Thailand: Elephant & Education Initiative

Thailand was the best experience of my life. I had the best time with the best people and i learnt a lot about the country and myself. We visited many beautiful places including temples, we learnt about the Thai culture and beliefs. The staff were amazing and really supportive. We learnt about how elephants are treated in Thailand. The group also did alot of community service, half of the group went to a women's refuge and the other half went to an orphanage to help out. Global Leadership Adventures were the best company to volunteer abroad with because they are helpful and dedicated and i would recommend the company to anyone.

This past summer, I went on the Thailand Cultural Kaleidoscope Program with Global Leadership Adventures and had an absolutely amazing two weeks. We were able to experience so many different cultural experiences in such a short amount of time, hence, I felt like we got a lot out of our time there. We went ziplining, tried and cooked local foods and dishes, bamboo rafted, explored Buddhist temples, hiked through hill tribe villages, rode elephants through the jungle, and bathed elephants in a local river. Along with this, one of the main focuses of our time in Thailand was going to a school and teaching English to the Thai children. It was an absolutely amazing experience unlike anything I had ever done before.
The GLA staff really made the trip what it was. They were knowledgeable about the country and made us feel safe at all times. Along with those important things, they were also very fun, funny, and easy to relate to.

I really, really loved going to Thailand with GLA. They were amazing and I felt safe with all the mentors and staff at all times. We got to do all the amazing things we saw online and the program really opened my eyes to things I had it been aware of. I was sick at one point and one if the mentors got me medicine, and took care of me just like my own mom would. I felt so safe and happy.I walked away from this experience happy and proud I had done it. The only thing was that is was super expensive. But in my personal opinion-totally worth it. I was actually awarded a scholarship for myself and a friend to go again of $500. Most amazing program ever.

I spent a total of five weeks over the summer with Global Leadership Adventures, two of which were spent in Thailand on the Elephant Village Initiative trip. After weeks of comparing different programs and weighing the pros and cons, I decided that GLA was the right program for me, and I've never regretted it. Global Leadership Adventures not only made me feel safe and secure during the entire process, but the program really feels like a community. The facebook pages set up make it very easy to talk to people who have already done trips through GLA, and the support system does it's job incredibly. The mentors on this trip were amazing, and when we requested an activity they did their best to make sure it happened (which made the trip even more amazing). I would love to do another trip with GLA, and would recommend it to anybody.

I'm Tedra, a senior in high school who attended the Global Leadership Adventures excursion to Thailand this past summer in June 2013.

It may sound like an exaggeration, but this experience was unforgettable. The days were jam-packed with service that helped the locals and showed them they were cared about- on my particular trip we worked with HIV/AIDS affected orphans, single mothers shunned from their communities, and other Thai peoples in need of various things. This is not all we did though- we explored Chiang Mai and the deep culture within and the peaceful people who lived there. We went to an elephant refugee camp and bathed them, went to the tallest mountain in Thailand, went to numerous temples and had a blast learning about those who are not-so-different from us. Though our days were packed with service and adventure we always had a beautiful and safe home-base to go back to so that we could unwind and build long-lasting friendships with the other students.

On my trip I never once felt unsafe, alone, or invaluable in any way. Our mentors always made sure all of our needs were taken care of and they made sure we knew the importance of what we were doing and what we could do as Leaders, and I am forever greatful for that.

I highly reccomend any GLA trip to everyone. If you'd like to know any more about GLA, you can visit their website at experiencegla.org, and make sure to check out their Young Leader blog at blog.experiencegla.com.

Do take some time out to check out this trip and organization and try to go! You won't regret it!

Global Leadership Adventures is an amazing program. I attended their Galapagos trip in 2013 and attended their Thailand program last summer. If you are considering stepping out of your comfort zone and helping in a foreign country this is completely the program for you. GLA is extremely safe and professional. All the home bases are beautiful, the food is delicious, the activities and excursions are always amazing, and the staff is kind and extremely knowledgable. GLA gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture. Part of the staff usually lives in the country year round and knows their way around. For example: In Thailand we got to eat Mother's day lunch cooked by our drivers family and had the opportunity to help their neighbors plant rice. No other program is like GLA. They constantly keep you busy and active and give you an unforgettable experience. Volunteering is such a rewarding experience. In Thailand we worked at three locations: an orphanage for children with HIV, a home for mothers from hill tribes, and an orphanage for trafficked children. Although it was very sad and upsetting, the experience of working at these organization was completely unforgettable. This trip is designed for those that want to step out of their comfort zone no matter to what extent. I decided to try bugs and live shrimp and a fish spa while I was there, others did not. This trip is designed to give you opportunities to immerse yourself completely into a different culture; It is your choice to what extent you choose to immerse yourself. Nevertheless this was an amazing trip that I would recommend to everyone. The sights, the food, and the atmosphere helped me fall in love with Thailand. I know I will be back in Chiang Mai very soon.

Such an amazing experience and company to volunteer with. I went to Thailand this summer (2013) with GLA and was really impressed by the home base as well as the American and Thai staff members. The volunteer sights were really nice and for the most part it did not feel like you were volunteering because you were just having fun with the people you were helping. Once you arrive at the actual base with all the other 29 kids you might be nervous but by the second day you will have already begun to make friends and memories. I cannot wait to volunteer abroad again with GLA during the summer of 2014 because it honestly did change my life. The hardest thing to get used to is probably the humidity in Thailand. The second you walk outside you are all sweaty and your clothes will stick to you all day. Other than that its all fun and games.

As a student who had never been to Asia, this program was truly incredible because it made me discover the real Thailand. On a day to day basis, get to work and help in a local community and meet people you would never see on a tipical holiday ! I was immersed in a new culture that I got to discover and love during those three weeks !
I had the summer of my life while helping others, and won't ever forget it !