Ecovillage Lifestyle ExperienCE Week (ELEW)
Immerse yourself in the inspiring Ecovillage lifestyle. Learn and grow through daily yoga and meditation, fun activities, and theoretical sessions. Discuss and apply the philosophy behind the social, economic, ecological, and worldview dimensions of sustainability/regenerative design. Dive into the fundamentals of Ecovillage Design Education by Gaia Education. Get your hands dirty with daily practical permaculture hands-on sessions. Practice natural building, gardening and more.
At its core, an Ecovillage Lifestyle is all about holistic living and drawing from the wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and experiences from Ecovillages around the world. We’re passionate about providing a multi-sensory learning experience that engages your mind, heart, and hands. That’s why our Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Week (certified by Gaia Education) is a blend of theory, hands-on learning, and deep conversations.
Course details
Upcoming Course Dates
- 9 – 15 March, 2026
- 1 – 7 June, 2026
- 31 August – 6 September, 2026
- 2 – 8 November, 2026
- 15 – 21 February, 2027
What is an Ecovillage?
An Ecovillage Lifestyle is a holistic way of living that covers all aspects of life and is built upon the knowledge, wisdom, and experiences of ecovillages from all around the globe. Put together by the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), the concept of Ecovillage Design is a whole systems design based on 4 areas of regeneration: social, culture, ecology, and economy.
Social Dimension
The Social Dimension addresses social systems and is rethinking and rebuilding human communities. What are the ways to live and work together in harmony? How can we as a community support and strengthen the individual? What are conscious and compassionate ways of making decisions or managing conflicts to create a. more vibrant future together.
Economic Dimension
Economic Design relates to a more resilient and participatory economic system that doesn’t harm nature and people. What are the alternatives? What are the existing systems and tools? How can you survive economically be in line with your values and ethics without exploiting Mother Earth and all her beings? Can we earn that support regeneration of our biosphere?
Ecological Dimension
This dimension covers the Ecological aspect of land design that includes green architecture, sustainable agriculture, ecological engineering, ecological restoration, and regenerative development and aims for an ecological balance in coexistence with nature. It consists of analyzing and managing water, soil, energy, waste management to create circular systems and sustain ecological interdependencies. The Ecological Dimension will give you an introduction into Permaculture and other designs practices that correspond to the natural system, such as the Thai Khok Nong Na system.
Cultural Dimension
The cultural dimension includes our worldview, our culture, and our spirituality and invites us to questions our basic assumptions and become more conscious about your own worldview. What kind of values do we hold? How do we give meaning to life and the world?
Ecovillages tend to have different identities or cultures because of their cultural traditions and practices. Although ecological communities are generally similar, they often communicate in different languages and are based on different core values.
Schedule
Every day we cover one of the dimension of Ecovillage Design Education. Generally in the morning we have more Theoretical & Social sharing sessions. Afternoon we will focus on hands-on activities related to permaculture.
Check out our daily schedule here:
Please note that the Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Weeks starts on the Monday 14:30 and finishes on a Saturday at 16:00 afternoon.
We request participants to not arrive on Sunday as it is the community members day-off. If you would like to arrive earlier it is better to arrive on a Saturday. We also encourage participant to arrive in the daytime not in the evening. Please plan your trip accordingly.
Who is this course for?
- People seeking a deeper connection with nature and themselves
- Individuals interested in sustainable living and community building
- Those looking for personal growth and transformation
Registration
To confirm your spot for our Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Week (ELEW):
- Sent us an email to gaiaschoolasia@gmail.com
- Fill registration form here! <–for 2025 dates + March 2026.
- For ELEW courses in the June 2026-early 2027 season, register here.
- Confirm your booking though email to gaiaschoolasia@gmail.com
- Payment of Course Fee (see below for fees and payment options)
Course Fee
ELEW 8-13 December, 2025: 8,900 baht
Starting from March 2026, the ELEW will be 1 day longer, include a design component, and be certified by Gaia Education.
New Prices and Offers from 2026:
13,500 THB
Early Bird Fee (book 3 months in advance) : 10% off – 12,150
Fee for Youth under 16 yrs : 6,750 THB
Fee for Children under 12 yrs : 3,800 THB
Infant until 3 yrs : Free
Special Offers – Packages:
-ELEW from 31 August – 6 September + Deep Ecology from 7-12 September = 10% off both courses
-ELEW from 15 – 21 February, 2027 + Practical Permaculture from 22 – 27 February, 2027 = 10% off both courses
The ELEW course fee includes the teaching fee, 3 vegetarian meals per day, and accommodation in dormitory. During the course you can join the yoga/Thai Chi and/or dance session + various other enrichment activities and workshops. Gaia Ashram has private single or double rooms available for an extra charge (See below for room rates)
CANCELLATION
Please not that the course fee is non-refundable if you cancel the course we cannot refund the course fee. We are able to hold the course fee for you to be used to join a future course at Gaia Ashram if you wish to do so.
If the course has less then 4 people we will hold the right to cancel the course and refund your payment.
Payment
We ask participant to pay the full amount of the course fee prior to arrival at Gaia Ashram. We accept payments made through Wise, Revolut, and local Thai bank transfer, or Wechat if paying from China. If none of these options are possible for people from your country, email us and we will arrange an alternative.
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Dreaming to build a community yourself? Check out our legacy 32-day Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) Course – Certified by Gaia Education that has inspired and equipped earth stewards from around the world for years!
Want to get in depth into Ecological Dimension? Check out our transformative 17-day Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course and 5-day Deep Ecology Course
Accommodation & FOOD
Food
Accommodation
Included in the course fee is a dormitory/ hostel style accommodation. Mosquito nets, cushions, bedding, and blankets are provided. For those that want more privacy:
- Private rooms for an extra fee (Double room 2,100 THB for course duration depending on availability at the time, Ideal for couples and/or small family). Single Room is 1500 THB. Please choose your preferred accommodation in the registration form.
- Gaia Ashram Family house can host a family up to 5 people. This is a comfortable space that has its own shower. Family house prices are available upon request.
Please inform us of your preferred accommodation in the registration form. We would then check the availability and book it for you if available.
Toilets & Showers
Please be aware that all our toilets and showers are shared and separate from our sleeping accommodation. Only the family house has its own shower.
We have dry composting toilet and vermicomposting toilets (these look like regular flush toilets). We also ask participants to use natural products for our showers as all the water is being reused by plants.
Other Facilities
- Common space for sessions: Classroom sessions will be held in our natural built sala, our recently build nursery and outdoors. Practical sessions will be happening on different locations on the land.
- Library/office in the sala where you can do some work or check out our books.
- Gaia Cafe & Shop where you can relax and have a coffee or some other drinks. Here we also sell some of our natural products from the land such as natural soap/shampoo/mosquito repellant etc.
- Swimming pond Gaia Ashram has a recently freshly dug swimming pond that is refreshing to have a swim. Near the swimming pond there is a little sala where can hang out during breaks.
- Kayaking & bicycling. We have a few kayak available for rent please check with the team on the prices and logistics of it. There is the swimming pond where you could kayak and down the river depending on the season. We have a few bicycle available that you can use to explore the local villages or go shopping nearby.
- Internet: We provide Wi-Fi in our cafe, the library/office and in the fairy house and you usually get good reception with provider AIS (https://www.ais.th/en/consumers/package/international/tourist-plan)