Thailand: Plant a Tree for Life

Travel to the outskirts of Chiang Mai, grab a shovel and start digging! After a briefing from the project director of Trees for Life, trek to a barren area damaged by fires and illegal logging. Then it’s time to get hands dirty. Splitting into small groups and accompanied by local villagers, group members then dig, plant and water dozens of saplings. Having worked up an appetite a delicious local lunch is then served at the Trees for Life lodge. With tree planting, not only does the group help to beautify the surroundings and provide habitats for local wildlife, they are also making a lasting impact on the environment. Each tree will be marked with the company’s/individual’s name and date of planting, so the group can return year after year to see how their trees have grown and blossomed.

Vietnam: Give a Water Buffalo

Change rural lives for the better with a great gift – a buffalo! Travel to a small village in the outskirts of Danang/Hoi An with a pick-up ferrying a buffalo in tow. At the village, the group is free to walk around to chat with the local farmers and to observe buffaloes pl ougi ng the paddies. The group then presents the buffalo to the farmers with a simple ceremony in the paddy fields before enjoying some simple snacks and drinks. A buffalo gift makes a fabulous donation to rural villages because it helps farmers to open up new income streams and break out of the poverty cycle. Besides, how many people can claim to have given a massive buffalo as a gift to others?

Laos: Book Donation Party

Provide a better future for the youth of Laos with a book donation party. On a vehicle piled high with books and teaching materials, head to a rural school, identified by the Big Brother Mouse (BBM) charity, where access to reading materials is limited. After a brief introduction by the teachers, break the ice with the children by singing songs, reading stories or playing games. Then gather in the lawn for the day’s most exciting moment – books distribution. Present each child with a book and be rewarded with the genuine smile that light up the young face. These rural children are always thrilled and appreciative to receive books and educational materials for their studies. Groups can choose from a range of Lao-language books developed by BBM or, for more advanced readers, bring their favourite English-language book from home.

Cambodia: Giving Back through Amazing Green Race

Immerse your group in a day of challenges and charity giving with the Green Amazing Race! Following a briefing with the clues dispensed, the group starts racing around Siem Reap town on public transport to accomplish a series of green tasks. The first team to arrive at the final pit-stop wins the race; however, they will not be rewarded with the usual prizes. Instead, a donation is made to a local charity selected by the winning team. After an adrenaline-charged day, the entire group heads to the hotel for a lovely Apsara dance performance by a local orphanage. To continue the spirit of giving, the money paid for hosting the venue will go toward the orphanage instead of the hotel .

Myanmar: Donate to a Rural School

Help fulfill children’s right to education in Myanmar with a donation to a school in Bagan’s outskirts. Rural communities often lack the materials needed to run an effective school and the group’s donation will have an immediate and long-lasting impact on the students. Arriving in the school, the group will quickly find themselves surrounded by students eager to practice their English conversational skills or to apply thanaka, a traditional yellow powder, onto their guests’ faces. Seldom visited by foreigners, these young students are often appreciative of the chance to meet outsiders. For group members looking for more action, they can pit their skills against the school team in a friendly soccer match. Finally, present a donation of school materials to the students before sharing Burmese tea and snacks with the welcoming young hosts.