School Tours to Southeast Asia

Wide Eyed Pupils works directly with NGOs in all countries we operate to ensure your donation and service goes to projects where it is most needed . We have helped various schools and kindergartens fund and build infrastructure such as toilet blocks, classrooms, playgrounds, vegetable gardens and fences. When you book a volunteer tour with us you may help with some light building work, painting and gardening, upgrade the schools and teach some English/IT/Music or soft skills. Check out our Community Service and Volunteer Tour Itineraries below for some inspiration.

Vietnam has flourished since the American War. Proud of their incredible victory, the Vietnamese government has gone to great lengths to preserve the war history. You’ll find museums, fascinating stories and moving tributes in every city you visit. There are 3 distinct sets of tunnels to be visited, the DMZ, old military bases and numerous historic sites. If you travel in April we can also build your tour around the Anzac Day service in Hanoi at the Australian Embassy. Check out these war history tours for some inspiration.

Vietnam is home to over 54 different Ethnic Minority Groups. Each group has its own language, lifestyle and cultural heritage making their villages, cultures, beliefs and history a fascinating space to explore. On our Ethnic Minority Homestay tours students spend time living with real ethnic minority families and joining in with their daily activities, which are primarily built around farming. We’ve personally selected villages in the Northern Mountains and Central Highlands for you and your pupils to stay. Apart from the enriching cultural experience you will have, you will also bring economical support to their remote villages, which will give them greater opportunity to buy things, that can’t easily be bartered e.g. fertilizer. Also if you are interested in textiles, we can tailor make your tour to highlight the different dyeing and weaving techniques that each ethnic group uses.

Wide Eyed Pupils participate in wildlife conservation programs through one-day and overnight volunteer visits at some of Thailand's leading elephant conservation camps, which follow a strict no-riding or bathing policy. On other trips, students engage with local schools in meaningful cultural and language exchange programs to deepen their appreciation of diversity—and perhaps even make a new friend or two. For outdoor activities, they plant indigenous trees in forests managed by hill tribes, helping local communities preserve traditional food and medicinal resources. Schools also have the option to donate to various local charities, including a vital ‘street dog’ foundation.

Thailand is renowned for its hospitality, so our student trips always endeavour to include at least one night at a comfortable hill tribe eco-lodge or a homestay in an authentic Thai village. By venturing off the tourist track and into the heart and soul of Thai home life, students have the opportunity to apply some of their newly acquired language skills and make meaningful connections with the locals. Whether joining a cultural dance by firelight with the Hmong hill tribe or cooking up a feast with a Thai family host, students don’t just pass through on holiday but form bonds with people from around the world.

A trip to Thailand is a journey back to nature. It offers students the chance to wake to the sound of gibbons calling from a treehouse in one of the world’s most biodiverse rainforests or run their fingers through cool, blue waters as their wooden long-tail boat zips across the Andaman Sea for a beach picnic during an all-day island safari. As the next generation prepares to hold the candle for environmental conservation, our trips to Thailand provide students with the opportunity to experience nature firsthand, fostering a deeper understanding of its value and inspiring them to become active stewards of the planet.

‍

Engage in meaningful community projects that foster connection and creativity. One highlight is working on projects like landscape or mural painting for local schools. These activities not only allow you to express your artistic skills but also contribute positively to the community by beautifying public spaces and enhancing the learning environment for children. Collaborating with local residents, you'll gain insight into the culture and values of the community, enriching your understanding of Borneo while making a lasting impact on the lives of its people.

On a wildlife educational trip to Borneo, your students will dive into the wonders of nature. You’ll learn about the conservation of Orangutans, Proboscis monkeys, Sun Bears and Sea Turtles and explore the diverse wildlife along the Kinabatangan River. Let’s not forget the Rafflesia the world’s largest (and probably stinkiest) flower.

Discover the rich variety of plants, reptiles, insects, and marine life, enhancing your appreciation for biodiversity. Trekking through the jungle and joining nocturnal walks will reveal an action-filled element to monitoring wildlife behavior in different habitats, deepening the groups connection to nature and its vital ecosystems. If the difficulty factor is no objection, you can also scale Kota Kinabalu (4092m) in an overnight excursion in the vibrant Kinabalu National Park.

In 1945 the Australian troops were stationed on the island of Borneo for 4 months to fight the Japanese at the end of the second world war. The consequences for the Allied troops were catastrophic, even though they were ultimately victorious along with the allied forces.