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Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand

 

Volunteer at an elephant camp in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand for a wonderful experience. You can start on any date of your choice. Your program starts with your airport pick up at Chiang Mai airport (or your accommodation if you arrive earlier) and your transport to the elephant camp. You will be picked up and brought back to Chiang Mai at the end of your program. The camp is about 65 km from Chiang Mai city. We have packages of 3 days (3 days/2 nights), 1 week (7 days/6 nights), 2 weeks (14 days/13 nights), 3 weeks (21 days/20 nights)and 4 weeks (28 days/27 nights).

Volunteers stay at a homestay with a Thai family. All meals and activities as per the itinerary below are included in the program. Our coordinatir in Chiang Mai is available for support throughout your program

 

About the Elephant Camp

All the logging was officially abandoned in Thailand from 1989 and so it also demands that the elephants that had been employed in the logging industry no longer have to work. Since it is very expensive to feed and care for an elephant in captivity, many elephants owners started using the elephants in the tourist industry. In the tourist industry there is a lot of abuse of elephants. In response to save the elephants and to try to keep the elephants in their natural environments, a group of elephants owners set up this elephant camp in Chang Mai. Each elephant owner is responsible for taking care of their own elephant. To make sure that no elephants is abused or overworked. All the elephants will stay in the forest at night in their natural environments. Volunteers, who say the homestay with a local family, will go to the forest in the morning to wake up the elephants and give them a bath in the river. At the end of the day volunteers will ride the elephants back to the river to give them a bath. Then the elephants will go back to the forest to have a good night sleep.

 

 


 

 

Example of a 7 days / 6 nights package

Day

Time

Activities

1
10.00 am
Hotel or airport pick up
11.00 am
Arrive at elephant camp
12.00 pm
Lunch
13.00 pm
Learn how to communicate with elephant
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and time for a bath for the elephant
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Learn how to cook Thai food
Dinner
Stay overnight
2
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
08.00 am
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Learn and be familiar with the elephant's nature
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and bath
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
19.00 pm
Go to the forest to learn and be familiar with elephant's nature at night
Stay over night
3
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
08.00 am
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Learn and be familiar with local herb using with elephants
Go to forest to find herbs and plants
Practice make food, medicine from local herbs collected from forest for elephants
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and bath
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
Stay over night
4
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
08.00 am
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Give herbs prepared from previous day to elephants
12.00 am
Lunch
13.00 am
Go to have fun for Zip-lining
18.00 am
Dinner
Stay overnight
5
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
08.00 am
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am

Village life experiences : Base on the season this could be rice planting, cultivation pick up fruits

12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and bath
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
19.00 pm
Go to the forest to learn and be familiar with elephant's nature at night
Stay overnight
6
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
08.00 am
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Rafting
Lunch (packed)
18.00 pm
Dinner
Stay overnight
7
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to forest to cut grass and give to elephant
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and bath
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
Learn how to make Thai dessert
Stay overnight
8
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to forest to cut grass and give to elephant
12.00 pm
Lunch
13.00 pm
Visit hilltribe village (May not be performed in rainy season)
18.00 pm
Dinner
19.00 pm
Stay overnight
9
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to forest to cut grass and give to elephant
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and bath
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
Learn how to make local Thai whisky
18.00 pm
Dinner
Stay overnight
10
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to forest to cut grass and give to elephant
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Learn and practice Thai massage (Only perform on Thursday)
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
Stay overnight
11
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to forest to cut grass and give to elephant
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and bath
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
Go to the forest to learn and be familiar with elephant's nature at night
Stay overnight
12
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to forest to cut grass and give to elephant
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Reforestation activity
Back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
Stay overnight
13
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to forest to cut grass and give to elephant
12.00 pm
Lunch
14.00 pm
Ride an elephant to a river and bath
15.30 pm
Ride an elephant to the forest to let the elephant stay overnight there
Walk back to homestay
18.00 pm
Dinner
Stay overnight
14
06.00 am
Walk from homestay to the forest and ride elephant to river
Bath the elephant
Ride the elephant back to homestay
08.30 am
Breakfast
10.00 am
Go to temple to give food to monks
12.00 pm
Lunch
Leave the elephant camp and transport back o Chiang Mai City

 

 


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volunteer testimonial

volunteer elephant thailand

The elephant volunteer program in Thailand with WLS International was definitely the coolest thing ever. I had so much fun. The WLS Coordinator was awesome and was always just making sure that I was comfortable.  The staff at the elephant camp were so nice and so clearly passionate about what they do.  I've been bragging to everyone and they all want to do it as well!
Thanks a lot!
Cara Hanley (USA)

 

 

volunteer testimonial

volunteering chiangmai

I just returned to the U.S. from my volunteer program in Chiang Mai and wanted to reach out to you to express my gratitude. The support and attention throughout my stay there really made the two weeks a wonderful experience. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful my coordinator was and how much I truly appreciated having her there. I will definitely recommend WLS to anyone thinking about a volunteer program. Thanks again!
Leslie Lau (USA)

 

 

 

 

WLS Coordinator

The WLS Coordinator in Chiang Mai
is Ms Prachit. Ms Prachit has extensive experience working
with volunteer projects in Thailand

 

 

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