Thailand is OPEN

Great news friends!! As of 1 May 2022, Thailand is dropping its hotel quarantine mandate. Fully vaccinated travellers can volunteer with us at our wildlife or elephant centre (or both) without having to spend any time in hotel quarantine! So, if you have been waiting to volunteer with orangutans, sun bears, elephants, otters, gibbons and horn bills- your wait it over!! Come on over to our website and apply! The application process is very simple. After you fill out a short survey you will be given our volunteer coordinator’s schedule. You get to choose a 30 minute time that works for you and then we will have a chat all about volunteering. You can ask any questions you have and we’ll tell you more about the program, making sure everyone's expectations are aligned.

As of May 1st, being fully vaccinated is the only requirement for people travelling to Thailand, and you will need to download a Thai Pass: Read More about the Thai Pass.

Elephants aren't your thing? Check out our other programs

No experience needed!

Remember, you don't need any experience to volunteer- there are vets and nurses already there! If you can sweep your floor, you can sweep a gibbon enclosure! If you can cut a watermelon, you can help make breakfast for a bear!

All our programs have been chosen because of their high standards of animal welfare, trust from the local community, investment in the local conservation professionals, safety and of course: authenticity in their benefit to the animals!

Come travel *with* us on a group trip in 2022.

Consent Based Travel

Over the next month we will be explaining more about the importance of what we are calling consent based travel. But here are the basics for those who want to know right now!

In order for a relationship to be healthy it must be a consenting relationship and we think that travel is all about healthy relationships. Relationships with the host communities, relationships with the animals and relationships with ourselves. SO, the easiest way to understand if we are participating in ethical and healthy travel is to see to see if everyone is consenting.

Some communities have vulnerable populations and are asking for travellers coming in 2021 to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. In order to have a consenting relationship with these hosts, we will need to be fully vaccinated. Easy, we just have to be patient!

What about animals? Importantly, coercion is not consent. If an animal must be tied up, chained or contained in a cage (or tank) to interact with you, it’s not a healthy and consenting interaction.

How can you know you are a consenting traveller? Well, do you actually want to travel right now? Are you being true to yourself and doing what you want not just doing what the gram wants? After a year of self care, be real with yourself, what do you want? If you aren’t comfortable travelling right away, that is totally okay! It’s a strange and anxious time, this is why we are planning more group trips for down the road. We want to make sure people are actually comfortable and enjoying their travels.

We will be expanding on these topics soon but if you have any questions or want to learn more don’t be afraid to message us. We are here to make sure you, the animals and the communities around the world stay safe, content and respected.

Take care of yourselves and stay safe out there.

Nora

Travel 2021 and 2022 on your own terms!

By now, you probably know A LOT about the vaccine roll outs. Yippie! We can travel again... as a slight reality check, while these vaccines are very promising and have given us (finally) some hope in this dumpster of a year, having a safe and effective vaccine around the corner does not mean mass vaccinations for everyone around the corner. What we need to remember is we will be living in the Covid era for a while longer. The world will not be able to get vaccinated over night, or even over a month or two. BUT the world will be able to open up to travel because of other technologies being trailed and refined now: testing!

Covid-19 testing is opening up countries around the world as we speak! British Airways is piloting a program that they personally rapidly test all passengers at the start and finish of all journeys and more countries are opening boarders to those who can show off their negative test. 

No one on Earth has thought more about ethical and safe travel than travel advisors like us. Trust us, we have spent hundreds of hours in meetings, webinars and planning sessions with partners, industry leaders and travel/medical/mental health/epidemiology experts. We aren't just committed to making sure you can travel safely and security- we want to travel, too!  How can we make sure everyone is safe? Testing and social distancing at our already spacious and rural locations. 

What else can we do? We are going to travel WITH you in 2021 and 2022. We are going to still have our normal solo adventures available but we are going to plan more expeditions! We aren't here to hold your hand, we are here to have your back. Make sure you are safe, covid secure and comfortable. We don't have dates yet but all the small group trips are going to be to our partners. You can go to our website and already see where you can travel with us! 

Our small and rural wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centres are perfect for those wanting to avoid crowds (all of us in 2021), they are located away from large cities. You stay privately in sanitized and clean accomodation and when you volunteer you volunteer socially distanced with other people who (like you) have tested negative for Covid-19. 

These trips aren't for everyone, in fact our spaces are VERY limited so we can ensure private accomodation and distanced volunteer activities. But if you want to travel this year, we have been prepping for 11 months to make sure you can do it safely and as always ethically and authentically. 

We will be announcing locations and dates over the next few months so keep an eye out! 

TL;DR

We are going to be leading small group trips in 2021 and 2022 because we want to do the work while you have an amazing animal adventure. Covid secure, safe, comfortable and of course ethical trips guided by Nora and Heather!

I want to travel in 2021!

I want to wait a bit longer but would like more info...

Costa Rica Update

Want to help the conservation of endangered animals?

Volunteer in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is open to *some* travellers and volunteer.

The three pillars in which we built AEI are: safety, ethical practices and authentic conservation activities.
In the last 6 months we have been working hard at making sure none of those pillars crumbles or falls.
This has meant with some countries opening up we have had to make hard decisions. We need to keep local communities and our clients safe- and how do we do that in a pandemic while they desperately need help and donations?
Most of our programs are still closed but we are happy to announce if you are from Canada, some American states or some countries in Europe, you can volunteer in Costa Rica on our sea turtle conservation program!
We will be writing more about this in a newsletter today and of course updating all the details on the website. But if you want to travel to authentically help turtles, we can make sure you do it safely, and of course ethically.

How can you volunteer in Costa Rica?

• Canadian, Australian and European passports are accepted. Sadly, no Americans are allowed just yet- this also includes those who transit through America. 

• You must be able to show a negative Covid 19 test taken within 48 hours of travel

• You must complete an online epidemiological form provided by the Ministry of health.

How can this be safe?

• All volunteers must wear masks while volunteering. Hand sanitizer is provided and social distancing while volunteering is required.

• Social distancing at home and off time is more than possible since you live in your own cabin in a small community with a very low population density. 

• Volunteering activities take place outside and with other participants who have been cleared of risk (through national and regional requirements of testing).

• Our travel insurance partner covers Covid-19 complications. 

If you want to help sea turtles in Costa Rica check out our website or contact us today. We will be more than happy to talk to you about the realities of volunteering in 2020.