Come stay with us
My stay at Safe Haven was amazing, itchy, fabulous, lovely, delightful, extreme, heartbreaking, pleasant, challenging, supreme, surprising, extraordinary, fascinating, exciting, interesting, overwhelming, wonderful, magical, exceptional, enjoyable, amusing, memorable, impressive, unbelievable, astonishing, stunning, just perfect. Staying with the orphanage is a rewarding way to delve right into the local way of living and experience a slice of contemporary affairs at first hand. The children’s cheerfulness is contagious and will make you feel comfortable at this haven right from the start. Take heart and seize the adventure! Xiyu – Austria
You are very welcome to come and stay with us and spend time with the children to experience how they live their lives, participate in their day-to-day activities and enjoy the traditional Karen lifestyle.
Time spent with the orphanage children will have a positive influence on the rest of your life, as they want for nothing and are the happiest kids you will ever meet.
While staying with us, you can participate in activities such as helping the children with their homework, run classes such as teaching English language, teach music classes, teach art classes, help out at the local school, learn some traditional Karen cooking, go hiking in the mountains, get involved in any current building projects, do some market gardening, even join the children in hunting lizards in the jungle!
The Safe Haven children go to a local Thai school 5 days a week and so we look for volunteers with skills outside of the normal classroom experience, and in particular practical skills such as carpentry, weaving, painting/drawing, electrical work, music etc…which is of great benefit to the children. It is extremely important that volunteers can work independently, are self-motivated and are not daunted by challenges such as language barriers etc…
Safe Haven Orphanage relies solely on private funding and income generation projects and we are very proud of the fact that 100% of your money goes directly to supporting the children. Pricing is as follows per person:
- 3 day stay – 3500 baht
- 1 week stay – 7000 baht
Included in your homestay:
- Accommodation – All basic items are provided including sleeping mat, mosquito net, blankets and pillows.
- Meals – 3 meals a day are provided and vegetarian food can be provided if required.
- Transport – All volunteers must make their own arrangements to travel to the orphanage. Once you are booked in to stay with us, we will provide you with maps and travel information on how to find us. The orphanage is located nearby a village called Mae Tawo (Ban Tha Song Yang) which is 140km north of Mae Sot. Whether traveling from Bangkok or Chiang Mai it is a good idea to allow at least an extra day to get to the orphanage (either a stop-over in Mae Sot or Mae Sariang is usually required). Private transport can be arranged if required at additional cost.
- Toilets/showers – Western toilet and shower are available (cold water shower only – remember this is the jungle!).
The vast majority of people who have stayed with us in the past have left with a very positive impression, but a small minority have possibly underestimated the simple life and accommodation at the orphanage. Please keep in mind that this is a genuine orphanage located in a very rural part of Thailand directly on the border with Myanmar/Burma. The village of Mae Tawo (approximately 2kms away) has basic facilities where you can buy food, drinks and other basic items if required. Mobile phone reception can be a little haphazard and there is no internet connection at the orphanage (unless you use internet through your phone).
If you are interested in staying with us, please complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible:
Cultural Etiquette when staying with us
Burmese and Karen people come from a country with deep rooted customs and religion. For a westerner visiting the orphanage, there are a number of things that you need to observe. Some of these etiquette rules may be strange for westerners, however, if you follow some simple rules, your stay will be much happier. The children at the orphanage are extremely friendly and helpful, especially towards visitors, and by respecting their culture, custom, religious beliefs and etiquette you will gain respect from them.
- Dress – in particular females must always ensure that their shoulders and knees are covered at all times when in public eg. No singlet tops etc… This also includes when swimming.
- Burma is a devoutly Buddhist country, however some Karen people are Christian. Regardless of their religious belief it is extremely important to always show respect for their beliefs.
- Burmese people have a different view on upper and lower parts of the body. The upper part is considered sacred while the lower part is considered inferior, even dirty. Therefore, never use the water from the drinking pot to wash your feet, never put your feet on the pillow used for the head etc…
- Never use your feet to point to a thing or a place. This is considered an insult.
- Never touch a person’s hair, head or cheek, even if you consider it as a friendly gesture. Burmese people would not consider it friendly, and think it rude.
- Don’t touch any part of a lady’s body.
- Don’t point your feet towards Buddha’s image, elder person or any sacred place. Better not to point your feet to anybody at all.
- Do not step over people who are sitting or lying down.
- Do not show any signs of affection (even if you are with your wife/partner) in public. This is seen as extremely embarrassing and rude.
- Always remove shoes, socks and sandals when entering a building.
- Always treat monks with a high level of respect (regardless of their age). Women should never touch a monk or his robe and when handing an object to a monk, should use an intermediary or place the object in a position where it is easily retrievable.