Program Reviews

The program I went on was the best time of my life! I'd have to say the highlight of the trip was living with the elephants at the Elephant Nature Park in the mountains of Chiang Mai for a week. It was so inspiring learning about the elephants and working alongside the elephant vet and elephant trainer to help the wonderful creatures! It was also nice meeting new people, I have 12 forever friends from my trip!

My name is Morgan and this past summer was my first time being involved in a summer program with Loop. I had an amazing time, and the people were amazing. It’s really easy to make friends on the trip, even for shy and quiet people like me. I made some amazing friends who I still keep in touch with. One thing that was difficult for me though was that I am a picky eater. I’m not a fan of spicy food, so I brought snacks and bought some at the 7/11 while I was there. The 7/11 has a variety of things which helped me a lot when it came to food. I would recommend bringing some snacks, but be willing to try a tiny bit of everything you are offered, I was surprised at some of the things I ended up liking once I tried them. Another obstacle for me was that I get car sick really easily. Even though I had to deal with that, I still had an amazing time with all of the support and care I got from my fellow companions on the trip and the staff members. Everyone was so nice and so willing to help me, and that made me feel ten times better. One thing that stood out to me the most was that my veterinarian gave up going to see one of the temples to stay back with me so I wasn’t alone and did something else with me. It’s one of the nicest things anyone has done for me and that’s just one out of the many things people did to help me. I’m so thankful for everyone that I met on this amazing trip. So, I was involved in the High School Veterinary Service program. Some activities that I loved were getting to work up close with the elephants and the veterinarians at ENP, the kitchen chores at ENP, going to the Sunday Market and the Night Bazaar, getting to volunteer and assist in surgery (neuters) at ARK, and getting to travel with and meet so many amazing people. It’s an amazing opportunity and once in a life time experience. I enjoyed everything about Thailand and recommend that everyone should at least go once. I actually am participating in the college veterinary service program this summer; that is how much I enjoyed my two weeks there. I wish I could’ve stayed longer and did an add on.

Going on the Loop Abroad program completely changed my life! I learned so much from the culture to elephants! I fell in love with elephants and it was amazing to get hands on experience with them and actually be able to build a relationship with them! I am such an adventurous person, and I don't think it can get more adventurous as that! I am forever grateful for my opportunity to be apart of this program, and I can't wait to go back in the future!

I got to visit the amazing country of Thailand! While there I spent one week exploring all of Thailand from temples to dog shelters to a place called Tiger Kingdom! On my second week I volunteered at a place called Elephant Nature Park where I got to do vet work on elephants and feed and bathe them regularly! This was a trip of a lifetime and I would recommend anyone to go!! I met so many new people and made some life long friendships!

While I was traveling in Thailand with Loop abroad, a series of unfortunate events occurred to me back at home. I learned that I had a friend commit suicide, my grandmother had died of cancer and my uncle had been moved to a nursing home. I got nothing but comfort and support from the program's staff and the people I attended the program with. They kept me going after all the bad news and helped me enjoy my experience even though back home things weren't going so well. Loop Abroad was very helpful in keeping me calm and helping me experience my trip to the fullest under the circumstances.

I first heard about Loop Abroad when an ad for the “Vet Service” trip popped up on my facebook newsfeed. I immediately called my mother and said “Mom, I’m going to Thailand this summer.” While my mom and my dad were skeptical about the trip, we did proceed to set up a phone interview with Addam, one of Loop’s Founders and directors. He answered all my questions and even recommend that I talk to previous students. My parents were still skeptical, first for my safety and then for the cost. However after more phone calls and emails with Addam and Jane, Loop’s other Founder and director, my parents really felt safe letting me travel to Thailand with Loop!
I did find out about Loop Abroad in May so it left very little time for fundraising. However, with the finical aid I received and my determined fundraising skills I was able to cover the cost of the trip with no finical burden. To be honest spending some money that I had saved for years on this trip was the best decision and “purchase” that I have ever made!
A few weeks before our trip Loop sent out an email with the names of other students that would be in our group. We all immediately reached out to each other through Facebook and Email. Upon meeting at the airport we all clicked right away! One thing that I love about Loop Abroad is that we fly out of the country with one of their staff members. This really helped me and others feel safer; especially when many of us were going out of the country for the very first time.
The flights and the layover times were great bonding experiences. And we all became friends by the first layover. When we landed in Chaing Mai we were greeted at the airport by Addam, and got to take Tuk Tuks to the Spicy Thai. Spicy Thai became out home for the first week. Spicy is an amazing hostel and Aum and Noom are amazing hostess.
My group spend the first week volunteering at The ARK. There we taught by Hannah one of Loop’s Vets. She taught us so much! I got to do physical exams, give vaccines, draw blood, and assist in surgery! By the time I started my first semester in college after my trip to Thailand, I was ahead of many of my classmates. Surgery Day at ARK was by far one of my favorite days! We neutered 3 dogs! Between the 6 of us we each got to rotate through different roles in surgery! During the week we also got to know many of the dogs at the Shelter. By the end of the week we all had our favorites! My favorite by far was NaKorn who we named Winn Dixe prior to knowing his name.
Our week wasn’t just spend doing volunteer work, we also got to learn a little bit about the culture. We went to many different markets, but my favorite was the Night Bazar. You can’t really leave any Thai Market without a pair a famous pair of Thai Pants. At the end of our first week everyone had at least 2 or 3 pairs of Thai pants. Another activity that we did one night was going to a monk chat! It was so awesome! We got to help the Monks practice English while they got to teach us about their culture. We learned that our Monk was secretly loving all of T-Swifts music! His favorite song was 15!
During the weekend we spent the days traveling around Chaing Mai! We visited the Chaing Doi caves and Temples. The caves were amazing! I had never been in a cave prior and these were just gorgeous! Though we visited many temples, they were all so special and so unique.
Another one of my favorite adventures was going to the Tiger Kingdom. I got to bottle feed a tiger cub!! Who else can say that!? Who can say they have kissed a tiger before!? Well if you go to Thailand you’ll be able to too!!!! In addition to the caves and Tiger Kingdom we also visited the Orchid and Butterfly garden. I had never been to a butterfly garden before, so naturally I had never really seen so many butterflies before!
My group also went on a hike to another beautiful temple and a waterfall! Pictures don’t do justice sometimes! On Monday my group travel to Elephant Nature Park and got to work alongside vets treating elephants! ENP really isn’t JUST elephants, you can find animals of all kinds at the ENP!
At the end of the 2 weeks I wasn’t ready to travel back home! Chaing Mai is beautiful and the friendships that I made with not only my group, but also other Loop groups and Loops staff are amazing, I wasn’t ready to say “see you later.”
Traveling to Thailand with Loop Abroad was truly the best thing that I have chosen to do!! I not only had the best time of my life, but I also learned so much that has been beneficial to my education. Everyone should apply, even if it’s not on the vet trip, Loop Abroad is a life altering experience. Any High School or College student should travel with Loop!!!

