Environmental Education
In the Heart of Nature
With a river running through it and nestled among majestic limestone cliffs, Jungle Life Camp is the first dedicated kids camp in Khao Sok focused on nature, conservation, and sustainability. It’s a place where students of all ages can learn to love and protect wildlife to become advocates of biodiversity through real life experiences.
Our Jungle Camp Eco Resort supports a free nature camp here for the local Thai community children. We also welcome private international groups on custom programs and tours.
Camp Activities
CHEOW LAN LAKE & VILLAGE VISIT
Thirty years ago, a river was damned creating a huge hydroelectric project and a beautiful lake. The lake is famous for towering limestone cliffs, floating bungalows, and abundant wildlife. The nearby hydroelectric dams offer learning opportunities about energy production and the impacts on the local population and natural environment. After the dam, go for a boat tour of the scenery and swim in the lake. Also visit the nearby village, to learn about sustainable fruit farming, and how locals are protecting the natural way of life.
CAMPFIRE COOKOUT & NIGHT SAFARI
Enjoy an evening with a campfire BBQ, learn the basics of fire-making, listen to Thai local guitar and drum music, and go on a night safari to explore the wildlife. Or have an evening watching nature education movies in our outdoor cinema!
HILLSIDE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY
Because we understand the issue of wildlife-based tourism and the domestication of elephants in Thailand, we are well equipped to educate about the current issues and are committed to making a difference. We can facilitate an interactive session and discussion about the gentle giants their deep roots in Thai culture and the local life of the Mahouts (Elephant Caretakers).
ORGANIC FARM & FORAGING
Learn what each herb and spice growing in our organic garden is and what they can be used for from jungle medicine to flavoring food. Harvest ingredients for your Thai lunch on a jungle walk, learn how to split freshly harvested coconuts for a delicious Thai curry as well as how to steam and serve in bamboo tubes.
KHAO SOK RIVER ANALYSIS
Joining an educator on a short stroll along the Sok River, setup your laboratory by the river! Take measurements of the river to analyze its health, classify the insects present in the watershed, and play games to learn about the importance of water management.
SURVIVAL SKILLS & SHELTER BUILDING
Forage jungle food and explore the different uses of plants. Give fishing in the river a try the local way using bamboo, and learn skills like how to build shelter, rafts, track animals in the jungle, build traps and more!
BIRD WATCHING
Go on a journey to discover the rich diverse birdlife that Khao Sok National Park and the surrounding jungle has. We will guide you through the humming life above you as we explain bird behavior as well as their unique calls.
CULTURAL EXCHANGE WITH LOCAL STUDENTS
Join the local kids at their camp, sharing songs, language, cooking skills, environmental learning, and fun. This has been a popular part of our past international camps.
What Drives Us
Our Vision
“Let’s bring the love of nature to young children everywhere. It will enrich their lives and turn them into advocates for (if not saviors of) the earth in the future.” Dick Sandler, Founder
Learning about sustainability and nature is not part of the usual local Thai curriculum and Dick Sandler (owner of Our Jungle Camp Eco Resort) saw an opportunity to make the world a better place by setting up a free nature Camp for the local community students, to learn about and gain a true appreciation of nature. The students are shown how to plant, care and harvest trees which follows King Rama IX sustainability agricultural project in teaching children the skills to be sustainable in their everyday life. We are growing organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices for self-sufficiency and to teach the community of its importance.
We believe that if we immerse young people in nature they’ll learn to love and protect it!
Meet our Khao Sok
Camp Staff
TA
Ta, in charge of the Jungle Life Camp, is 27 years old and from southern Thailand. She completed her studies in Construction Engineering and Environment in Bangkok, where she experienced traveling to places which integrated sustainable living, challenging her view of the world in terms of finding ways to provide solutions to make the world a better place. She incorporates sustainability in her lifestyle, and her mission is to help spread awareness to all ages about eco-living.
GAI
Gai has been a guide for the past 15 years and is one of our most experienced Birding guides. His heart is in the jungle, and Gai also loves spending his free time photographing nature. His dream is to make Khao Sok accessible for everyone and plans on someday offering tours for disabled people. At the Life Camp, Khun Gai educates from Soil Assessments over Birdwatching to Survival Skills and is highly committed to make sure everyone leaves the camp with more knowledge and stoked on nature.
LOVE
Love is an enthusiastic guide and very much enjoys spending time in nature, discovering exotic species of animals and plants. With a Master degree in Ecology from Songkhla University and many hands on experiences as Research Assistant for Marine and Fresh Water Conservation Projects, he’s been working with the National Park Authorities on conducting Ranger and Guide Trainings. While being at Our Jungle Life Camp, he enjoys taking students to the river for Water Quality and Animal Assessments.
Latest Updates
From the Jungle
Guide Training at Jungle Life Camp
On the 7th and 8th of September, we held a Guide Training at the Jungle Life Camp to collectively work on solutions and approaches for itineraries of school camps coming to stay with us. With a total of twelve people present, we exchanged ideas, ranging from planning diverse activities for nature education lessons to deciding upon which subjects...
A Day at Jungle Life Camp in Khao Sok
Hi there, I’m Juliana, the new intern for Jungle Life Camp in Khao Sok. I spent a day joining a Thai kids camp on their jungle trek adventure where I had the task of photographing them and helping out their camp instructor with any work. For you to be able to have an idea of what the kids do all day in camp, I wrote a blog on my experience with...
Who saved Khao Sok and the luxury of nature?
Khao Sok National Park is one of the best-preserved natural habitats in Thailand, and it's all thanks to the Communists. During the 1970s and early 80s, this area of thick jungle and caves was the perfect hide-out for the small band of Communist insurgents tickling the government at that time. Khao Sok in the early days A Peace Corps volunteer...