A 4 day in-person gathering, with 1 or 2 trainers, and people from different cohorts where you will have the opportunity to apply what you learned, experience in-person forest therapy walks and simply connect and share experiences and stories with other guides.
In this immersion, you will:
Get a hands on experience of what you learned
Get to know trainers personally
Get to know other guides and connect
Learn from shared experiences with other guides
Deepen into the practice
Get the opportunity to ask specific questions that might come up
Once you complete this four-day immersion, your certification will be moved from provisional to permanent. You have two years after you complete the six month core training course to complete an immersion. It will help to give you a sense of the community of guides that has grown and is active throughout the world.
This is an ASL video by Deaf certified ANFT guide, Summer Crider, explaining the details of this retreat, including some video clips of the Aspen Camp location.
BABA Ecolodge is an eco-resort located on the unspoiled Ko Phra Thong Island in the south-west of Thailand on the edge of a national park.
Located at the Andaman Sea, the resort offers both a private 12-kilometre beach fringed by coconut trees and a virgin jungle, and a calm protected bay with shallow clear water. At the end of the bay, you find a system of small mangrove streams that takes the mind to an Amazon adventure. Additionally, just a few steps outside of the resort, you will find Thailand’s only savannah. This unparalleled hidden gem is only accessible by longtail boats from the mainland.
There is an abundance of wildlife and nature at BABA Ecolodge. Some of the most popular wildlife that shares the environment includes the crab-eating macaques, beautiful hornbills, tugae lizards, green turtles and white-bellied sea eagles.
The wooden bespoke and traditional villas have been created in harmony with the natural features of the resort, seamlessly blending into the surrounding environment. All the villas offer private gardens and elevated wooden decks for relaxation, either hidden under the lush tropical canopy or directly facing the calm Andaman Sea.
Some eco-friendly features of the resort include:
• Conscious avoidance of air conditioning. Instead, the houses are constructed in a traditional manner to make the most of the sea breeze. This is supplemented at night by ceiling fans.
• Conscious avoidance of televisions but sunsets provide the best early evening show you could wish for.
• Minimized change of linens and beach towels (every third day) unless you request otherwise.
• Hot water for showers (only for selected villas) derived solely from solar panels. Soak yourself into ultimate unregulated freedom – a haven of natural serenity in which to reconnect with the rhythms of the earth.
Prices are in Thai Baht
The equivalent that is provided in USD is an estimate only and based on current conversion rates at the time of publishing. Visit www.xe.com for the latest conversion rates.
The accommodation fees are per person for the entire immersion, including lodging and all meals/full board (3 meals a day), and is in addition to the tuition paid to ANFT. The fees range from THB 7,823 - THB 24,950 ($211 – $675), depending on the type of villa/room.
Spacious traditional Thai villas with ample privacy. Each villa is unique, and they range from one-bedroom beachfront villas to luxury forest canopied family villas with private rooms. There are rooms with king- or queen- sized beds available, suitable for participants travelling with a spouse or partner who will not be participating in the immersion. For example,
Villa Chokdee (beachfront villa with 3 private rooms)
Single occupancy – THB 12,980 per pax ($350)
Double occupancy – THB 8,690 per pax ($235)
Villa Naga (private beachfront villa)
Single occupancy – THB 24,940 per pax ($673)
Double occupancy – THB 14,670 per pax ($396)
Villa Bontemps (jungle villa with 4 private rooms)
Single occupancy – THB 12,135 per pax ($328)
Double occupancy – THB 8,268 per pax ($223)
Villa Metha (jungle villa with 3 private rooms)
Single occupancy – THB 11,247 per pax ($304)
Double occupancy – THB 7,823 per pax ($211)
More villa options are available HERE.
Camping is not allowed.
Extension of stay: participants can book extended stay at these preferential full board rates. The villas and rooms at BABA Ecolodge will be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once you register for this immersion, you will receive more information about the different villa and room types. You will also be connected with the resort manager who will personally assist you on your accommodation bookings.
All meals are included (full board) with accommodation.
We begin with dinner on 3 November, and end with lunch on 7 November.
The kitchen prepares a new menu every day based on seasonality and availability, and will be able to cater for special dietary requirements including vegetarians and vegans.
