Koh Samui Building. The All In One Travel Hack. Do You Know What to Pack?

Transcription

1 Koh Samui Building The All In One Travel Hack Do You Know What to Pack?

2 K O H S A M U I B U I L D I N G T H E U L T I M A T E T R A V E L G U I D E hey there! On behalf of everybody at Bamboo, I would like to offer you our sincerest thanks for choosing this incredible experience with us. We guarantee you an amazing time and we re all very much looking forward to having you with us. I imagine that right now you re very excited about your upcoming volunteering experience so this little guide has been put together to explain a little more about your time with us on the Koh Samui Building Experience *Please note this is not a group project, we can not guarantee that other people will be on this project, however, you will have a Bamboo volunteer coordinator alongside you. Peace, Love & Bamboo Mark (& the other pandas, Steve & Colin)

3 Volunteering Highlights BANGKOK A night on the world famous Khaosan Road, in the heart of Bangkok's backpacker hub. SIGHTSEEING Guided experience of some of the most incredible sights of Bangkok. MAKE NEW FRIENDS Get to know the children and the teachers of the schools you'll be supporting on your building projects. GIVING BACK Get your hands dirty improving the schools and local community whilst on the project. EXPLORING THE ISLAND Weekends to explore the Island of Koh Samui, with its white sands, nightlife and seafood restaurants.

4 T H E I N F O R M A T I O N Y O U N E E D T O K N O W B E F O R E W E B E G I N K O H S A M U I B U I L D I N G ABOUT YOUR PROJECT BUILDING As a volunteer in this development project, your time and money will be spent maintaining and sustaining a handful of Koh Samui schools. From fixing desks and building classrooms to repairing windows, constructing playgrounds, and even putting in sinks, our project coordinators will guide you through the process of building a school from the ground up so don t worry about learning the basics of carpentry and rubbing up some calluses before coming. With little income to operate these government-run schools, everything from the curriculum to the classroom needs updating, and, during these weeks, we will undertake reshaping not only a school but also a community. Because this project depends on various community-specific factors, including school requirements, weather, safety, and budget, customers will only partake in developments that the community prioritizes or desperately needs. Often, these changes occur during rainy season (October to January), at which time the island floods.

5 ACTIVITIES Arrival weekend Friday Arrive in Bangkok Founded in the 15th century, Bangkok s sterling skyscrapers may announce a city of glamor, of a burgeoning future, but hidden in the megastructures shadows are alleyways and markets of ancient Asia. We ll launch right into Thai life and leave you to relax, explore, or devour obscene amounts of Pad Thai in this chaotic city for your first night. Saturday Bangkok Today, we ll venture into the sunny streets for a tour of Thailand s City of Angels, with visits to temples Wat Arun and Wat Pho. We ll also dine at a floating market and hop on a boat tour along the city s ledges. Taking in the sprawling cityscape, we ll enjoy the views of a city amid transition. By nightfall, we ll transfer back to Samui for your final day of relaxation before the building begins. Sunday Koh Samui How would you spend a day in paradise? Lounge on the beach? Continue the Pad Thai eating? Hideout and watch Netflix? It s all up to you.

6 What's included KOH SAMUI BUILDING 1. Airport transfer 2. Daily support from our experience team 3. In-depth orientation in Bangkok & Samui 4. Unaccompanied transfers from Bangkok to Koh Samui (Bus/Boat) 5. Return transport from the volunteer house to project each day 6. All accommodation 7. All lunches when at project

7 T H E I N F O R M A T I O N Y O U N E E D T O K N O W B E F O R E W E B E G I N THE NITTY GRITTY ENTRY REQUIREMENTS THAILAND Your passport MUST have at least 6 months validity from the date that you enter the country. Depending on your country of citizenship you may be entitled to a 30-day visa-free entry into the Kingdom of Thailand. This means that you can simply turn up at the airport, present your passport and receive free entry for a maximum of 30 days. These countries include the U.S.A., the U.K., Australia, Canada and most European nations. To check if you re entitled to this, find your country in the following list: Please be aware that you cannot obtain a visa for Thailand from within Thailand. TRAVEL INSURANCE FAST FACTS VISA and passport requirments are YOUR responsibility 30 days free if from US, UK, AUS or CAN (plus most EU countries) It is essential that you arrange travel insurance that provides suitable cover for the duration of your trip before you travel. Bamboo offers a comprehensive policy through our partners, AHI. Please contact us for more information.

8 ACCOMMODATION BANGKOK RAMBUTTRI HOUSE Located in the heart of Bangkok s nightlife, our lovely little guesthouse includes free WiFi and air conditioning in every room. It is also equipped with a private western-style bathroom (no squatting!). Rooms are either twin (2 separate beds) or triple (3 separate beds) share. Double beds are also available on request. Breakfast is available in the restaurant across the road. KOH SAMUI BAMBOO'S VOLUNTEER HOUSE Our volunteer house in Koh Samui will soon become your home from home. Each house has western bathrooms with hot water. Rooms will be shared (4 per room max) There is free WiFi available and local washing facilities a short distance away. Air-conditioning is also available upon request at an additional weekly cost THB per week. In addition, you will be just a 10-minute walk from a beautiful beach. The kitchens are fully fitted with everything you need to live comfortably.

