Thailand: Elephant & Education Initiative

I went to Thailand this last summer with Global Leadership Adventures, and I'm in love. Not just with Thailand, but with the program! GLA has amazing staff, and they're so supportive and caring throughout your trip and after. I always felt safe and secure, which I'm sure was not easy in the areas we sometimes went, but I never questioned it for a second. I had an amazing time, and I think that any opportunity I get to swim with elephants is an automatic favorite memory.

I had such an amazing experience through Global Leadership Adventures! I traveled to Thailand not knowing anyone, yet I felt at home. Each student was so welcoming and eager to make new friends. My favorite part of the two weeks was definitely teaching English to the children. They were so engaged in the lessons and tried to understand, although the language barrier was a challenge. The kids were so thankful that we taught at their school and crying as they said goodbye. I also loved immersing myself in Thai culture visiting many different temples, and also volunteering at an elephant conservation. We also had a Thai cooking lesson. It was so much fun learning about new foods that are different than ones I usually eat. Besides the many different activities, the Global Leadership Adventure mentors were always so nice and helpful. They were always there for us and were willing to talk about anything. This was an unforgettable experience that I would love to repeat hopefully next summer!

My daughter went on a trip last year with GLA to Thailand. At first we were nervous about our her going so far as a young teen, but GLA was great and it ended up being a trip of a lifetime. The GLA staff were very patient and informative with all my questions, they were completely on the ball at every step of the way and made us feel very comfortable as parents. The volunteer work with the elephants and a local Thai school was great for our daughter, but even more, the immersive cultural experience with like-minded teens from various places and backgrounds was irreplaceable. She is going with GLA to another locale this year and we're excited for her and the impact these trips are having on her world view, life experience and sense of self as she navigates the world with such adventure and purpose with a group that we feel safe and comfortable with.

I was looking for a volunteer trip abroad that was safe and put me out of my comfort zone. When reflecting on this experience it realize how much it helped me grow as an individual as made me realize my part in elephant conservation and how I can 'be the change'. This program was exciting and funfilled. It exposed me to new ideas and cultures. The food was spectacular as was the ability to uniqically work with elephants in the Thai mountains

After a very long flight from New York, I and the other GLA students arrived in Chiang Mai greeted by an excited staff. For the next three days, we visited extravagant temples, a Christian school, and busy markets. My favorite activity in Chiang Mai was visiting the school where we exchanged our American culture with the students by teaching them slang words and they taught us about Thai dances and games. It was uplifting to see the students so happy, welcoming and excited to meet us. Our elephant education began in Chiang Mai where we visited the Elephant Conservation Center and Elephant Hospital. It was the first time I had ever touched an elephant which was scary and amazing!
When we arrived at Thai Elephant Home, the elephants greeted us and we were assigned a roommate and our elephant. My elephant was named Mae Chan and she was a sweetheart! Our counselors took us on a five hour trek where we rode our elephants, played in the mud with them and then took them to the river for a bath. It's daunting the first time you are riding or standing next to an elephant, but the mahouts are right there to guide us. That first day was surreal - I never thought I would actually be interacting with an elephant so intimately. Even though we were all pretty sore the next day from the riding the elephants, we got used to it quickly. All of the staff and counselors were helpful and outgoing. The atmosphere of the home is warm, safe and comfortable. Our days started at 5:30am, but we were always excited to see what the day had in store for us. In the morning, we shoveled our elephant's mess, bathed our elephants and fed them new grass before our breakfast. The food is INCREDIBLE - and this is coming from a very picky eater. Everyday, we did service work (grass cutting or dam building) which was tiresome but everyone participated and no one complained. We did have a lot of free time to get to know each other and I loved hanging out, playing bananagrams and cards. The two weeks flew by and I was sad to leave my elephant and new friends that I made.

