Thailand Elephant Experience: Animal Welfare, Conservation & Jungle Trekking

My trip with GIVE is an experience I will talk about for the rest of my life. No vacation nor road trip I’ve been on can hold a candle to what my trip to Thailand was like. I went on the weeklong Elephant Experience with my guides Ann Jitsook, Dee Trachookwamdee, Chiara Hendrix, and Phon Phon. My guides all provided unique perspectives and guidance that helped open my mind to the beautiful culture of Thailand. Chiara was amazing at making sure the change in cultural norms and environment didn’t become overwhelming and was always willing to lend a helping hand. P’ Ann did the same and always brought positivity into every conversation and activity we did. She was always smiling and happy to share about anything you asked. P’ Dee helped substantially in explaining every activity and was always willing to re-explain things when there was confusion, sometimes three even four times. As well as this, he was always lifting spirits with his jokes and sense of humor. In fact, there was never a time I wasn’t smiling or laughing when P’ Dee was there. Last but certainly not least, is Phon Phon. Phon Phon is genuinely the most joyful and kind person I have ever met. He always led with such a passion and joy for sharing his culture. This helped spread a sense of curiosity and wonder throughout the group. I can’t remember a time when Phon Phon wasn’t being asked a question but he was never annoyed and instead flourished in that kind of environment. I will forever remember the light that he shined and hope to carry even a fraction of the same joy with me in future travels. Overall, this experience would not have been as special without the guides and contributing communities. I will never forget the people I met and the wonderful experiences I got the gift of taking part in. This trip taught me so much about world travel and even myself. Thank you GIVE!!

If you love elephants, this is the trip for you! We visited many different elephant sanctuaries over the length of this trip with the goal of learning what different approaches there are to elephant conservation and care. We were able to experience hands-on sanctuaries as well as hands-off, and even an elephant retirement home. Even though the approaches may be different, the one thing that was constant was the love and care that these sanctuaries gave to the elephants. This trip was extremely educational, and was an amazing add-on to my two other Thailand programs I participated in!

This trip was the most impactful and memorable experiences I have ever had in my life. I cannot begin to explain how much fun all the other volunteers and the guides were. All of the days were filled with laughter and joy even when we were doing the physical labor such as farming and planting trees next to the elementary schools. The best part in my opinion was the elephant experience, the sanctuary treats these elephants so well and they are rescued from logging industries or horrible homes. They get to roam over 400 acres of land and they have mahouts that know how to track them so they aren't confined in one space which I think is very important to know that GIVE isn't using unethical tourism in their trips. The meals were SOOO good and most of the time you went to local restaurants to help support local people who may be struggling. I swear every meal I had I went in for seconds, it was AMAZING. Also don't be scared about safety, all the guides take careful safety measures and all the food is perfectly safe for you and everyone who the organization works with is safe.

My trip to Thailand was the most rewarding and fulfilling experience! In only two weeks, I got the opportunity to fully immerse myself in Thai culture. The guides on the trip were easily the most insightful, inspiring, and pure humans. From playing with and teaching the kids at the schools to working in the permaculture field, each day offered a new chance to learn, grow, and challenge yourself. While in Thailand, I had never felt more grounded and at peace thanks to all of the welcoming and truly kind locals we had the pleasure of meeting. Getting the chance to embark on this adventure has been indescribable and absolutely life-changing. I am forever grateful for this journey for changing my perspective on life, teaching me how to care for our planet, and allowing me to make life-long friendships. Choosing to travel with GIVE was the best decision I ever made.

trip was outstanding the give staff was incredible and very knowledgeable. I would travel with the two give staff again. They made the trip fun and exciting. The staff had everything covered from where we went and what time we had to be there. The pace of the trip was very comfortable. I did not feel rushed at all. The food was excellent and I found it was very easy to talk to and very helpful. Some of the other people got home sick and wanted to leave and the two staff girls sat down and persuaded them all to stay.

Such an amazing experience. While the country of Thailand was STUNNING, our guides, locals, and the other volunteers made the trip! I have never met a more warm, loving, and welcoming group of people in my life. All the locals and guides have such big hearts and are so kind to share all of their knowledge with us along with their culture. I have learned so much about myself and how to care and cultivate a rich life in such a short period of time. I’m forever thankful for this organization, place, and group!

This trip was so amazing and life changing. It was so meaningful to travel with GIVE. They are so organized and have the best people working for them. This experience is perfect if you're wanting to immerse yourself in the culture. Throughout my trip I got to learn so much about the communities and how they live. It was also such a good opportunity to grow as a person. Traveling alone is intimidating, especially so far from home. The GIVE guides were so good about helping me to feel more comfortable and confident throughout the trip. I highly recommend traveling with GIVE!

This experience volunteering with GIVE in Thailand changed my life for the better! I came out a much happier and peaceful person. On this trip I was able to feed, clean and learn about elephants as well as experience Thai culture on a level that “normal” tourism would not allow. The balance between free moments in which I was able to explore Thailand with the amazing friends I made along the way, as well as the times in which we were hiking to see elephants or travelling to see monuments was perfect!