooperatively together as a cohesive team, to achieve a common objective.• Increase the ability to face, and cope with, mental and physical challenges and therefore increase resilience.• Give students a chance to appreciate and care for the natural world. The environments we travel through are beautiful and often pristine, invariably the students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding about how their individual actions impact on the environment.• Learn personal skills i.e., time management, personal hygiene, responsibility for personal gear, patience, tolerance, and public speaking.We help encourage students to learn what it means to be a true global citizen.
What's included
What's not included
To get the most out of your adventure, you will need a good level of fitness and must be in good health. Be prepared for potential variable weather conditions.
Per Person, Twin Share
We can fully customise a School Travel Program to suit your students' learning objectives and budget. Whether you require a Service Learning program, physical challenge, cultural immersion or certain curriculum targets - talk to one of our educational travel experts about the elements you need in your itinerary. We pride ourselves on developing unique itineraries to meet the learning requirements for schools.
World Expeditions Schools is a division of one of the world's leading adventure travel companies, World Expeditions. We can develop itineraries in any destination that is offered by World Expeditions, which is to every continent on earth.
Use our simple Expedition Design Form to contact us with your requirements and an educational travel expert will be in touch to assist.
Since the 1980's, we have helped students from around the globe to experience the world's most exciting destinations, allowing them to travel, give, grow.
Together with students, we have completed over 400 Service Learning programs in developing countries. We will always continue to support causes including social justice, animal welfare, the environment and more.
Want to include service learning, your school curriculum and a physical challenge, or any of the above? Contact us and we can design a program fully catered for your students and budget.
Every school receives a detailed risk management plan that is guided by government advisories and the local partners we work with. We never compromise on the safety of your students to reduce the price of the program.
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Our educational travel experts are ready to help you tailor an itinerary or service learning project to suit your school’s needs and budget. Contact us today to receive a free consultation.