Since 2001 my favourite journey has been to the hills
of Chiang Mai in Thailand's north, where a tiny orphanage cares for up to 60 babies and toddlers who have been orphaned, abandoned or removed from their parents.

Ban Kingkaew Orphanage is run by Buddhist nuns
(do they know a thing or two about Zen, baby) and Thai nannies, who raise the children to respect traditional Thai and Buddhist values.

For years I had been fascinated by stories of expats working in Asian orphanages and always said that someday I'd go do it myself. My 'someday' came in 2001 when I headed over to Thailand on a two-week research trip to check out the many orphanages operating around the country. I almost walked right by Ban Kingkaew but thankfully, divine intervention and a really great taxi driver

 delivered me to where I needed to be. I spent the better part of the next two years living in Chiang Mai and working at the orphanage as a volunteer carer. Duties included finding matching hair elastics for very fussy six-year-olds and surrendering to the happy chaos of dinnertime for
60 children.

Since 2003 I have combined regular visits to the orphanage with my work as a magazine editor and journalist in Sydney. I am currently working on a travel memoir about my adventures in Thailand. To read more, click here 1 2.

I also support and admire Geraldine Cox's Sunrise Village orphanage foundation in Cambodia, and Food Water Shelter, dedicated to building early learning and
eco-friendly orphanages in Tanzania.