Elephant Experience Reviews

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It was such a privilege to be educated on ethical elephant care in Thailand. To walk and be along side these beautiful creatures was an unforgettable experience I will never forget and had truly changed me. The connections I made on this trip are so special to me.

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I had so much fun I wish it was longer!!!

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The most incredible journey I've ever experienced! Learning and working with the elephants was a dream. The people are so kind and full of wisdom. Loved everything about this trip!

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This was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to hopefully do another trip with GIVE.

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AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!!!!

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Getting to learn about elephant tourism through this trip was so impactful. Experiencing 3 different elephant sanctuaries to learn about their unique practice really helped me to learn about this topic in a whole new way.

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An up close view of elephant lives from start to finish with a great addition of an authentic look into thai culture with the local guides. So many friendships were made and every day was super fun.

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If you love elephants, this is the trip for you! We visited many different elephant sanctuaries over the length of this trip with the goal of learning what different approaches there are to elephant conservation and care. We were able to experience hands-on sanctuaries as well as hands-off, and even an elephant retirement home. Even though the approaches may be different, the one thing that was constant was the love and care that these sanctuaries gave to the elephants. This trip was extremely educational, and was an amazing add-on to my two other Thailand programs I participated in!

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Don't hesitate to take this trip! You will easily have the best time of your life!

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Obvious part first: elephants are majestic af and we got to hang out with them pretty much every day in lots of epic ways... but holy moly did this trip surprise me and teach me so much more than I expected. Human / elephant conflict is such a complicated issue, but our GIVE guides and the local mahouts and experts we got to learn from helped break it down and clear up so many preconceived notions. I loved how the trip connected us with local experts and organizations that have unique approaches to the same ultimate goal: elephant welfare and conservation. We also got to witness the spiritual bond our mahouts shared with their elephants and gained such an appreciation for the work they do.

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I learned so much on this trip, and how much of what you hear about elephant tourism can be incorrect. GIVE showed me all sides of the relationships these animals have with their local mahuts. What a way to see and interact with these animals up close, every day.

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This trip was incredible. I learned so much about elephants but I also learned a lot about the Thai people and culture surrounding elephants--especially through the Karen tribe! This trip was so special for so many reasons! The experiences were unforgettable--feeding elephants, interacting with them, throwing their poop off the side of a mountain, hiking in the jungle to find them, and learning about all the people who care for them everyday. The guides ( Vic, P'Dee, and P'Keng) did amazing jobs. They were so informative and encouraging! It was so special to be around Hoi Pakkut and here about the community from P'Dee because that is where he is from and he cares so much about that community! I loved this trip and could not recommend it more!!!

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I hugged an elephant and got kissed by one! What else can I say, not a lot of people get to do this. Being able to go to the different elephant villages was so impactful. I learned soo much. These people are amazing and the elephants are incredible and gentle giants. I Would do this again without a doubt.

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As I wrote in my last review I just wish there was more hands on experience, I felt like I really didn’t do anything besides observe from a distance. Which was still very beautiful and I don’t regret it but I went on the trip expecting to volunteer more so I can feel useful and gain more experience

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Not hands on, lots of standing around, emphasis more on getting to know other volunteers instead of elephants

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This was such an inspiring and educational trip. I am immensely grateful to the GIVE staff and everyone who contributed to this experience.