There will be drinking water, coffee and tea. Additional drinks are payable by each participant upon check out. There are no shops or grocery stores on the island. You can bring along snacks and drinks to the resort from the mainland, but be sure to store them properly during the day to avoid incidences with the monkeys. You are also reminded to bring any plastic waste back to the mainland with you
Getting to Thailand:
Nearest international airport: Phuket International Airport
Nearest domestic airport: Ranong Airport (with several daily flights from Bangkok)
Getting to Kuraburi pier: From either Phuket or Ranong airports, you will need to travel a few hours to arrive at the Kuraburi pier. You can travel via pre-arranged private car or taxi.
Getting to the island: Transfer to longtail boats by licensed operators will be arranged. The boat ride takes approximately 90 minutes, with beautiful scenery of the sea, islands, jungles and mangroves. Chartered boats will be shared by participants and will be scheduled to depart from the pier between 10:30 am - 2 pm on 3 November. Fees for the boat will be shared by participants - THB 285 per person ($8) for a one-way trip, if shared by 7 people.
When you book your accommodation with BABA Ecolodge, the resort manager will arrange the timing of the boat ride with you. If you prefer the resort to arrange airport transfers for you, you can inform them at the time of booking too. Once you register for this immersion, you will receive detailed information and recommendations for different transportation options.
Arrival and registration: 3 November 2023, between 1 pm – 4 pm.
Welcome Circle: 3 November 2023, begins at 4 pm.
Closing and Check out: 7 November 2023, by 3 pm.
COVID POLICY
Participants will need to have a negative COVID test before entering the venue premises, within 24 hours of the start of the event. This can be an at-home-test and needs to be presented to the trainers before or during registration. The training team will be in touch the month before the immersion to let you know what the specific COVID protocol will be during the immersion. The policy will likely mirror whatever the local policy is at the time of the event. Much of the immersion will take place outside and everyone will have the option to wear a mask whenever they wish to do so. Please be in touch directly with the trainers for this immersion if you have any additional questions.
CANCELLATION POLICY (FOR VENUE)
Cancellations made 30 days in advance of the check-in are cancelled without charge but minus any bank charges or fees. For cancellations less than 30 days in advance of check-in, 20% of the total stay can be refunded.
WIFI and NETWORK
WiFi is available 24 hrs at reception, and available at The Clubhouse during meal times. Mobile network is available but can be spotty at times due to the remoteness of the location.
VENUE POLICIES
Cooking in the villas is strictly prohibited. Pets are not allowed. The head is considered a special and spiritual part of the body. Touching anyone on the head is offensive; including children. Please dress suitably. There is no special dress code and beachwear is viewed as normal attire, but please consider that others live here. Please wear cover-ups when going to the beach, and also at the Clubhouse. Please reduce your waste and re-use containers such as water bottles. Also take away with you any waste that cannot be recycled.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Additional Costs to Consider
Longtail boat transfers to/from the resort. Fees for the boat will be shared by participants – THB 285 per pax ($8) for a one-way trip, if shared by 7 people.
Ride-sharing and accommodation sharing options
For anyone interested in ride-sharing and/or accommodation sharing, you will have the option to provide your travel details and contact information in order to connect with others who are registered for the immersion.
Payments during your stay at the resort is by Visa, MasterCard or cash (Thai Baht only). Debit cards are not accepted.
Other activities available at the resort include yoga classes, massages and day trips to the surrounding islands. There is also complimentary use of snorkeling and kayaking equipment.
The tuition for the four-day immersion is $495. Wait to pay until you are ready to register for a specific immersion. You will have two years from the completion of your core guide training to do the immersion.
Immersion tuition does not include transportation, lodging or camping fees and food. These expenses are separate from the program costs for the four-day immersion and are the responsibility of the trainee.
IMPORTANT: Please wait until you receive enrollment confirmation before booking travel and lodging.
Tuition figures are current as of January 1 2021 and are subject to change.
Vicky Kyan is the first ANFT Certified Guide, Mentor and Trainer in the Southern Hemisphere. She is a strong advocate for the practice of Nature and Forest Therapy, and for the promotion of trainings in the South Pacific. She is largely inspired by her local ocean beach, seashore and estuary ecosystems, where she has pioneered this work since her Guide Training with ANFT in North California in May 2015.
Vicky operates a small Homestay holiday retreat, where she offers ‘Wellbeing Wanders’ Nature and Forest Therapy guided experiences. When she is not travelling she uses her Pacific Island home as a base for mentoring ANFT trainee guides and building network with nature connection contacts both nationally and around the world. She is also an active member of the ANFT International Training Team and travels to trainings around the world.
