Off to Chiang Saen

Drive to Chiang Saen in the morning and meet the staff and children at Buddies Along the Roadside. Spend the afternoon getting to know the children and experience their warm welcome!

Jam-packed activities!

During these days we will be participating in the following activities

• Awareness tour, which will include the Hall of Opium, in introduction to the Golden Triangle and a history of the area.
• Building Projects: In the past, LiveDifferent has helped to fund and work on a water treatment facility, a staff office building, rebuild the main kitchen, a greenhouse and also provided a sound system for the home to do presentations in markets. Details of this Build's project will be shared approximately 6 weeks before departure.
• Hang out with the children! There are about 90 children currently living in the home. They range in age from 3-19, and most have been rescued from many different forms of exploitation and abuse. Together, we have visited elephant sanctuaries, swam in natural pools in the mountains, hunted for Easter eggs, played games and sang songs, and experienced much laughter and tears.
• English and Summer Camps: English is a widely used language in Thailand, and knowledge of English helps to equip these children with a wider range of education and job opportunities. We have also helped with an arts training camp for painting, photography, videography and storytelling. Please come prepared with a willingness to have fun with English, and with possible activity ideas!
• Visit Drop-In Centre on the Myanmar border. Meet some of the families whose lives have been changed by the projects, hear their stories and meet the people who work directly with children who are currently living on the streets. There is also a safe international shopping area across the border in Myanmar, and if our participants choose to experience it, they will receive a day visa and be allowed to cross the bridge into the shopping district in Tachileik, Myanmar. (The trip to Myanmar is not a mandatory event, and volunteers under the age of 18 must have permission to join from a parent/guardian.)

Wrapping up

We will drive to Chiang Mai where we will have a final debrief from our Build, and then check out everything the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar has to offer.

Excursion in Chiang Mai

We’ll spend the day in the high mountains of Chiang Mai to visit the Doi Suthep temple, and then head back to the city for the Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market.

Time to head home

Please arrange for flights back to Canada on this day.