3 DAYS HOME-STAY IN BAAN KHAMPOM / KHON KAEN (I-SAN)

Private tour: Departure every Monday and Thursday from Bangkok with English speaking guide. (Other departure days available on request).

OVERVIEW:
Home-stays form a unique and charming way to meet and live with Thai people for a few days and to experience first hand what life in the Thai countryside is like.
Key element of our home-stay program is the direct and interactive contact with the Thai people and the program includes a range of activities to support that. Participants will become involved in authentic, daily village life. There are several organized visits to different activities in the community. For instance visit people at home and see how they earn their modest daily living by making hand made products such as straw mats, by weaving cotton or silk or by processing rice to "Lao spaghetti". Visit the rice fields and observe agricultural activities like cattle or rice farming. On school days a visit to the local school is made to see how a school-day begins. Guests will participate in local folklore and ceremonies if these so happen during their stay. Examples are young men becoming Buddhist monks for the 3 month Buddhist lent, weddings, or lam dances and farewell ceremonies. These activities are genuine and not performed for tourist purposes. Guests may participate in several activities, for instance sowing or harvesting rice. There is time to explore the village on their own.

An English-speaking guide (German or French speaking guides can be arranged on request) will be available during the entire stay. The guide can act as translator, bridging the language barrier and making the contact and communication with the local people much easier and certainly a lot of fun. This is one of the unique elements of our program and gives an extra dimension to the contact with the Thai people. The guide will also take guests along the organized activities and will be their coach during their stay. Meals are delicious and hygienically prepared.

A home-stay in Thailand is for many visitors the most impressive experience of their holiday. The direct contact with the Thai people and the relaxed atmosphere during their stay is what appeals most to our home-stay participants. The warmth and hospitality of the Thai people, the spontaneity of the children, the authentic rural country life and the quietness with which time slowly passes by and the many pleasant possibilities for spending leisure time are unique experiences.

Accommodation:
A typical room has a double bed with mosquito net and fan. The accommodation and sanitary facilities are simple and clean, the bathroom has a western toilet.

SAMPLE ITINERARY:

BANGKOK - KHON KAEN - BAAN KHAMPOM (-/-/D)

DAY 1 MON / THU Meet your guide at the lobby of your hotel. Transfer to the public bus station by local taxi. Depart by air-conditioned public coach to Khon Kaen (450 KM / approx. 6 hrs). Continue by local songtaew to Baan Khampom village. In the afternoon, take a stroll through the village, accompanied by your guide, who has a lot of inside information and can tell you anecdotes about the village life. During dinner, prepared by the host mother, the villagers will warmly welcome you. Overnight stay at the host family. Your room has a double bed with mosquito net and electric fan.
HOME STAY VILLAGE (B/L/D)

DAY 2 TUE / FRI After breakfast, walk to the village school (on school days). You will see the ceremonial beginning of a school day with the children singing the Thai national anthem, followed by Buddhist prayer. After the ceremony, you can enter the classroom. You will soon find yourself captured into an entertaining dialogue with the school children, who are probably as curious about Western life as you are about Thai life. Your guide will translate everything again. Following the school visit, you will go into the rice fields where you can see, how rice is sown or harvested, depending on the season. Lunch will be taken at a noodle & rice food stall. In the afternoon, visit the village market and buy the ingredients for your evening meal. While walking back to your host address, you will see the farmers guiding their cattle back home. Tonight you will prepare your own evening meal. Your host mother will explain how, while your guide translates. During dinner you can observe the local evening activities and have a relaxing conversation with the Thai villagers. Overnight again with your host family.
BAAN KHAMPOM - KHON KAEN - BANGKOK (B/-/-)

DAY 3 WED / SAT After breakfast, your home-stay ends with a transfer back to Khon Kaen bus station and public coach transport to Bangkok. Upon arrival in Bangkok, your guide will accompany you to your hotel by local taxi.