Volunteers in this project work at an Elephant Camp located 45 minutes away from the main city of Chiang Mai. The Camp is surrounded by lush green mountains from all sides. Volunteers assist and work alongside elephant trainers and other Camp staff from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (Monday – Friday).

The day starts early at the Elephant Park.  Seven o’clock is elephant bath time, followed by breakfast for the elephants.  Once the elephants are fed and before day visitors make their arrival is when volunteers and other staff can sit down, have breakfast and enjoy a cup of northern Thai coffee with the backdrop of the rolling mountains of northern Thailand.  Volunteers may help with direction and safety procedures with day tourists upon their arrival.  After lunch all volunteers will work with the elephants and learn how to be an elephant trainer. 

Later in the afternoon volunteers will be broken up into different tasks.  The elephant park is big and has a very large staff.  It’s almost a community of its own.  Everyone living in the surrounding village is either staff or a family member of a staff person at the park.  Therefore volunteers will be asked to help out and work with the families and children of the park’s workers.  Some volunteers will teach an hour or two of English at the local hill tribe school.  Other volunteers will stay at the park and teach English to the elephant trainers and other staff.  Volunteers may be asked to help out with other areas of the elephant camp during their volunteer service.  These additional things could be anything from taking care of one of the baby elephants to moving equipment.  Any little bit helps in the development of the camp.  Late in the afternoon/early evening, volunteers will be able to spend more time with the elephants and elephant trainers.  This is when volunteers will really begin to bond with these lovely creatures and learn how to best care for them.

Program Requirements
Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the program and should be fit and healthy to work along with animals in the open environment.

Project Location
The volunteer project is 40 miles from the main city of Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest city. Located in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is a pleasant city, encircled by mountains and lush rice fields. 

Airport Receive/ Transfer: Volunteers are picked up from the Chiang Mai International Airport in Chiang Mai by the coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who will be already in Chiang Mai will be met by the staff at a designated meeting point decided beforehand.

Orientation: All volunteers are provided with a two day orientation before starting their project work.The Orientation session covers areas like, local Thai culture, greetings, locations, transportation etc.Volunteers are also given a city Tour of Chiang Mai.

Lodging: Volunteers are provided with private accommodation within the elephant camp itself   (From Mon- Fri). All rooms have an attached western toilet and showers. On the weekends the volunteers are welcome to stay at the home in Chiang Mai (if space available). If room is not available at the House during a weekend, volunteers will have to cover the cost of their own accommodation for those two days.

Food: Volunteers are provided with all three meals a day at the camp from Monday – Friday. Typical Thai meals include Rice, noodles, meat, vegetables and soups.

Insurance: All participants are covered for full comprehensive Travel and Medical insurance for their time of stay in our project. To view a copy of the Insurance Coverage provided, please click here 

In-country support: 24 hours support provided by our local staff. You will be provided with the contact details of the local coordinator and staff who will be contactable 24 hrs once you are in country.

Pre-departure information: After we receive full and final payment all participants are provided by a pre-departure information booklet by e-mail which will have all vital information about your program. The Pre Departure Information Booklet provides the complete details of the country, project locations, Visas, Immunizations, Things to Pack list, Accommodations, Contact Information etc.
 
During your Free Time
Weekends are the free time for the volunteers and you can come back to the main city of Chiang Mai.Volunteers can take part in the Thai Cookery classes or Thai Massage course which are available all around Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai also boasts of restaurants of every international cuisine. During the weekends, you can travel to the cities of Pai , Chiang Rai or fly down to the capital city of Bangkok

Start Dates
The project starts on 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. Volunteers need to arrive 3 days prior to the start date, on a Friday.
 
Program Costs
Volunteering Solutions strives hard to keep costs low and offer you the lowest prices with professional services to volunteer abroad. Compare our prices and services to other organizations and you would be surprised to see the difference.

What are you Paying For ?
» 24 hrs Assistance and support from VS Staff
» Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
» Airport Pickup
»Project Drop to the Elephant Camp
» Orientation
» Food
» Accommodation
» Travel & Medical Insurance
 
What's NOT Included ?
» Airfare
» Visa and Visa extension fee
» Airport drop, airport taxes
»Local Transportation
» Any personal expenses