7-Day Training + 4 Month Online
Thailand, Koh Phra Thong – Baba Ecolodge November 2026
7 Day In Person
- Cohort Koh Phra Thong, Thailand
- /
- November 16, 2026
- to
- November 22, 2026
4 Months Online
- December 10, 2026
- to
- April 8, 2027
- Enrollment Open
7-day In-person Training
In this training, you will learn:
- Be guided on Forest Therapy walks by your trainers
- Learn how to guide ANFT’s Standard Sequence – A Powerful approach to nature connection
- Guide your first Forest Therapy walk
- Sequencing forest therapy invitations for maximum impact and benefit
- The heart-centered Way of the Guide approach
- The Language for Relational Forest Therapy to help create powerful connections with self and nature
- Somatic techniques for embodied awareness
- Start developing and deepening your relationship with the land
- Trail awareness and safety -how to choose a forest therapy trail
- Facilitation skills that promote an open environment for group sharing
- Competency standards: what a Forest Therapy Guide should know and be able to do
- Practical exercises and explorations to consolidate your learning
About the Venue
Baba Ecolodge
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.
Here, you will experience forest therapy across various ecosystems and habitats.
Lodging
Accommodation are spacious wooden bespoke and traditional Thai villas, which 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.
There are private villas as well as multi-room shared villas. Toiletries (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner) and towels are provided.
Eco-friendly features of the accommodations 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.
All participants must stay on-site, and camping is not allowed.
Meals
Daily breakfast is included with all accommodation. A celebration dinner on the last night is also already included with the accommodation.
All other lunch, dinner and drinks will be ala carte, i.e. you will order from the day’s menu. 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.
Full board option is also available at THB 1,450 per pax per room night (you can decide on this when you arrive at the resort).
Fees of your meals and drinks will be charged to you, and you will settle these fees directly with the resort upon check out.
There will be complimentary drinking water, coffee and tea provided in each villa.
No cooking is allowed. There are no shops or grocery stores on the island. You can bring snacks and drinks from the mainland, but be sure to store them properly during your stay to avoid incidences with wild monkeys and other wildlife. You are also reminded to bring any plastic waste back to the mainland with you.
Transportation
Fly to: Phuket International Airport.
From Phuket International Airport to Kuraburi Pier by minivans, and onwards to Baba Ecolodge by local boats:
We will arrange shared minivan and local boat transfers for the entire group. The minivans will depart from the airport on 16 November, 9:30 AM.
Return trip: the boats will depart from Baba Ecolodge no earlier than 2:30 PM on 22 November.
The estimated duration for the transfers are – minivan ride: 2.5 hours; boat ride: 1.5 hours each way.
The estimated transfer fee is THB 3800 – THB 5500 (approx. USD 120 – 180) per pax for 2 ways transfers. The trainers will confirm with all participants on the final transfer fee nearer to the start date, once the number of participants are confirmed. The transfer fee is to be paid in cash (Thai baht only) to the trainers upon check in on the first day.
Schedule Details for the 7 Day in Person Training
Arrival
Registration & Check-in:
- Monday, 16 November 2026, 1 pm – 4 pm
Welcome Circle:
- Monday, 16 November 2026, from 4 pm onwards
Departure
Close & Check-out:
- Sunday, 22 November 2026, by 2.30 pm
General Notes
Wifi is available 24h at the reception, and available at the dining area during breakfast and lunch.
Mobile network is available but can be spotty at times due to the remoteness of the location.
Full payment of your selected and/or assigned accommodation will be charged to your credit card about 30 days prior to your arrival.
Cancellation Policy (venue and accommodation)
- Cancellation charge less than 30 days prior to arrival is 80% of booking.
- Cancellation charge for prepaid stays 60-30 days before arrival is 40% of booking.
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.
For enquiries and questions, please contact the trainers at andamanseadolphins@gmail.com.
4 Month Online
In this second part of the training, 4 months online you will:
- Consolidate the learning from the 7 day in person training
- Guide your practice walks
- Debrief your practice walks with the training team and your cohort colleagues
- Sequencing forest therapy invitations for maximum impact and benefit
- Getting to know your bioregion, its history, watershed, awarenesses and more
- Nature and forest therapy scientific research and knowledge
- Learn how to develop your guiding practice
- Continue to deepen your relationship with the land
- Practical exercises and explorations to deepen your guiding skills
The training is designed in a way that will gently guide you through all the steps and processes to integrate and deepen the learning in your head and in your body. Upon completion of this course you will be able to succesfully guide forest therapy walks within the framework of ANFT’s guide certification training.
Schedule for LIVE Online calls for 4 month training
Tuition
The tuition for the complete program that includes the 7 day in person training and the 4 month online program is 3600 (USD).
Payment plans are available on registration.
IMPORTANT: This price does not include lodging, meals nor transportation to the 7 day in person training.
Other costs to your training include payment for Wilderness First Aid training, which is required for Certification, and is provided by third parties. Prices range from $100 to $300.
Tuition figures are subject to change.
Training Team
- Youmin Yap
- 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.
- Amanda Yik
- 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.