Thailand Part 4

Our last two days in Thailand were spent at an amazing resort called Birds & Bees.  Not only is it a beautiful and lush resort, it is run by a socially- and eco-conscious organization whose profits are used for fighting poverty through education in Thailand.  They have several restaurants as well, called Cabbages and Condoms.  The man who started this organization is known as the Condom King in Thailand, because he teaches about family planning in an effort to fight poverty and slow the spread of AIDS in Thailand - and he has been very successful.  The name "Cabbages and Condoms" is due to his belief that family planning and health issues should not be taboo -- they should be as easy to talk about as vegetables are.  Therefore the resaturant is decorated with condom art and condoms are passed out as after-dinner treats.  The organization now has a school in rural Thailand that is supported by the resort.  Students pay tuition by doing community service and planting trees.  They also hire people from rural Thailand to work at the resort, providing housing, daycare, and job training to people who otherwise would have very limited options.

An example of "condom art"

Playing at the pool

Loving the water slides!

We took a tour of the resort's mini-farm where they grow many of the fruits and vegetables, and produce eggs, for the restaurant. So inspiring!

Herbs and vegetables

Compost bins

Man-powered watering system for the mushroom house

Jack's favorite new fruit -- Jack fruit!

Pineapples

Also at the resort we learned about spirit houses, which are present near many of the Thai houses we had seen so far.