9 MONEY In Thailand you will be issued with the local currency known as Thai'Baht' At the time of writing this document the exchange rate is as shown below: $1 = 35 Baht 1 = 44 Baht It's a very helpful idea to bring some local currency with you if you can get it. If not, there are heaps of ATM's in the airport and on almost every street corner in Bangkok. General day to day living in Thailand can be very cheap with meals costing as little as 50 Baht, a beer for 80 Baht, bottled water for 5 Baht and upwards. Samui is a popular island for tourists therefore making it more expensive than other parts of Thailand, however It's highly likely that you can live on as little as $10-$15 per day unless you like to eat at high end places, shop or party then you need to budget accordingly. FAST FACTS: MONEY Basic costs of things: Water 5-40 Baht Beer Baht Street Meal Baht Restaurant Meal Baht T-shirt Baht Memories - Free of charge Remember to tell your bank that you are leaving the country to avoid your cards being cancelled.

10 CLOTHING Packing for a trip to the unknown is always tricky. It s definitely worth doing a little bit of homework on this one and to consider the local culture when deciding what clothes to bring. For example, Thailand is predominantly a Buddhist countries so dress modestly and respectfully. We live by the rule one in, one out - in other words, you need to have either your shoulders or your knees covered at all times. In addition, in Asia, it s often customary to remove your shoes before entering a building so a pair of flip flops is very much advised. Being such religious countries, temples and Buddhist monasteries are everywhere. During your Bangkok tour you will be visiting different temples where you will need to cover both shoulders and knees. You should also consider the weather. Thailand has two prominent weather seasons: hot and dry and hot and wet. Hot and dry usually runs from November to April, hot and wet from May to October. The daytime temperature is quite consistent throughout the year with highs around degrees. The nighttime does vary with lows ranging from 15 degrees to degrees. We recommend you bring a sweater/jumper for the chilly evenings. Knees and shoulders need to be covered during your volunteer project. Shorts are acceptable if they are to the knee or below NOT above. Keep in mind your clothes will get dirty, sweaty and maybe ripped. FAST FACTS: FAUX PAS Take off your shoes when you step indoors. Whether you re entering a temple or someone s home, always take off your shoes. This also applies to some old-fashioned places of business, but not in most modern shops. Practice the wai. Instead of shaking hands, Thais wai to greet people. The wai is a short bow done with hands held fingertips-together close to your chest or face. A proper wai is not as easy as you d think, so practice a little to get the hang of it.

11 TRAVEL VACCINATIONS For up to date information about the best travel vaccinations to have before arriving in Thailand we urge you to contact your own GP, a travel health clinic or to check the World Health Organisations website. Bamboo are not medical professionals and therefore can t offer you medical advice. FLIGHTS Thanks to the world wide web we all now have access to great flight deals through websites such as Skyscanner, Google Flights and more. If you d rather use the services of a booking agent, the likes of STA Travel, Trailfinders and Flight Centre are all available online. ARRIVAL To be eligible for the airport pick-up, please arrange your flight to arrive into Bangkok s International Airport, also known as Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), on the Friday that your tour starts between 6 am and 8 pm. DEPARTURE Due to the wide of array of destinations accessible from Samui, and that not everybody wants to travel back to Bangkok, it's far easier for our team to just let you choose where you're heading once your placement has ended. Of course our team will help you to organize tickets and a schedule but you will need to pay for your onward travel yourself. IMPORTANT NOTICE Once you have booked and confirmed your flight to Thailand, please make sure that you have shared your flight arrival time and flight number with our team. Without those details, we will be unable to guarantee your collection on arrival. FAST FACTS: TRAVEL Did you know that? Thailand is the world s 20th most populous country, with close to 67 million people. Did you know that? On any given flight the bathroom door isn t really locked when you re inside. Lavatory doors can be locked and unlocked from the outside for a multitude of reason. It allows flight attendants quick access to locked lavatories in case of emergencies. In other instances, it allows the cabin crew to restrict access to bathrooms during takeoff and landing.

