We have been selling our programmes since the late '90s, and regularly add new tours to keep things fresh.
We were the first to sell tours in collaboration with local hilltribe communities, and work closely together to ensure that the standards of the tours are kept as high as possible. A fair fee for the guides, and the homestay families, and buying produce locally means money is going straight back into the local economy rather than out of the province.
Our project has a full-time staff of three people - P'Moo, P'Aom, and P'Thellie. Our guides, who were trained by us over the years, are fully accredited tour guides with licences from the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT). At busy periods we can call upon 2-3 of our foundation staff who also have guide licences.
The main idea behind the project is not to to make money, but to empower locals. Obviously, running the programmes needs to be cost effective and not sell at a loss. However, the main thrust of the project is to teach a trade applicable to the talents, skills and knowledge of villagers; to give gainful employment once trained as guides; and to encourage the guides to freelance and/or work for other tour agencies. This last point helps to spread the knowledge held by the guides in regard to nature, environment, natural resources, and their tribal history as well.
We have been here for over twenty years now, and hope to continue for many decades to come.
