Thailand

It’s a year since I spent a day at Elephant Nature Park, yet the impact of those few hours is etched deep inside me. Here’s why.

There used to be this widespread belief in the travel industry that riding elephants was OK. We were part of the problem. Thankfully, we were also part of the solution.

While most of South East Asia is suitable for solo female travellers, these are places I’ve visited that I think are really safe, friendly and comfortable.

In South East Asia you’ll go from visiting a temple to a hidden limestone island or learning about the traditional ways of local fisherman.

“Let me preface this review to say, I don’t write reviews. And I hardly read them. But when I saw that the trip I just finished had no reviews at all, I felt compelled to try to explain the experience.”

“I think it makes a positive difference to some travellers having me as their leader.”

“I was so excited to have an adventure to Thailand (and because I love eating noodles) but I couldn’t imagine what it would be like when I got there.”

The Intrepid Foundation supports more than 50 local, grassroots projects from around the world, here’s how you can visit some of them.

South East Asia has all the ingredients you could want in an overseas adventure: awesome beaches, super-cheap food, and all the temples and ruins you could ask for.