Help at bungalows in the countryside near Chiang Mai

About the workproject

We need 6 volunteers

Our bungalows are located about two hours drive from Chiang Mai city in the countryside of Mae Wang. There are no shops, restaurants, or markets around, just nature and local villages. The bungalows are run by locals and we need help with cleaning, building, maintenance, gardening and farming on our organic farm, and taking care of our pigs, chickens and ducks. We need hard working volunteers who can do a variety of tasks.

Before applying to volunteer, please read rules and guidelines below carefully and only apply to volunteer if you agree with everything and if you are genuinely interested in helping us with our projects.

Our volunteers work in exchange for food and accommodation, but we need to charge a daily fee to cover transportation costs and free days. Daily fee for volunteers is 150 THB.

Sundays are free days and your daily fee also covers food, accommodation and activities on your free days.

Chores for volunteers

Help with Eco project, Gardening, Farming, General Maintenance, Cooking/shopping, Building, Painting, Helping to take care of our guests during their visiting and activities (cooking, cleaning, trekking, hiking, cycling, bamboo rafting, tubing, art projects, etc…), helping local villagers, planting banana and grass for elephants and rice planting and harvesting.

Rules for volunteers

Get up early to start preparing breakfast.
Set up for meals, clear & wash dishes.
Assist staff cleaning bungalows & bathrooms and feed our chickens and pigs.
Prepare for the tasks of the day. Take initiative. There is a lot of work to do, tasks may vary day-to-day.
Don’t take advantage of other volunteers – we all share the work.
You are here to work and learn something new -so listen first. Be observant and then you can share your opinions and ideas.
Respect the guests who are with us for their holiday. Guests always come first.
Respect the local village people and staff members. This is their home and/or place of employment.
Drinking – You are welcome to drink but are expected to be able to work the next day. Loud & inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated.

Schedule for volunteers

Work expectations are a minimum of 5-6 hours a day. Projects and needs can change on a daily basis.

Sundays are free.
There are several activities that you can do for free on your days off, as your daily fee covers these activities as well.
We can take you for a trek in the jungle, visit a local waterfall and teach you how to prepare a jungle style lunch, we can also take you cycling, river tubing, canoeing, bamboo rafting, or teach you Karen weaving. Activities we do will depend on general wishes of all volunteers staying with us at the time. We cannot organise separate activities for each volunteer.
Volunteers can also visit a local elephant camp and feed and bathe the elephants at a reduced price.

General daily schedule

7:30 to 9 AM – wake up, feed the farm animals, help in the kitchen, breakfast
9 AM to 12 PM – various daily chores
12 to 2 PM – lunch and break
2 to 5 PM – various daily chores

Duration of stay

We can initially accept volunteers for seven days. We cannot offer shorter volunteering terms. After a week, we can extend your stay on a weekly basis if you would like to stay longer and if we are happy with your work.

What to bring with you

You will need to bring your own drinking water – we can suggest where to buy and stop to pick up if needed.
Other items you may need: bug spray, flashlight, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, raincoat, shoes and clothes that are suitable for work in the garden, swimming suit, warm clothes for the cold season, toilet paper, toiletries and snacks. We do provide linen and pillows – but (depending on the time of year) temperatures can drop at night. A jacket and socks are also suggested during the colder season.

WiFi and cellphone reception

There is no WiFi or any other kind of internet connection. If you need to stay in touch with your family and friends while you volunteer with us, buy a Thai SIM card. We recommend Dtac or AIS SIM cards as they have a reception in some areas around.

Please inform your family and friends of your plans before you leave. Even with a proper Thai SIM card, you might be out of reception in the mountains. Let your close ones know this so they don’t worry if you are not in touch.

Arrival and transportation

Let us know where you will be staying in Chiang Mai the night before you start volunteering with us and we will either pick you up from your accommodation or set up a convenient pickup location and time for transportation to us. We expect our volunteers to be ready for pickup in the morning. We cannot guarantee pickup in the afternoon.

When you meet your driver, you will first pay your volunteering fee for the duration of your stay, so make sure you have the exact amount in THB with you. The fee is not refundable if you decide to leave early. We will then arrange for transportation to us. You will either go with one of our drivers all the way, or we will take you with local transportation part of the way and have someone pick you up in Mae Wang. Either way, you will stop at a local market on the way where you will have a chance to buy water and anything else you might need for your stay.

If you have a friend(s) coming, make sure they all know our rules and expectations.