Hua Hin - week one

I can't believe I've been in Thailand for a month already! So much has been happening I haven't had time to update my blog and share my photos with you all. Let me take you back to my first week...

After spending a few days in Bangkok we travelled to Hua Hin for our orientation week. Hua Hin is a beach town about 3 hours south of Bangkok (depending on the traffic). Here we checked into a little blue house in a 'Soi' which is a side street. Our orientation week was FULL of activities. We learnt about Thai culture and politics, had Thai language lessons (I can now speak fluent Thai), visited temples, pineapple plantations and elephants and had a Muay Thai lesson. An exhausting week!

Our first day trip was to a pineapple plantation. Here we wandered around the fields with rows and rows of baby pineapples, surrounded by mango trees. We tasted the sweet pineapple and homemade dried pineapple crisps - amazing! Then we collected pineapples to take with us to our next destination, the elephant sanctuary. Apparently elephants love pineapples! We filled huge bags with pineapples, left a donation for the owners and jumped back on the songtow.

When I found out we were visiting an elephant sanctuary I was so excited to be able to experience being so close to these special animals. However, visiting this place left me with mixed emotions. The owner told us how the elephants had been rescued and brought to their sanctuary to be cared for. They rely on donations and volunteers to help at the sanctuary but also offer elephant rides to help fund their organisation. They have also taught the baby elephant to do tricks for money. I chose not to watch the show.

Muay Thai

The view from the temple

The week finished with all of the groups joining together on the beach for a BBQ and much needed cold Chang! This was the first time I had been to the beach since I arrived but unfortunately there had been an oil spill earlier in the week which meant we couldn't swim in the sea.

We ate and drank cocktails until the sun went down then I said goodbye to my group who were leaving that evening or the following day to start their placements around Thailand. As I am volunteering in a local school, I've joined the other groups, who are staying for a month to complete their TESOL.

A great end to an incredible first week of my adventure.

Namaste x