To mark the completion of the students’ first week in Thailand, ISDSI staff organized a scavenger hunt that took 7 teams of students to a variety of locations around Chiang Mai city.  Each team had 2.5 hours to visit and record observations at one location that was required for their team, visit Kad Luang (a large market) to make a purchase, and then visit as many of the other six locations as possible in the remaining time.  However, the fun didn’t stop there as they all had a list of specific photos that had to be taken at each location in order to earn points, and there were extra points given out for the “best” photo.

The scavenger hunt also provided many laughs, as some of the teams invited Thais into their photos, taxi drivers accidentally took the students to the wrong place, and passerbys pointed the students in the wrong direction.  Nonetheless, all the teams were able to visit many of the sites, and it was very impressive to see the teams make their way around the city using public transportation, a map and basic Thais language skills!  Here’s a glimpse into the scavenger hunt…

First on the list for all the teams was visiting Kad Luang and buying Thai sarongs, which are used for showering on some of the expeditions.  It was much to the male students’ surprise when they got home to their host families and found out that most of them had accidentally bought the female’s version. Oops! At least it was a great opportunity to laugh with their families.Walking through the market the teams then headed out for a photo on the Maebing River…this team added in some rombutan (fruit), too!

After Kat Luang, it was time for the teams to head to their team’s required location and then as many other sites as possible before time ran out. These teams headed to Wat Lok Moli for photos with the jedi monument and white elephants…Other teams headed to the new mall, Maya, which was in sharp contrast to Kad Luang.  Here the teams had to take photos in the 24 hour study space and in the snack aisle at the foreign food grocery store… Leaving the mall and walking across the street, the students were at their next location – a hype section in Chiang Mai city called Nimmanhaemin.  They had to find the large cat outside Local Cafe and then head down the road to Smoothie Blues.

While food, coffee and smoothies are definitely a part of city living, we wanted to make sure the students knew where they could find English books and see a more historical area of the city.  Off they were to Tapae Gate and Gecko Books. 

We also wanted to make sure the students paid a visit to Ram Hospital so they know where it is…And, since they are all college students, we couldn’t let them skip out on visiting Chiang Mai University to get a feel of a college campuse in Chiang Mai.The scavenger hunt also provided a great opportunity for the students to visit Kat Suan Gaeo Mall, as many of the students will need to buy gear for some of the expeditions at Sports World, which is located there.All in all, it was a success!  The students learned more about the city, experienced how to get around, used their basic Thai, and now know where to go for different things while they are studying abroad with ISDSI in Thailand.

Next up – ROCK CLIMBING!