This program will truly open your eyes to the world around you. I learned so much about myself, veterinary medicine, and the culture surrounding me. I would not trade the two weeks that I spent in Thailand for the world. I met wonderful, interesting people that I will stay in touch with for life. Being able to spend hours and hours watching, studying, bathing, feeding, and treating elephants at the Elephant Nature Park is truly a privilege. I was moved by the immense spirit that these animals possess and their outstanding intelligence.

The Animal Rescue Kingdom was also fabulous to spend time at. I was really impressed by the depth in which we were able to study and practice veterinary skills each day. Connecting with the dogs and people at the shelter was incredibly rewarding. The last two days at ARK were surgery days, which were very fun and exhilarating. We had a cat neuter day and dog neuter day. During down time, it was nice to begin to say goodbye to all of our furry friends and give baths to the dogs. This was the time when I made my greatest connection with one of the dogs named Nakhon. I will never forget him and maybe one day I can find him a home here in the US.

Although we had down time, there was never a dull moment. Many times I sat with my friends to read and journal, listening to the elephants, birds, and cats. The night markets were very fun and were great confidence builders, especially after you navigated the market successfully and came out where you wanted to.

Overall, if you are an animal lover, are comfortable with being dirty and sweaty (all the time), want an unforgettable experience, are looking for an animal-filled two weeks, and are interested in veterinary medicine, this is a perfect program for you.

Thank you, Loop Abroad!!! You've changed my life.

On this trip I learned so much about veterinary practice and the journey of becoming one, which was my main goal. I am usually one to just finish my goal and be quite while I am doing it. This trip helped me to come out of my shell of just completing my goal and being the quite one. I made so many friends and learned so much about the beautiful culture in Thailand. This trip definitely took my experience level off of the farm and into the world. I would suggest this trip to anyone who really wants to learn about being a vet and someone who wants two weeks full of memories for a lifetime. During the trip there was not one time where I felt unsafe. This trip is so rich in knowledge and fun.

From the minute I arrived at JFK until the minute I returned, I felt that I was in great hands. This was my first trip alone, and I admit I was a bit nervous about EVERYTHING! I needn't have been. By the time we had cleared security I had new friends and people to talk to during the VERY
LONG flight.
Thailand is a beautiful country with kind and friendly people. Of course,
I loved working with the elephants. That is a memory I will keep close in
my heart for the rest of my life. There really aren't words to describe the affect these majestic animals had on me. Learning so much about the plight of elephants has given me a deeper understanding of our relationship with nature. I learned about different societies and
about the worldwide effort to save elephants. I will always keep
that struggle front and center in my life.
I learned so much....about animals and people and myself.
The new friends I have made will remain close. We shared an amazing experience and that brought us so close together.
I have always had an interest in Veterinary Medicine. This experience confirmed for me that I do want to be a vet. We had real hands on opportunities to work closely with vets. It was fascinating.

I held the rice ball up to her truck. Noi nah, a relatively new elephant hesitantly picked it up. A downpour started around us and quickly coated our clothes to us like glue. It seeped into my bones, but I did not care. I loved this moment, these creatures, and the friends around me as we ran back to the shelter. We all fell into a laughing heap and a sense of complete happiness washed over me. These are the kind of moments that are created here. Moments that will stick in your mind forever.