Extremely rewarding!!

Working with the elephants in Thailand was way more than I had imagined, they are such an amazing species, gentle giants who have feelings just like us. Unfortunately their numbers are dropping significantly for many reasons. The good news is AEI has this wonderfull volunteer program in which they set you up to head over to Thailand to work hands on with elephants at a rescue center in which they are living the rest of their lives in peace. When I first showed up to the center I was greeted by so many lovely people, I felt really welcome. I received a tour of the center which is huge. They have other animals from monkeys to bears also. A tipical day with the elephants begins in the early morning. They receive food 3-4 times a day which we prepare. We bath them, walk them and clean their fenced area. My favorite part was defintely giving them a bath because you could tell they loved it so much! Of course we would take breaks in the day to eat lunch and rest a bit. The food was so tasty, thai food is so flavourful! I would say what made the experience even better was meeting new people from all over. Learning about them & where they are from. And of course connecting with them because they are at the center for the exact same reason you are. To help the elephants ! If You want a fun & exciting experience while making a positive impact then this is what you need to do!! I will never forget my time in Thailand & the people I met. And most certainly
Won't forget the elephants. I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to work so close with them. It was truly life changing, & most certainly thankful for AEI's help at getting me ready for this trip! & I'm looking forward to my next :)