Amanda’s deep connection with nature has supported her through life’s many challenges, including multiple career transitions and critical illness. She felt called to be of service to the earth in 2006, but it took her many years and a winding path before encountering Forest Therapy, a practice that deeply resonated with her calling. Having trained as part of Cohort 18, Amanda has been an ANFT Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide since 2017, when she founded Shinrin-Yoku Hong Kong, through which she has offered more than 200 forest therapy and nature connection experiences, on- and off-line, to support busy urbanites on bodyful and soulful journeys of homecoming through reconnecting with nature. Amanda is particularly called to support people in transition and those facing chronic stress, and she collaborates extensively with the corporate sector, environmental and conservation organizations, the social service sector and educational institutions. Amanda is honoured to be a mentor for guides-in-training, and the first Asia-based ANFT trainer. She is also an International Coach Federation Certified Professional Coach for Transformation and long-time yoga, mindfulness and tai chi practitioner.
Youmin is one of Southeast Asia's pioneer certified Forest Therapy Guides. She trained with Cohort 18 in 2017 and has since been offering the practice on a full-time basis. Currently based in Singapore, Youmin founded Xiu Nature Connections to offer forest therapy experiences with the intention to ignite the importance of deep restorative rest and deep connections for the wellbeing of stressed-out and disconnected city dwellers. In her practice, Youmin has partnered and worked with several organizations including designing and hosting of community nature programs for the National Parks Board of Singapore, wellness workshops for spas and resorts such as Museflower Retreat and Spa in Thailand, staff wellbeing events for companies such as GIC Singapore, wellbeing support programs for community groups such as Singapore Cancer Society, introductory workshops for related industries such as the Department of Tourism of Philippines etc. Her work has also been shared at various international conferences. On the invite from the National Parks Board Singapore, Youmin published an article on "Urban Forest Therapy". Youmin holds a degree of Master in Science in life sciences from the National University of Singapore, and a postgraduate diploma in education from the National Institute of Education Singapore.
Dr, Qing Li (MD, PhD) graduated from Shanxi Medical University in China and got a PhD degree from Kagoshima University in Japan. He has studied at Stanford University School of Medicine.
He is a clinical professor at Nippon Medical School, President of the Japanese Society of ForestMedicine, Director of the Forest Therapy Society, Vice-President and Secretary General of International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine (INFOM) (https://www.infom.org).
Prof. Li is the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine and immunology. He has received Society ward from the Japanese Society for Hygiene in Forest Medicine in 2022 and University Award from Nippon Medical School in Forest Medicine in 2011 (https://researchmap.jp/read0045249?lang=en)
Some people study medicine. Some people study forest. Dr. Li studies forest medicine to find out all the ways in which walking in the forest can improve our well-being. He started the forest medicine research (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing/Forest therapy) from 2004 and has published many articles in scientific journals and books in forest medicine.
His book: Shinrin-yoku (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/308285/shinrin-yoku/9780241984857.html) has been translated into 26 languages.
His book: Forest bathing (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/579709/forest-bathing-by-dr-qing-li/) was ranked in the bestseller list in the US in 2018.
Susan Abookire, BSEE, MD, MPH, FACP, is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, a practicing Internist, and a senior executive with 20 years’ experience leading healthcare organizations. She has served as Chief Medical Officer, System Chief Quality Officer, and Chair of Quality and Patient Safety. Dr. Abookire began her career as an electrical engineer in aviation systems. She has taught nationally and internationally on patient safety, high reliability, systems design, and the health benefits of nature. Dr. Abookire also enjoys being a Forest Therapy guide and incorporates Forest Therapy into medical curricula.
Dr. Robert Zarr is a physician researcher and public health pediatrician based at Unity Health Care, Inc. and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Canada. He has provided medical care to minority and immigrant populations for more than 20 years.
A longtime advocate for Medicare for All, Dr. Zarr served as PNHP president from 2015 through 2016. He founded and was the first medical director of Park Rx America, a community health initiative to prescribe nature to patients and families to prevent and treat chronic disease and promote wellness. A certified nature and forest therapy guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, Dr. Zarr previously served as the Park Rx Advisor to the National Park Service in his national advocacy to connect patients to parks.
Dr. Zarr earned his medical degree at Baylor University and his MPH at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and completed residency in pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor.
Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves. Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.
Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves. Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.
Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves. Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.
Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves.
Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.
After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Our Mission: Support planetary health by nurturing heart-centered relationships between all peoples and the More-Than-Human World of Nature.
