I went on the Thailand Elephant excursion. I had a wonderful time learning about the culture and gentle giants. The hosts P An , P Di and P Pon Pon were absolutely fantastic and helped me when I needed it with out question. This trip pushed my hiking abilities past what I expected but I never gave up and was cheered on through out my trip. It was a blessing having P Pon Pon on my trip. He was extremely helpful to me. I would recommend this trip to all who are fit. The hiking can get a little rough especially on the incline of the mountain range.

I went on the Elephant Experience with GIVE Volunteers in summer 2025, and it completely exceeded anything I could have imagined! We traveled to places so remote and unique that I never would have found them on my own, and being welcomed into those villages and seeing a totally different way of life was eye-opening in the best way.

The time spent at the elephant sanctuaries was beyond amazing—it felt so genuine, ethical, and unforgettable. What really made it even more special, though, were the people: the locals, the guides, and the other volunteers who quickly felt like family.

I came home with memories and lessons that will stick with me forever. This trip changed the way I see the world, and I would do it all over again without hesitation!

This was the funnest trip I have been on. P’dee P’on and P’ann are the best 💕. You will have so much fun learning about these elephants and communities and seeing the greatest views of your life. I have made friends on this trip that I will have for a long time in the future. I have also been able to connect with amazing and loving people who take good care of you. The coffee is great you will never have bad coffee. Everyone is so friendly and the food is all local from different communities. You might see gibbons which were so fun to see! You get to wash elephants and learn how to love them sustainably. You get to see some of the northern Thailand Karen hill tribe and stay in their village at an accommodation. It is well worth your time to go.

After my Thailand experience, I didn’t know if any other trip could compare, but I went right to elephants. From the start, it was another amazing experience. In Elephant Freedom Village, we got to be hands on, feeding, bathing, playing, and learning directly about elephants. We learned about their way of living with their mahouts and all of the things the mahouts do to take care of their elephants. Our second stay in Huay Pakkoot Community Elephant Foundation, we did elephant trekking and observed elephants in a more wild setting. We got to see a different way of taking care of animals. The third place we visited was Burm and Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary where we got to see retired elephants in, once again, a more wild setting. Throughout each of these experiences, we were able to learn differences and similarities, one of the biggest being how much they love their elephants. Apart from just the elephants, all of the guides were incredible and taught us so much. They brought so much knowledge and energy to the trip, and it’s because of them that I enjoyed the trip so much.

This GIVE experience changed my life and was completely unforgettable. Our guides, P’Chiarra, P’Dee, P’Pohn Pohn and P’Anne made this trip magical and so so special. It taught me the importance of ethical tourism and that we all have to do our part in educating ourselves on these issues that could hurt our beautiful world. It helped me realize that I could be part of a smaller ripple that could make a bigger wave. I plan to share my experience to inspire others by educating others about ecotourism and the mission that GIVE dedicates themselves too. I want others to be able to see experience everything me and my group did and see how beautiful our world can be when we step out of our comfort zones and take that leap. Thank you GIVE for the best trip of my entire life and for changing the perspective of my life. This company made me realize how I want to move forward with my own career and do my own part in this mission.

This trip was an amazing experience! I found forever friends with the other people that went on my trip and my guides were amazing. Shoutout to P'Ann, P'Dee, and P'Phon for creating a once in a lifetime experience. They are genuinely some of the kindest and most caring people I've ever met. They made me feel safe and cared for in a new enviornment. I can't rave about them enough. The trip itself was also such an amazing experience.v Being up close to all the elephants and learning about the Thai culture was unbelievable and I can't wait to go on another GIVE trip soon!

My trip with GIVE is an experience I will talk about for the rest of my life. No vacation nor road trip I’ve been on can hold a candle to what my trip to Thailand was like. I went on the weeklong Elephant Experience with my guides Ann Jitsook, Dee Trachookwamdee, Chiara Hendrix, and Phon Phon. My guides all provided unique perspectives and guidance that helped open my mind to the beautiful culture of Thailand. Chiara was amazing at making sure the change in cultural norms and environment didn’t become overwhelming and was always willing to lend a helping hand. P’ Ann did the same and always brought positivity into every conversation and activity we did. She was always smiling and happy to share about anything you asked. P’ Dee helped substantially in explaining every activity and was always willing to re-explain things when there was confusion, sometimes three even four times. As well as this, he was always lifting spirits with his jokes and sense of humor. In fact, there was never a time I wasn’t smiling or laughing when P’ Dee was there. Last but certainly not least, is Phon Phon. Phon Phon is genuinely the most joyful and kind person I have ever met. He always led with such a passion and joy for sharing his culture. This helped spread a sense of curiosity and wonder throughout the group. I can’t remember a time when Phon Phon wasn’t being asked a question but he was never annoyed and instead flourished in that kind of environment. I will forever remember the light that he shined and hope to carry even a fraction of the same joy with me in future travels. Overall, this experience would not have been as special without the guides and contributing communities. I will never forget the people I met and the wonderful experiences I got the gift of taking part in. This trip taught me so much about world travel and even myself. Thank you GIVE!!

Being able to experience Elephant Freedom Village, Huay Pakkoot, and Maechaeng was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The people were all so incredibly generous and seeing the elephants was amazing. I loved all of the food that I was served and the locals made sure had plenty of food and that we never left hungry. Accommodations were all quite nice as well, and we had air conditioning almost every night, even though it wasn’t even that hot at night. Overall an amazing trip and I would 100% recommend it to anyone.