Travel For Teens: Thailand

After traveling to Peru two summers ago, the Thailand Service and Adventure trip was a great way for me to experience another community that was different from my own. Every day was busy and exciting, and I was amazed by how much I was able to learn and absorb through the amazing itinerary! As I was doing this trip “alone,” I was very happy that I was able to quickly form close bonds with my fellow travelers and counselors, just as I had the year before! Each of us had come from somewhere different, but we all had a common desire to learn more about Thai culture. From building a dining hall for an orphanage to scuba diving in the islands, I’m so glad I was able to have so many different experiences during my three week adventure! No matter where I go next with TFT, I can’t wait to explore yet another culture and make more memories that will last me a lifetime!

This was my second TFT trip and I was definitely nervous that it wouldn’t match up to my amazing experience the year before, but it did and more.
We immersed ourselves in the culture constantly trying new foods, trying to communicate in Thai, and even sleeping in the jungle for the night.
We talked with monks and learned about the culture and their religion. Explored temples, shopped at Thai markets, and more.
Through this trip I also met one of my best friends and the experiences we went through together brought us so so close together that not even living in completely different time zones could tear us apart.
Not only will the experiences last me a lifetime, the friends will too.

I was really nervous about going on a trip with no one I knew. However, after calling the TFT office hundreds of times and speaking with all the staff, their reassurances finally convinced me to go on this trip. And let me tell you it was a life changing experience. Keith was an incredible counselor, always joking with us and teaching us Thai language he learned from living there for a few year. Mel was the other counselor and she is a professional photographer, taking breath-taking photos of us while we wash and rode elephants, scuba dived, and visited gorgeous temples. The itinerary is so much fun, but not jam-packed, so we could take our leisure time to take in everything. The food is so delicious and our counselors picked out some really great restaurants, one being a table right off the beach at sunset. The people on the trip were so friendly and became some of my close friends that I still talk to today, 2 years after I went on the trip.

From Chiang Mai to the islands of Thailand, I was never bored for a moment. I was able to bathe and play with elephants one day, then take a two-day rafting trip and sleep in bamboo huts by the Pai river the next day. I could not believe that we were able to work with retired elephants and help care for them. One of my favorite parts was going to all the temples and learning more about the Thai culture. I was also able to test my bartering skills (which I’ve found are not very good) in the markets while shopping for souvenirs. Next, we went to Ko Tao and Ko Samui and got a taste of the islands life. It was relaxing to do yoga, lip sync competitions, and swim in the Gulf of Thailand. Not to mention, scuba/snorkeling in the crystal-clear water, learning to cook traditional Thai food, and so much more. Our last stop in Thailand was the capital, Bangkok. I loved the city and all the sites. We went to the Grand Palace, the largest Buddha in Thailand, and got to see the famous Muy Thai fighting. I didn’t think that my second trip could live up the first trip I took with TFT but I was quickly proved wrong.

This was my second trip with TFT, and by far the coolest experience i've ever had! From hanging out with elephants to white water rafting, this trip pushed me out of my comfort zone and really helped me grow as a person. The elephant service days were my favorite. We got to bathe, feed, and play with the elephants. We also wore cool traditional mahoot outfits! As we moved to Pai and the islands, I fell more in love with the country and it's kind people. Walking through the markets and trying new foods are some of my favorite memories of the trip. And how could I forget the amazing people I was with throughout! I totally recommend this trip to anyone, it was my favorite one ever!

My trip to Thailand with Travel for Teens was the best 3 weeks of my life. I was given the opportunity to intimately learn about elephants, experience true Thai culture with the natives, test my skills at not-so-white water rafting in the Pai River, observe the beautiful temples of Bangkok, adventure into the clear blue waters of Koh Tao, and relax on peaceful beaches and with wonderful Thai massages on Koh Samui. While the activities were incredible, what truly made my experience special were my wonderful trip director, fabulous counselors, and lifelong friends I met on the trip. Before the trip, I was extremely nervous to travel on my own for the first time at 15 years old. But as soon as I met the TFT crew at the airport, my nerves vanished and I knew I was going to have a blast. The counselors and trip directors respected us as friends rather than treating us like immature children. They constantly made sure we were safe while still having fun. My mom was especially grateful for the daily email updates from our trip leaders. The trip would not have been the same without our trip director Keith. Within the few weeks we were in Thailand, I became extremely close with Keith, along with all the other students. Everyone shared plenty of stories, which made us all both laugh and cry, and countless memories that will last me a lifetime. I would give anything to go back and relive my Thailand excursion so I could spend another 3 weeks growing as an individual, while spending plenty of time with the people that quickly became my second family. I truly believe this trip made me a bigger and better person with an increased awareness of the world around me.

Going to Thailand last summer was a pretty life changing event for me. I did both the Thailand Service & Adventure trip, and the extended 10 day elephant service portion, so I was in the country a little under a month. I've never had a more eye opening experience then when I was standing in the Maesa Elephant Camp. Getting so up close and personal with such amazing animals was fantastic. I also got the chance to both see some long distance friends again, and also make new friends along the way. Our tour director was amazing and his passion for the country only increases mine. The Thai culture is a special kind. Everywhere we went, faces were full of smiles and everyone seemed genuinely happy to be where they were.

Loved Thailand with Travel for Teens. I met so many great people and had such an amazing adventure. The native people were very hospitable and friendly. It was such an amazing way to experience a new culture with new people. The staff on the trip were so awesome and supportive. It was such a cool place! The accommodations were great, some in the jungle were more rustic and the dorms were just great