Caring for Elephants! Incredible.

I had the most amazing experience on this trip! I went to the north of Thailand to help with elephant and wildlife conservation and community projects in the village we stayed in. I went for 3 weeks and it definitely was not enough! It included a home-stay family for you, food, funding for supplies (eg. paper, pens, etc.) for the coordinators and interns, water, food for the elephants and many others. It was very easy to apply and pay for, and I thought it was the best value for money! The village we stay in is small and very community-based, it has no internet or phone service, but it's so refreshing to get away from all that for a while! Every second day we would walk the elephants out to the mountains, record how they interact with each other, eat lunch in the mountains, and walk back so they can have those nights by themselves. The other days we would walk out to find them and bring them back to the village. Weekends we could stay in the village or visit other towns, and there was always spare time! The group would sometimes be split; some would help around the community while others would go out and collect grass for the elephants. It's a little bit challenging, and the mountains can be difficult to climb, but that's what makes it fun; it's different, you're out in nature, you're actually doing something for these amazing animals and the community that surrounds them. It was just the most rewarding and incredible experience and I am going back every year :)