Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand: Environmental Conservation, Education & Elephant Trekking

Don't overthink it; do it! I had the absolute best experience ever with GIVE's Thailand program. It may seem a bit scary to travel to the other side of the world alone, but you will meet the most incredible people and become besties within the first day (and you get travel buddies for life!). What you experience together forms a bond like no other. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and for being able to contribute to something greater than myself! From trekking through the jungle and caves to learning and helping in reforestation at Chiang Mai University’s Forest Restoration & Research Unit (FORRU) to permaculture to teaching English in the villages of Mueang Kong to playing sports and games with the kids to playing a part in the process of building a church by shoveling dirt and bringing it up a hill, to learning about elephant conservation, to learning about Thai culture and the language, to meeting female leaders in villages and being able to learn how to do the handcrafts, they make for a living, to bamboo rafting in the middle of the jungle and EVERYTHING in between.
What a well-rounded experience. Thailand, the fantastic guides and volunteers I got to share this experience with will forever hold a special place in my heart; I am a much better person because of this experience. GIVE, thank you once again for teaching me how to be a responsible traveler/global citizen and for the privilege and opportunity to give back. I can't wait to continue to share my experience with the world, this trip has truly impacted my life, and I aim to continue to impact the world. Just experience it yourself and see it firsthand.

This was the best trip ever!!! I’ve never been out of the country before and it was soooo cool to experience a new culture and meet so many amazing people. Everyone was so kind and welcoming and made this experience great. I learned so much about permaculture and felt like I actually made a difference even though we were only there for a short time. It was so great to spend time with the kids at the school: their smiles and energy made me so happy. Plus we got to eat amazing food every day and experience so many new things: from Thai boxing, to raft building to bungee jumping, this is a trip that will stay with me forever.

At first I was very hesitant to go abroad with a program I did not know much about- but I am so so glad that I did! I took a chance on this volunteer program and I think that it was the best choice I have made for myself in a very long time. The guides, both the GIVE and the Thai native ones, were amazing- I felt so connected and well informed throughout the experience. Not to mention they were just...fun! There was an equal level of "work" and "touring" involved, but both you learned and had little lessons about. In Thailand we taught English and worked on a permaculture (if you ever get the chance to get on this trip you'll be so in love with P'Dave) and you had the option on which you wanted to do so there was something for everyone. Lastly...the part that most people go on this particular GIVE trip for...the elephants. You will see elephants and you will absolutely fall in love with them. I wish the trip was longer, but I will definitely be traveling with GIVE again. I HIGHLY recommend this, I cannot explain the feeling you get so go experience it for yourself!

I traveled to Thailand with GIVE this past December and I can truthfully say it was by far my favorite trip I have done to date. The itinerary was well thought out and always executed to perfection. We had the perfect balance of work, fun, and education. I felt as though I was well immersed in Thai culture and got the most out of my experience. Every meal was absolutely delicious. Not only that, but it was a great variety of traditional Thai dishes and we were able to experience the various flavor profiles of where we were. The volunteer projects were discussed with the local teachers, farmers, and community members in order to provide the most effective service possible. We had the opportunity to go caving, tube down the river, and even learn how to build our own bamboo raft to travel down the river to a new village. And of course, we had the chance to meet elephants! We trekked through the jungle to find these amazing animals and had the chance to feed and bath them in the river. Every activity and meal had a purpose and made my time in Thailand meaningful and fun. Not to mention, the amazing guides and people that I had the opportunity to meet. Everyone was so caring and fun to be around. We were able to learn from one another and enjoy this experience together. I cannot wait till all of our paths cross again somewhere in the world!

