Update from THA 2A!
July 7, 2026
We just landed in Krabi, and the whole group is so excited to begin our next adventure scuba diving! Everyone was thrilled when we arrived, but before that, we had some incredible days in Chiang Mai. After arriving in Chiang Mai from Karen Village, everyone enjoyed a great night’s sleep, complete with air conditioning and a hot shower, which all of the kids definitely appreciated. We kicked off our first day in Chiang Mai with a delicious breakfast featuring some new group favorites. Everyone especially loved the traditional Thai donuts, they were a huge hit! After breakfast, we headed out for our day of rock climbing and rappelling. We had about a 45-minute drive to the climbing site, and one of our favorite parts of every drive is taking turns playing everyone’s favorite songs. There was lots of singing, laughing, and dancing along as we made our way there.
Once we arrived, we split into two groups and started the morning with some fun icebreakers to get excited for the day. Everyone partnered and we did fun handshakes that our outfitters taught us while sharing something they were excited about and something they were nervous about. It was a great opportunity for everyone to talk through any nerves before the day’s adventures. After that, each group received a safety briefing for either rock climbing or rappelling, geared up, and got started. For the first half of the day, one group began with rappelling. Peter stepped up and was the first group member to take on the challenge. We started with a practice rappel before moving on to the exciting 120-foot rappel into a cave! After hiking to the top, everyone got harnessed in and prepared for the descent. Alex was nervous at first but rappelled like a pro and had so much fun. Once the group reached the bottom of the cave, they were able to watch the other half of the group rock climbing inside. Avery was a star on the climbing wall, taking on every route and making each one look easy. After both groups reunited, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and a chance to relax before switching activities. The second half of the day was filled with new climbing challenges, conquering fears of heights, and cheering each other on every step of the way. Victoria was eveyoenes number 1 fan, she was truly the group’s cheerleader. After such a full day, most of the group enjoyed a well-earned nap on the drive back to the hotel. That evening, we explored the famous Sunday Night Markets again, where some people picked up “I ❤️ Thailand” shirts and sampled plenty of street food. Some of us even tried crickets, Winston loved them and finished the entire bag! The group had a blast wandering through the markets and enjoying dinner together before ending the night with a great Moonup and some much-needed rest after an unforgettable day.
The next morning, we woke up to another beautiful day in Chiang Mai and headed to a cooking class in a local village. After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, we split into three groups of four and made our way to the local market. Each group was given a shopping list of ingredients needed for the day’s recipes. Lee led his group to victory, gathering everything the fastest. After purchasing all of their ingredients, and using the leftover money to buy a treat for everyone, we hopped into tuk-tuks and headed to the village. As always, Kennedy took over the aux for the drive. When we arrived, we were welcomed by the local women, who shared some of the village’s history before teaching us how to prepare our meal. The kids jumped right in, chopping vegetables, preparing the meat, cooking the rice, and helping every step of the way. Larkin was a little nervous about what we would be making, but she quickly became one of the first people helping with every task. While our lunch cooked, we also prepared dessert, a traditional rice mochi filled with toasted coconut. It quickly became Mary Katherine’s favorite thing she has eaten on the entire trip. Lunch included rice, chicken curry, fish, sweet potatoes, and egg boats. It was such a unique experience for the kids to see firsthand how many of the meals we’ve enjoyed throughout Thailand are traditionally prepared. On the way back to the hotel, we made our required 7-Eleven stop before spending the afternoon swimming, listening to music, and relaxing together. That evening, we showered up and headed to a new restaurant for dinner, which ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip. We even got to sign our names on the wall! Frances led the group in drawing the Moondance symbol with all of our names around it. On the way home, we surprised everyone with an ice cream stop, which led to plenty of laughter and great conversations. Back at the hotel, we wrapped up the night with Moonup before surprising the kids one last time with a late-night Taco Bell order, something they had been requesting since the beginning of the trip.
