Australian International School Singapore Nepal Trek & Service Journey 2024

Painting a local school in Nepal | Greg Pike

Students having fun in Nepal

Code: SOG6541

Overview

Highlights

Working alongside the community to improve and upgrade the educational facilities
Visiting schools in the lower Khumbu region benefiting from the REED and TTQE programs
Returning home with an insight into the Nepali culture
Enjoying a spectacular trek in the lower Khumbu region
Experience local Sherpa villages on the trek with our expert local leader
Exploring the cultural delights of Kathmandu
Members of the group working closely with each other helping with the delegation process
Enjoying 3 hearty meals per day on the trek, prepared by our experienced cooks
Travelling with your peers on an incredible learning adventure

This unique journey, put together specifically for the AIS Singapore students, is a wonderful way to hands on give back to remote Himalayan communities, whilst enjoying an adventure of a lifetime! Our journey will start well before we arrive in Nepal, with planning and fundraising throughout the year. On arrival in Kathmandu, we have a full trip briefing with our experienced local leader and prepare for our trek and community project. We fly into the remote Lower Khumbu region and spend the next 2 days visiting previous project sites that AIS have been involved in including the Hydro Electric Plant and Phaplu and Lodging School. We then drive to the roadhead and trek to Moral School, the site of our community service work. Over the coming months we will consult with the village heads on what work needs to be completed at the school and liaise back with the teachers and students at AIS. We will work with the local community in what will be an extremely rewarding adventure. We then complete a stunning trek, visiting schools currently running REED and AHF scholarship programs, before heading back to Kathmandu. A truly wonderful experience!

Countries:

Activities:

Grading:Introductory to Moderate

Addressing:

Itinerary

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Day 1
Fly Singapore to Kathmandu.

After months of planning and preparation the wait is finally over! You will need to check in at Singapore International Airport at least 2 hours prior to your flight. On arrival at Kathmandu airport you will be met by your World Expeditions Guide and transferred to your hotel. Your local guide will meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Due to the late arrival of your Singapore Airlines flight your leader will give a short arrival briefing and hand over the kit bags which include sleeping bag, closed cell foam mat and down/fiberfill jacket. Head to bed for rest and prepare for your early departure in the morning. Overnight Radisson Hotel

Meals: D

Day 2
Fly to Phaplu, trek to Loding

Following and early morning wake-up call and breakfast we will travel to the airport for our short flight to Phaplu (2469m). On arrival we will meet our crew and trek to Loding (2536m), approx 4 hours. We will visit Pikey Secondary School and the Hydro Electric Plant that AIS have helped fund. Our crew will set up our wilderness camp at Lodging. Overnight wilderness camp

Meals: B,L,D

Day 3
Trek to Phaplu, visit Phaplu School

Today we will meet the teachers and students at Loding School before trekking to Phaplu and Phaplu School (approx 4-5 hrs). The school here has been the site of previous service programs by AIS and will welcome our group very warmly. We will spend the night in a wilderness camp at Phaplu. Overnight wilderness camp

Meals: B,L,D

Day 4
Drive to Nele (approx 2 hours) trek to Moral School (approx 2-3 hrs)

This morning we wake up with a cooked breakfast before we drive by jeep for two hours through the Solu Khumbu district headquarters in Salleri to the road head at Nele village (2000m). After a break to explore the market at Nele we climb a gradual ascent for just over an hour, across open meadows, before we then descend through mixed forest and terraced fields to the tiny school at Moral (1800m) where the AHF currently have a sponsorship program in place. This will be the site of our service program. Overnight wilderness camp

Meals: B,L,D

Day 5-6
Community Project Work at Moral, Singha Devi School

Upon arrival in the school we’ll be welcomed warmly by the local community who we will be working alongside for the next two days. We will meet the local team of workers and discuss the project and work to be carried out. The students will be required to split into groups and take on the variety of tasks at hand. Our group will be involved in the labouring tasks of the project, no trade skills are required as such as we have a local skilled team working with us. However, you must be prepared to roll up your sleeve's and muck in to ensure the project is finished on time. The project is set up alongside our Travel, Give, Grow concept offering the opportunity to help a remote community in need. This is a unique experience and aids to help foster respect for the natural world as well as the diverse peoples and cultures that live in it. This style of travel not only benefits the local community but also helps develop confidence, resilience, tolerance, problem solving abilities, team work, fitness and key life skills. Over his time we will work hard alongside the local community and a local labour force to complete our tasks. Following a hearty breakfast each morning we’ll work for around 2 hrs before stopping for morning tea. We resume work for another 2-3 hrs before stopping for lunch. After a break we complete another 2-3 hrs of work before finishing up for the day. This is a fun part of the day, as we get to play sports and games with the local students from the school before enjoying our evening meal in the mess tent. Overnight wilderness camp

