OBV has reopened our coastal centre near Quy Nhon for programs and has a phased resumption of programs in June and July.

Earlier this week we wrapped up our first five-day course with full COVID adjustments. It’s great to be back running programs, even with social distancing and a different way we do many of the health and hygiene things such as meals and camping. We have temporarily reduced our group size to 10 people while we adjust, and currently have only two groups per week as we scale back up.

Coming up we continue our phased resumption in June, with adult programs resuming, and have introduced a new weekend Leave No Trace program for people interested in getting back into the outdoors in a hygienic and virus-conscious world. It’s an open enrolment course for adults and is a great way to venture back outside and meet new friends now the lockdown is behind us.

This weekend we are conducting these Leave No Trace courses in both Halong and Quy Nhon, and with no community transmission of the virus for over 50 days, it’s a great time to take advantage of the excellent travel deals available.

In July we are commencing summer camp holiday programs for students from our coastal centre near Quy Nhon. We have a nurse on-site and 24-hour security and concerned parents can stay at nearby hotels. Rest assured, Vietnam is a safe travel destination for camps and outdoor learning trips for any parents concerned about this virus.

Our COVID policies are available for review and have been shared on the Association for Experiential Education website. If you are an outdoor educations provider considering how you may resume programs in the coming weeks and months, feel free to use this as reference material to help your resumption. Look out for it here in the AEE Community Resource Library: https://www.aee.org/community-resource-library

Outward Bound Vietnam is registered with the Department of Education and Training as an educational provider of life-skills, and we are reserving some weeks for schools who have had their international trips disrupted. These are available towards the end of the next school year. As with schools, we are implementing COVID-safe plans that include social distancing measures and heightened health screening. An investment in outdoor learning in the new school year is a great way to restore relationships and re-build your school community.