To wrap up our time in Chiang Mai, we surprised everyone with a morning to sleep in and watch the World Cup game together, even though we came up a little short! Afterward, we headed to a fun brunch spot where everyone enjoyed a delicious breakfast. Since it was World Chocolate Day, pancakes were an easy choice and definitely did not disappoint. Then it was time for our travel day. At the Chiang Mai airport, we had fun browsing the bookstore and even picked up a few new card games to play during our flights.Campbelln led the initiative for some of the group to get foot massages while we waited for our flight. Once we landed in Bangkok, we had enough time to grab dinner before boarding our final flight to Krabi. During that last flight, we were treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets of the trip, and everyone loved watching it from the plane. When we finally arrived in Krabi, it was all smiles. Of course, our first stop had to be 7-Eleven for some late-night snacks before heading to the hotel. Pierce is 7/11’s biggest fan, always walking out with a handful of Thai speciality snacks. We wrapped up our first night in Krabi with another great Moonup and got a good night’s sleep before our first day of scuba diving. We are so excited for the kids to get in the water and begin the next chapter of our adventure. We can’t wait to share all of the incredible memories from the ocean with you in our next update!
Talk soon!
Jack and Caki
Exciting Times, Excellent Friends, And Elephants!
July 4, 2026
Hellooooo from Thailand! The kids all arrived safely and we were SO excited to meet them. We got them from the airport, and headed for the hotel. Before heading to bed, we got them some McDonald’s, as they just had a very long travel day. After this, they headed to bed to prepare for the best 3 weeks EVER! MK and Frances helped Jack out by assisting him in the McDonald’s run.
Today, we woke up pretty early and headed to the airport to meet Pierce and Kennedy at the airport, as their flight arrived a little later. At the airport, we enjoyed some card games and good conversation to get to know each other. After arriving in Chiang Mai, we went to our hotel. We then went to lunch down the street, which the kids loved as their first Thai meal. Victoria loved her meal so much and got super excited for all the yummy meals to come! We then went to a local thrift store to do some Thailand shopping and went to the grocery store to pick up some snacks. When we were hanging we decided to swim, as Thailand is a lot hotter than the states, and Campbell was the first to jump in. After this we headed to one of our favorite restaurants in Thailand. What’s even more special about this place is the Sunday market that is right outside. The kids were able to shop after we ate, Kennedy, Caki, and Frances even got matching t-shirts to wear during this trip. We then headed home, had moonup, and went to bed to rest for the next day!
Everyone was very excited as we woke up, since today was the day we got to meet some elephants! Everyone was excited and nervous as we made our way to the elephant sanctuary! We arrived and learned about the elephants from our outfitter! Next up was making elephant medicine to feed to them later! We all worked together to create the medicine out of bananas, turmeric, and other herbs. Winston was a star at mixing the medicine up and helping to package it! Then, it was time for us to gear up into traditional Thai shirts to meet the elephants. As we walked down to the river, the elephants came into view, and we could see the smiles forming on everyone’s faces! Alex’s face lit up when we were able to feed and touch the elephants! We got to feed them medicine and other fruits, and even got to have elephant kisses which Larkin loved! After getting to hang out with the elephants in their home, we were able to get in the nearby river and bathe them. It was a surreal experience being sprayed with water by an elephant’s trunk!! Pierce was first to help the elephants spray the group! The day ended by saying bye to the elephants and enjoying some great lunch! The group then played lots of card games, including spoons, which Avery always won. We all headed to get some rest.
Today, we woke up, had a delicious breakfast, and got ready for our hike. We loaded up the vans and drove about an hour while listening to music and creating our THA 2A playlist, and then arrived at the trail head. Lee took the lead in creating the playlist, adding so many of his favorites, which have been a hit with the kids. We hiked about 45 minutes, and arrived at the mid way point, which was a beautiful waterfall. We swam, took pictures, and Peter even showed off his skills with skipping rocks. After this, we changed and continued our hike. We hiked about an hour and a half sharing stores and listening to our new playlist. After finishing the hike, we ate lunch and then headed for the village. We arrived and got settled into our sleeping arrangements. After this, we hung out, played some cards, and then the kids eagerly helped with dinner. This soon became a recurring theme with every meal, and the boys were especially helpful! We then had a great moonup and went to bed.