Meals: B,L,D

Day 7
Trek to Khali School, via Kashtap and Basa Village School

This morning we rise at dawn and enjoy a hearty cooked breakfast we continue our trek high above the Kaku Khola affording a bird’s eye view across the villages and settlements of the lower Solu Khumbu. We re-visit the Basa Village and Basakhali Secondary School we originally visited in 2014 before continuing to Khali Village (1850m) and the Shree Himalaya Secondary School, via Kashtap. We will either camp at the school or continue to one of the outlying villages in the vicinity. Overnight wilderness camp Trek approx 8-9 hours

Meals: B,L,D

Day 8
Trek to Taksindu via Nunthala. Visit Taksindu Monastery

Our trek to Taksindu via Nunthala (2200m.) will take approximately 7 hours. We start with a gentle ascent to the Dudh Koshi River (Milk River) and for the next 2 hours pass through through agricultural farming land and small Sherpa and Rai settlements. From the Dudh Koshi river, your trail slowly descends all the way to Juving (1680m) a large Rai village and farming land. From there your trail follows a reasonably flat path for 45 minutes and then rises steeply for one and a half hours to the Taksindu La Pass (2931m). From this point, you can see excellent mountain views. On arrival in Taksindu we will visit the Taksindu Monastery. Overnight wilderness camp Trek approx 7-8 hours

Meals: B,L,D

Day 9
Trek to Phaplu

We wake to stunning mountain views and enjoy a cooked breakfast from our crew. They may even have some Vegemite on hand for those missing this curious Australian treat. Today is our last day of trekking as we depart from Taksindu (2930m) to Phaplu (2364 m.) The beginning of the trek is a slight descent for nearly one and half hours to Phurtung (2900m.). From here, you will have views of Mount Everest, Thamserku (6623m.), Kantega (6780m.), Kusum Kangaru (6370m.) and Mera Peak (6650m.) We then gently descend to Ringmo Khola (2500m.) and continues through farmlands to Phaplu village and our last night in the mountains before flying back to Kathmandu tomorrow. Overnight wilderness camp Trek approx 7 hours

Meals: B,L,D

Day 10
Fly Phaplu to Kathmandu, celebratory dinner

This morning we rise early for breakfast and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Kathmandu. On arrival we check in, enjoy a debriefing and visit the famous RumDoodle restaurant for a celebration meal and where we can leave our signatures on the wall in permanent marker. Overnight Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu

Meals: B,D

Day 11
Depart Kathmandu

Today you will have a half day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu, taking in the key sights of the city including the UNESCO World Heritage Boudhanath Buddhist Stupa and the Pashupatinath Hindu Temple. Kathmandu has more World Heritage sites than any other city in the world. You will have some time for some last minute shopping and an early dinner before transferring to the airport for your onward flight to Singapore.

Meals: B

Addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Quality Education: Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to improving people’s lives and sustainable development.

Reduced Inequalities: To reduce inequalities, policies should be universal in principle, paying attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized populations.

Partnerships For The Goals: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Learning outcomes for students

World Expeditions Schools journeys are designed to encourage positive personal development and the learning of life skills, while leaving the communities and environments we travel to, in a better condition than when we arrived.
The programs are designed to:
• build strong friendships and bonds with their peers, their teachers, and the local people they meet.
• increase the confidence to engage with new people, and collaboratively make informed decisions.
• discover the benefits of working cooperatively together as a cohesive team, to achieve a common objective.
• Increase the ability to face, and cope with, mental and physical challenges and therefore increase resilience.
• give students a chance to appreciate and care for the natural world. The environments we travel through are beautiful and often pristine, invariably the students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding about how their individual actions impact on the environment.
• Learn personal skills i.e., time management, personal hygiene, responsibility for personal gear, patience, tolerance, and public speaking.
We help encourage students to learn what it means to be a true global citizen.

Inclusions

What's included

10 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 10 dinners
hotel accommodation in Kathmandu on a twin share basis
internal flight Kathmandu/Paphlu/Kathmandu
all internal transport by private bus or jeep where mentioned
expert bilingual local guide
fully supported camping based trek including 3 hearty meals per day prepared by our cooks
gear package including sleeping bag and liner, insulated sleeping mat and down or fibre-filled jacket on loan on trek
souvenir World Expeditions Schools kit bag - yours to keep!
porters to carry all group equipment including porter's insurance
emergency medical kit
all park entrance fees and trekking permits
half day sightseeing in Kathmandu
tips for Guide and Trek Crew
travel insurance - provided by AIS Singapore
Staff from AIS Singapore accompanying the journey

What's not included

Visas
items of a personal nature such as soft drinks, laundry, souvenirs etc
community project: services of a qualified local tradespeople to oversee and direct the project and materials necessary to complete the work - funds raised by the students

Grading

Introductory to Moderate

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Assisted over
14,000 Students Worldwide

Since the 1980's, we have helped students from around the globe to experience the world's most exciting destinations, allowing them to travel, give, grow.

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Programs

Together with students, we have completed over 400 Service Learning programs in developing countries. We will always continue to support causes including social justice, animal welfare, the environment and more.

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Support - Our #1 Priority

Every school receives a detailed risk management plan that is guided by government advisories and the local partners we work with. We never compromise on the safety of your students to reduce the price of the program.

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