I went on a GIVE trip to Thailand to shake me out of my comfort zone. I had never been outside of the US or Canada but have always wanted to travel, and not just to super-touristy locations. I was skeptical paying money to volunteer, but now, knowing what goes in to making the experience, I can say that it was completely worth it. GIVE is incredibly connected with the host communities. Most of the guides grew up locally and speak both English and Thai fluently, which made it so easy to learn about life in northern Thailand: many things that you wouldn’t be able to learn as a standard tourist. I was also able to experience many of the local shops and restaurants and what it is like to stay in jungle villages. Things that I would also not have been otherwise able to experience as a solo traveller having no previous connections in the region.
I was concerned that I would not be able to make much of an impact only staying for 2 weeks, but teaching and playing with the kids at Nongbua School, I could feel how special it made these kids feel to be visited by people from the other side of the world. I don’t think I have ever been in a place where so many people want to hug me. Playing soccer against a bunch of Thai school kids under a sky full of dragon flies in the pouring rain (and losing), was just an otherworldly experience.
We were also able to see the progress we made in the permaculture project. Just a few hours a day of the whole group finding, removing, and transplanting banana trees, we were essentially able to plant a small forest. In addition to the physical permaculture projects, we also learned about the beauty of and the urgent need for sustainable agriculture and forest restoration. Of course, learning on-site is so much more impactful than reading or watching videos about permaculture online.
I was also surprised by how much the guides and locals invited us to ask questions (the hard ones too). We had many sessions where a local would be invited to talk about a particular subject, like how it is to teach at the local school, and how Elephant ownership and conservation work in modern times. A lot of the time, these sessions were brutally honest: addressing things like the negative parts of life in Thailand, the downsides of voluntourism, and the reality of how the least harmful way to keep elephants in captivity still involves chains and hooks.
On a personal level, the guides were also very inspiring. There were quite a few emotional speeches and individual conversations that I had with the guides that made me look forward to the future more than I have in quite some time. They pointed out the opportunities that I have to travel and search for what I love doing. There is no doubt that this trip has changed the course of my future. I feel like this trip helped me see how insignificant the problems in my daily life usually are and how much opportunity I have right now that I may not have in the future and that many people might never have.
Of course, there are organisations with much longer-term projects out there that involve less tourism and more labour. These projects can have larger impacts, but there are also many fewer people willing to commit to such long-term projects. Not only does GIVE make international volunteering more accessible, but based on the experience I had, I would expect that GIVE is inspiring more people to commit to such long-term projects.

I loved this trip. Everything about it was terrific. We were constantly kept busy, and they ensured no time was wasted. The guides are excellent at what they do. They're always there to help if you're feeling uneasy or sad. Aside from that, they treat you like family. They're always on top of things. As for the projects, I enjoyed English education the most! If you plan on working at the school, I suggest picking the smaller school. You get to connect with the kids better. When we weren't volunteering, we got to be adventurous! Hiking the cave, tubing down the river, and bamboo rafting was sick!!!

There were a lot of highlights of this trip but the first thing that sticks out for me is all the connections I've made. I met some of the best people ever and made friends that honestly feel like family now! Other than that I loved learning about the culture and religion as well as the ways of the beautiful Thai people like the traditional bamboo rafting, visiting temples, meditating with a monk, basket and Karen weaving, partaking in the Baisi ceremony, and so much more! It felt incredible to be completely immersed in this amazing culture and welcomed by everyone with open arms, all the while having incredible guides that made the whole experience all the better! Of course I can't forget about all the laughs and the energy on the perm plot and the high fives and little but amazing steps of progress in the classrooms! One last thing that will stick with me is all of the small moments that one might not pay too much attention to like playing cards with my friends during the breaks, P'Nicky bringing us roti every night, the truck rides with the speakers, etc. Never forget about the small things in life!
Despite a hiccup during the trip that could have been avoided by HQ but that the guides handled nicely, this has been an unforgettable experience!
The main thing I'd say to someone that is considering to go on this trip is: don't hesitate! If you're thinking of going on this GIVE trip, do it! It was the best decision I've ever made and could only encourage other people to make that same decision! It has been amazing to see, now that I am home, how much this trip has truly changed me! It's something that cannot be put into words but must be experienced to be understood and that is the reason why I hope whoever is reading this, takes that leap of faith and just goes for it! If you go into this trip with simply an open mind, it will be the best experience ever, just trust it!

This trip was full of once in a lifetime experiences and opportunities you would never get if traveling on your own to thailand. the country’s as beautiful and the people were even more beautiful. The price for the trip itself was a little high but looking back, if i booked this trip not through GIVE i wouldn’t get the same experiences. because of GIVE i was able to be fully immersed into the thai culture and their traditions. i was able to live in their shoes for a short little bit. my views on life and how i want to live my life is forever impacted.