The following day, we woke up, had breakfast, and then headed to our worksite for the first day of service work. We began by mixing concrete and plastering the water silos that the previous groups had created. Victoria was our hardest worker, doing ever my job she possibly could. We took a snack break in between and then continued our hard work. After this, we headed back to our home and had a delicious lunch. After lunch, we went to see the school kids and took a tour of the school. The kids made us tiger balm, and we saw how they made their hand bags. We then went to the rice fields to see how they plant the rice that we eat at every meal. This quickly became messy as Frances led our mid fight for the group. This was a core memory for the kids and we are still talking about it. After this, we went to a nearby river to clean off and headed back home. The kids, per usual, headed up to the kitchen to help prepare dinner, while some others enjoyed a good convo and played some card games. We then ate, had moonup, and headed to bed!
Today, we headed back up to the water towers to finish our plastering job. We continued to work shaping the towers together and then worked on finishing the concert that the silo laid on top of. Everyone worked together and enjoyed listening to music while finishing the job! At the end of our morning working the local village, people came to thank us for our work and give us traditional Thai bags that are hand woven. Everyone was very appreciative and loved the gifts! After lunch, we got to go see where the village makes its medicine and learn about the medicine they use. It was very interesting to hear all about this process. We then walked over to another house to get a history lesson about the village. We learned about different tools and techniques they used in the rice fields. We then got to try first hand how to pound rice. Later that evening, we got to watch the sun set over the rice fields, which was one of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen. We finished the night with a great moonup.
For our last full day in the village, we got to paint the water tanks we had created. We all worked together to paint the Moondance logo and all of our names into the tanks. It was really fun seeing everyone’s creative juices flow while painting. We got to admire our finished work and take lots of photos! We got to eat at a local restaurant for lunch in the village, which everyone enjoyed! We got to make our own traditional soup. Once back at our host family’s house, we created a game for the kids to play. We separated the kids into 3 groups and gave them a song to create a dance to. It was so fun to see their creative side come out and to see them let loose and have lots of fun.
One of our favorite memories from the village was watching each kid eager to learn about the culture and help out whenever and wherever they could. Watching everyone help cook each meal with our host family was amazing to see. Peter was always the first to see if anyone needed help in the kitchen!
We woke up on our travel day out of the village with heavy hearts! The kids have become so attached to this beautiful village and its amazing people. The hardest goodbye was to the 2- year- old of the family we stayed with. After some sad farewells, we packed up the vans and headed for bamboo rafting! When we arrived, we immediately jumped on the rafts and headed down the river. On this beautiful ride, we saw many elephants and amazing views. This relaxing ride gave the kids plenty of time to chat and hang out. After we got to our stopping point, we got out and had some lunch at this rice restaurant. The kids enjoyed some Thai noodles, ice cream, and soda! After this, we headed for the hotel and got settled. We hung out, swam, played cards, and of course listened to some 4th of July music! In honor of this holiday, we got one of our favorite dinners at a Nashville inspired restaurant just a few minutes away from our hotel. The kids got milkshakes and even a s’more set, feeling just at home. We then headed home, had an amazing moonup full of many laughs, and went to bed to get some rest for our busy day tomorrow.
We are having the absolute BEST time out here in Thailand. This group is unbeatable and mesh so well. We are constantly laughing, chatting, and enjoying every second. We can’t thank you enough for this amazing group!
Looking forward to the next update!!
Best,
Jack and Caki!!!!
Shoutouts:
Victoria – Hi Mom and Dad!! Thank you sooo much for sending me on this trip! I am having the best time ever and love everyone here. Please tell Cocoa hi, and I love and miss y’all a lot.
Alex- Hey Dad! Thank you for sending me here. I miss you so much. Tell everyone I love and miss them!!
Kennedy – Hey Mom, I miss you so much! Spending time in the village has been so eye opening, and I wish you could experience it. Dad, you would love all of the food and building the water tank for the village. We’ve met the kindest people, and I couldn’t ask for a better group. Thank you both for sending me to such an amazing place. I love you and the boys so much!!! Tell Tutu and all of my friends that I miss them too. See y’all soon!!!!