This was the most amazing experience of my life. Not only did I immediately fall in love with Thailand, but I fell in love with the people, the culture, the language, and the elephants. I was greeted at the airport by Joon, who was super funny and was so welcoming. He gave me this flower necklace that smelled amazing. That day at the airport I met my forever best friend. From the 3 days we stayed in Chiang Mai in the Imm Hotel, I knew I wanted to come back with all of my friends and family. We got to experience some of the culture first hand. We went to authentic Thai restaurants, holy temples, and even the schools. We got to interact with the people and the children and they are always just so happy and friendly and welcoming. I have never felt safer or more at home in my life! The staff did an awesome job at making us all feel super comfortable and made sure we were always happy and learning new things. When we went to the first elephant hospital in the world and got to meet elephants for the first time, we were all silenced. These animals are so breathtaking and have such beautiful souls. This is when I first discovered that I want to be a large exotic wildlife vet, and work with elephants and other endangered species like them. Our group bonded extremely well and we were always so eager to go out and learn and experience Thailand and the culture. At the Thai Elephant Home, my life was changed. My elephant changed my life. She was so kindhearted and we formed an extremely unique and beautiful bond. Her mahout didn't speak a word of English, but we still managed to become the best of friends and we learned so much from each other. Being able to care for your own elephant was just the most extraordinary experience. Our service, which was cutting and planting grass and building dams was so incredibly rewarding. We were all more than happy to give a little back to the Thai people and the elephants. There was never a dull moment in Thailand, no matter how tired we were, we were ALWAYS having fun and learning so much from each other. It's so important to get different perspectives of other people from other places in the world, and we did just that. We learned a lot about elephant conservation and we got to all form our own opinions about it, which was awesome. I learned more Thai than I know in the language that I have been taking for 7 years. This was just the most incredible experience and I am forever thankful for it.

This was my fourth and final trip with Global Leadership Adventures. After traveling to Costa Rica, the Galapagos and the Dominican Republic with GLA, I was thrilled to finally be going to Thailand. The local staff was amazing and I learned so much about Thai culture. Working with elephants every day was an experience rivaled by none. After spending a few days in the city of Chiang Mai, we finally headed off to the village where the Elephant Conservation center was. We woke up very early every day to clean up after the elephants and bathe them, a surprisingly enjoyable task. We also participated in other service activities such as planting trees, teaching english in schools, and cutting and planting grass (the food for the elephants). I really was not sure what to expect as this was my first time traveling to Asia. But now that I have spent two weeks there and met so many wonderful people, all I can think about is going back. I was in the first group of the program so we acted sort of as the guinea pigs for what service work activities would work the best. We also were given the chance to help cook at the conservation center. We were assigned a day to cook dinner and we learned how to prepare an official Thai dish. I have a million wonderful things to say about this program, and I couldn't be happier with my experience. I was really able to discover my love for learning about other cultures, and my love for preserving species. We engaged in meaningful discussions about animal rights, and how one person can make a change (a discussion started by our mentor Ash Hastings). I cannot recommend Global Leadership Adventures enough, it is such a wonderful program.

The name of the program has to be 100% true. Last summer, I chose to go to Thailand with Global Leadership Adventures instead of having a Sweet Sixteen and I could not be any happier. I learned so much about the Thai culture and absolutely loved the program. I learned about the food that they ate, even making my own, how to pray like a Buddhist monk, and about the country as a whole. I made so many friends, who I still keep in touch with and would love to go back. There was certainly the element of "Adventure" while I was there. We went zip lining, biking, kayaking, hiking, and so much more. We met a local hill tribe and even went to a Thai high school where we met some students. We also had the option to shop at markets. It was an immersive opportunity and I will never forget it. The volunteering itself was wonderful as well. We went to an orphanage and a home for women. The children at the orphanage were extremely happy and appreciative of us coming, which was always a pleasant experience. At the home for women, we helped build some bamboo fences and prepare the home for the rainy season which was approaching rapidly. They were very appreciative as well. Overall, I loved this program so much that I decided to go on another program the following year in Ghana. I believe Global Leadership Adventures is worth every penny and is truly a life-changing experience that everyone should consider.