12 ARRIVAL INFO PLEASE PRINT Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi Airport - airport code: BKK) is one of the busiest airports in the world and can be a confusing place. To ensure that your arrival runs without a hitch please make sure that you read through and understand the following instructions. If you have any questions about your arrival at Bangkok International Airport please do not hesitate to let our team know. Please be aware that there are two international airports in Bangkok; Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK). We are only able to meet travellers arriving in BKK. If your flight is planned to arrive in DMK then you will need to make your own way to our hotel. The details of that hotel will be sent to you in a separate roughly three weeks before your tour is due to begin. To be eligible for the Bamboo airport pick-up at Bangkok s International Airport, please arrange your flight to arrive on the Monday that your tour starts. If you can manage to arrive between 6 am and 8 pm one of our team will be at the airport to meet you. If your flight arrives after 8 pm, we can arrange a night's accommodation at a hotel close by to the airport. A representative of the hotel will collect you on arrival at the airport. Should you take the airport hotel option then we will have a driver collect you from the hotel the following morning and transfer you to our starting point the following morning. More details about this will be sent to you nearer your tour start date. To locate a member of the Bamboo team, once you have passed through Immigration (Passport Control) you ll need to collect your luggage from one of the carousels. You will then make your way to the main arrivals area, passing through the green Nothing to Declare channel. Once through you will enter the busy main arrivals area. As you enter the arrivals area Directly ahead of you is a large wall of glass windows. At points along this wall, there are numbered Exit doors. These are numbered 1 to 10. You will most likely be looking at doors numbered between 6 and 10. At this point please turn to your right and walk towards Door number 3. As you approach Door 4, directly ahead of you will be a mass of people holding name signs (please ignore the people to your right). As you walk past Door 4, please keep a look out for our team. They should be easily recognizable with their Bamboo t-shirts and be holding a sign showing the Bamboo logo. Once you ve spotted our team, head over and introduce yourself. You ll then receive further instructions. Please bear in mind that we may be waiting for others to arrive, so your transfer to the hotel may be slightly delayed but we will do everything in our power to get you on your way as quickly as possible. In the unlikely event that you can t find our team, don t panic! As long as we have your correct flight details one of the team will be there. Please check again at the area between Door 4 and Door 3. If you still cannot locate one of our team, please call the following number: +66(0) If you have supplied us with a mobile phone number, make sure your phone is turned on as we may be trying to contact you. Once we have everyone we ll transfer you all straight to the starting point for your experience. On arrival, we ll help you to check in and give you more details of what s happening for the remainder of the day and tomorrow morning.

13 GUIDES Any tour is only as good as the guide fact. The input of a tour guide cannot be understated. Their input into your tour, their little insights, the offthe-beaten-track adventures, the knowledge and experiences that they share with you will make or break your time wherever you are in the world. At Bamboo, we take the selection and training of our guides and coordinators very seriously. Each guide undertakes a structured training program of three months and only once we re convinced that they are genuine representatives of Bamboo are they signed up to the family. Each of our tours has English-speaking guides to support you, answer your questions, educate you and to ensure that your time is unforgettable. From time to time we may have new guides-in-training on our tours. If you re lucky to have a trainee on your tour, please be patient. They are undergoing training and therefore their knowledge won t be that of the trained and experienced guide who will be accompanying them. TIPPING Although not in any way expected or encouraged, anybody who goes over and above the call of duty to ensure that you have the very best time, may deserve a special little thank you. Did you have extra special service in a restaurant? Did the bus driver make an additional pit-stop just for you? Did your guide go out of the way so that you could experience something unique? At Bamboo we re firm believers in Karma what goes around most definitely comes around! FAST FACTS: GUIDES Our guides are the face of Bamboo, and they come in all shapes and smiles. We love each and every one of them more than Elephants love bananas. Whilst most of them are elite travel mavericks in their own right, you may come across newbies who are on the path the greatness. If you're lucky enough to meet a fresh-faced newbie, be sure to show them your support and patience, most guides remember their first tours forever, so let's play nice.

14 The 'must brings' HAVE YOU PACKED THE FOLLOWING? 0. An open mind 1. Backpack or suitcase w/wheels 2. Bathroom and Beach Towel 3. Light, loose-fitting clothes 4. Long trousers & t-shirts 5. Flip flops or sandals 6. Trainers or Sneakers 7. Day pack/bag 8. Insect spray 9. Hat & Sunscreen 10. Reusable Water Bottle 11. Multi-use plug adapter 12. Padded gloves

15 The 'can brings' WHILST EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT, WE VE COMPILED A MORE DETAILED LIST FROM FEEDBACK OF SOME OF OUR PAST TRAVELLERS WHICH YOU MAY FIND USEFUL AND ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER BRINGING: 0. Patience 1. Medical Kit 2. Toiletries 3. General - Small umbrella or water jacket - Pillow and blow up mattress (for added comfort) - A Blowup mattress - Earplugs - Bandana - Water shoes Electrolytes / Rehydration Packets Antihistamine cream / tablets Antibiotic cream Imodium Nail brush / Clippers Wet wipes Tissues / Toilet roll Travel hairdryer - Home luxuries (can't live without)

16 TERMS & CONDITIONS Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully as they form the basis of your contract with WeAreBamboo. This agreement is made at the time of booking and becomes legally binding upon payment of your deposit. By booking a program with WeAreBamboo, you signify you have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions All programs advertised on our website and/or on Facebook are offered and/or operated by WeAreBamboo Ltd. (trading as Bamboo and referred to as Bamboo or we hereinafter) with company number whose registered office is:. WE ARE BAMBOO LEVEL 2 61 SEAVIEW ROAD LOWER HUTT, NEW ZEALAND 5010 All travel arrangements are sold subject to the following conditions. Bamboo reserves the right to update the Terms and Conditions at any time. Please view our full terms and conditions here: Please note that the information in this pack is subject to change at any time without notice.