Avery-Hey Mom and Drew, I miss y’all. Thank you for sending me on this amazing trip. It’s beautiful. Tell my buddies and everyone I said happy 4th of July. Love y’all
Lee- Mom, Dad, Henry, Thailand is such a cool place and you guys would like being here. The people and things that we have gotten to do have been really cool. Henry, Happy Birthday and Happy 4th of July to all of you. Thank you Mom and Dad for letting me come on this trip. It is awesome, and I am so grateful.
Pierce- Hey Mom and Dad! I just wanted to say thanks for sending me on this trip. It is really fun, and I am getting along with everyone very well. Haven’t felt my pockets for my phone in a while, so the detoxing from it is working. Miss and love you guys. Tell Will he is missing out and Mrs. Stern better lock in for next year’s trip.
Peter- Hey guys!! This is literally the most insane place I have ever been. We have stayed in a village for the past 5 days, and it has been amazing seeing the villagers living style and culture. Tell everyone I said hi, and I can’t wait to tell you guys everything. Miss y’all!!
Frances- Hey fam! I’m having the best time ever and love everyone in my group so much. We are getting along so well and have gotten so close so fast. I’m so excited for everything that is to come and tell my friends I said Gerba is thriving. I miss y’all but want to stay here forever!!!!!!!!! Kisses xoxoxoxoxoxo I loooooove y’all!!!!!
Campbell- Hey Mom, Dad, and Kate!! I love and miss y’all so so much, but I am genuinely having the best time ever. I love my group so much, and my leaders are the best! We have just left the village and now about to bamboo raft on a river, and I can’t wait to tell y’all everything else!! Tell my friends I miss them but genuinely having the best time ever, and I’m so so thankful y’all sent me on such an amazing trip. I love and miss y’all so so much!!!!
Larkin- Hey fam. I miss y’all so much! I want y’all to know that I’m having such an amazing time here, and I have had so much fun. Time is already going by so fast. I love my group so much and everyone in it, and we have all gotten so close. I’m very excited for the rest of our activities on the trip, even though the ones we have already done are literally amazing. I miss you guys a lot, but I never want to leave Thailand. I love it here. It’s so cool and different from America, and I have loved seeing all of it. Also, hi Avaaa I miss you and can’t wait to see you and catch up with you soon. Don’t worry I will be back before you know it. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
MK- Hey Mom, Dad, and Law! I hope y’all are doing so good in Atlanta! This trip has been so fun! We just finished our first section, and we are leaving the village right now! I am so excited for the scuba diving part! It’s coming up!! Today is the Fourth of July! Today, we are going to go bamboo rafting! It looks super chill and fun! I really like my group, and we have all gotten super close! I can’t believe it’s already day 9!! Thailand is such a pretty country and a lot of the food has been rly rly good!! There’s lots of fried rice and there’s SOOO much fruit! I have eaten so so sooooo much mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and watermelon!! It’s been amazing! The pad Thai is also so yummmm! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip!! I can’t wait to see y’all soon and show you all the vlogs and the thousands of photos we have taken! Y’all are the best! Love and miss y’all so so much!! Can’t wait to catch up and see y’all in Nantucket! Love, MK!!
Winston – Hey Mom, Dad, Bennett and Indy. This trip has been sick and fun. Thank you for letting me have such a special experience. I miss y’all. PS: If I don’t get another update in time, Happy Birthday Dad!
Safe Arrival: All Together!
June 28, 2026
Hello Thailand Families and Friends!
We wanted to let you know that the group has picked up their last two arrivals and is safely in Chiang Mai. They are so excited to be together!
We look forward to updating you on their adventures!
Best,
Moondance HQ
Safe Arrival!
June 27, 2026
Hello Thailand Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely! Two students on alternative flights will meet the group tomorrow morning for their flight to Chiang Mai! We will update once the whole group is all together tomorrow! We cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure ahead!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
