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Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand - Chiang Mai
Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand - Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand - Chiang Mai

Trip Highlights

  • Volunteer with Elephants, get to work in a quaint Elephant village in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand 
  • Responsibilities include working with mahouts, collecting elephant feed from the forest, helping in making their vitamins, taking them for walks, morning and evening bathes and taking care of baby elephants 
  • Volunteers also get to make different organic products out of Elephant waste 
  • An ideal break where volunteers get to live in the countryside and also take a break from their everyday life 
  • Great opportunity for all wildlife enthusiasts to work for the conservation of elephants at local elephant camps 
  • Get to meet fellow passionate volunteers from all over the globe 

Overview

Overview

If there is one thing that Thailand is known for apart from its scintillating beaches, it is definitely the Elephants. Elephants are immensely popular in Thailand and are highly revered as well. The love and affection for these giant mammals in Thailand is pretty evident, and that is exactly what the elephant camp volunteering is all about.

Gap year travelers who are wildlife enthusiasts and looking for volunteer opportunities for wildlife conservation and welfare can join this program in Chiang Mai. They will be staying at these elephant camps that are located 45 minutes outside mainland Chiang Mai. The Camp is a beautiful setup, located amidst lush green forests and surrounded by tall mountains from all sides. Every 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. This program is best suited for wildlife enthusiasts and those who are willing to do some outdoor hard work.


Program Requirements

Program Requirements

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. Participants should have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Volunteers need to be flexible, open-minded and have a passion for working with elephants. You should also be proactive, have the ability to take initiative and willing to work outdoors. Participants should have no criminal convictions and should provide a clean criminal background check report.

 


Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Volunteers joining the elephant camp program in Thailand, Chiang Mai will be living at the camps itself. Their routine work starts from early morning 06:30 am or 07:00 am with taking the elephants for a walk followed by a bath. The rest of the day goes by in doing some of the other caretaking work for elephants at the camp. A generic routine duty that volunteers need to execute during their volunteer work at the elephant camp program includes;

  • Taking elephants for a walk followed by a bath in the morning.
  • Prepare and feed breakfast to the elephants.
  • Help with direction and safety procedures with day tourists upon their arrival.
  • Work with the elephants and learn how to be an elephant trainer.  
  • taking care of one of the baby elephants
  • Moving equipment at the camp.  


This program is highly recommended for animal lovers and for those who are looking to work outdoors.


Volunteer Work Schedule

Volunteer Work Schedule

From the time the volunteers get up in the morning (which is quite early) there are a number of activities they do the entire day, which are generally not time bound. However, a generic daily schedule for volunteers for the entire program goes like;

  • Friday: Arrival in Chiang Mai
  • Saturday: Orientation + neighborhood familiarization tour. The orientation session will
  • be conducted by the local coordinator, covering topic areas; such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestion over things to do in Chiang Mai.
  • Sunday: City tour of Chiang Mai + Language classes
  • Mon to Fri: Volunteer work
  • Early morning volunteer work - 06:30 am to 08:00 (take elephants for bath and feed them breakfast)
    • Breakfast - 08:00 am
    • Working hours at the placement - 06:30 am to 05:00 pm
    • Lunch - 12:00 pm onwards
    • Dinner - 06:00 pm onwards

The same volunteer work schedule continues for the coming weeks
Weekends: Explore the city

Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating in.


Living

Living

Volunteering Solutions provides end to end services as far as living arrangements of the volunteers are concerned. VolSol volunteers just have to land at the placement destination and the rest is on us to arrange it for you.

Airport Transfer

Volunteers are picked up from the Chiang Mai International Airport in Chiang Mai by the coordinator or representative. Volunteers who’d be present already in Chiang Mai will be met by the staff at a designated meeting point decided beforehand. Please note that volunteers are provided pickup from the airport between 8am and 8pm only.

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 half day city tour of Chiang Mai and are given a cultural welcome dinner to make them feel immersed in the local culture.

Accommodation

Participants in the Elephant Camp Project spend their Mondays to Fridays in the volunteer accommodation at the camp. On the weekends,  volunteers return to Chiang Mai where they stay with fellow volunteers at the volunteer house. The accommodation at the camp is rustic and off beat.

Accommodation at the Elephant Camp is quaint, but very basic. The rooms are not equipped with air conditioning, but the area of the Camp (because of being in the mountains) gets rather cool at night. Electrical lines do not reach the nursery, therefore electrical appliances are run off solar cells. The energy derived from the solar cells are enough to charge a cell phone, keep a couple light bulbs lit, and that’s about it. All the rooms have an attached, shared bathroom with a hot water shower. In most cases volunteers with have private accommodation, unless traveling with a companion.

Meals

Volunteers in the elephant camp project are provided with all meals from Monday to Friday afternoon at the camp. When back at Chiang Mai city accommodation for the weekend, participants can have self made breakfast at the house. Lunches and dinners on the weekends are not included and can be eaten at numerous restaurants and cafe’s in Chiang Mai city. 

During your Free Time

Volunteers can take part in the Thai Cookery classes or Thai Massage course when you are back in Chiang Mai city on the weekends.During free time at the camp, volunteers usually spend their evenings strolling the grounds of the elephant nursery, helping the cooks prepare dinner and getting a tighter grasp of the local culture and nature.


Dates

Dates

2024

2025

January

05

19

February

02

16

March

01

15

April
May

03

17

31

June

14

28

July

12

August

02

16

30

September

13

October

04

18

November

01

15

29

December

13

January

03

17

31

February

14

28

March

14

April
May

02

16

30

June

13

July

04

18

August

01

15

29

September

12

October

03

17

31

November

14

28

December

12

Past Date

Available

Unavailable

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Costs

Costs

1 Week $840
2 Weeks $1140
3 Weeks $1440
4 Weeks $1740
5 Weeks $2040
6 Weeks $2340
7 Weeks $2640
8 Weeks $2940
Extra Week $440

Please Note: -An application fee of $229 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. (A 5% international banking fee is charged at the time of payment)

What are you Paying for?

  • 24 hrs Assistance and support from Staff
  • Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
  • Airport Pickup 
  • 2 Day Orientation and half day city tour
  • Cultural Dinner and Show
  • Food - 2 meals a day
  • Accommodation 
  • Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost) 
  • Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)

What's NOT included?

  • Airfare
  • Visa Fee
  • Return Airport Drop
  • Local Transportation
  • Vaccinations

Reviews

Reviews

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