Description

A Week in the Jungle
Come live and work at a royal project dedicated to the preservation of Thai elephants and earn up to 40 community service hours and a certificate in elephant handling! Spend an exciting week living and working with elephants and their mahouts (keepers). Learn to ride, guide, drive, bathe, and feed elephants as you help to ensure a bright future for these magnificent animals. The program includes formal classes, practical training, residence at a royal forest compound, an overnight camping excursion deep into the jungle with your elephant, time at an elephant hospital, social time and karaoke with the mahouts, and, of course, plenty of time with the elephants. We are proud to offer this extremely special opportunity to learn unique skills, enjoy a wonderful adventure, and become a part of this amazing project.

At the Royal Project with Your Elephant
You'll live at an incredible elephant conservation center set amongst thousands of acres of forests, rivers, and mountains about two hours from Chiang Mai. The facilities here are extensive, and they are built to support a large community of elephants and handlers. There is a professional training school for mahouts here, as well as an elephant hospital and a rehabilitation center on the grounds. The conservation center also has great, open-air classrooms, modern living quarters, tasty food, a relaxed evening social life, and elephants in your front yard. This is one of the finest elephant care, study, and management facilities in the world.

Classes, Practical Skills, and Jungle Trekking with Your Elephant
Our goal is to immerse students in the life of the elephant, teach them about the animal's characteristics and qualities, and provide them with the skills to understand and handle elephants. Students also have practical training with elephants in an outdoor classroom and spend one night deep in the jungle working and living with elephants on the Royal Reserve. This conservation program includes service time caring for injured elephants in the elephant hospital, the chance to make paper from elephant dung (sold to raise money for elephant conservation), instruction in Thai cooking (students help the cooks with evening meals), and social time with a group of wonderful teachers, leaders, and staff. This program is unique in its location, its course and field work, and the impact it has on students and on the future of wild elephants. This amazing opportunity can be taken as a stand-alone program or as a one-week add-on to any other program in Thailand or Asia. Most students combine this program with one of our Ricefields service projects, our Amazing Thailand Adventure, or one of our other great touring programs. Whether you are an elephant lover or simply wish to get acquainted with these amazing creatures, you should consider this legendary program.

Highlights

JOIN this powerful conservation project in Northern Thailand and help ensure the future of Asian elephants.

WORK daily with elephants under the guidance and supervision of professional handlers, skilled Rustic Pathways leaders, and trained mahouts at this world-renowned facility.

GAIN an intimate working knowledge of elephants, learn about the various factors influencing their long-term survival, and return home as a formally certified elephant handler.

LEARN to feed, ride, bathe, and care for elephants every day on this extremely popular community service program.

TRAIN in hands-on elephant management and live at a world-class facility that is under the patronage of Thailand's royal family.

CARE for elephants at the elephant hospital, gather food for injured elephants, and learn about the habits and nature of these majestic animals as you work with them each day.

RIDE your elephant deep into the jungle and spend the night camping in the wilderness and laughing around the campfire.

Qualifications

Students must be 14-years old and up to participate on the program. Additionally, participants must submit an application through the Rustic Pathways website and complete the appropriate documents before traveling on the program.

Type of Programs

• Community Service / Volunteerism

Languages

• English
• Thai

Cost in US$:

USD 1,895 + 235 Internal Airfare

Cost Includes:

• Travel while in host country
• Housing
• Food
• Excursions
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Written materials pre-departure
• Written materials abroad

Program Fees Include:

The above cost includes all ground transportation in-country, 3 meals a day, housing, staff through the duration of the program, all supplies for the volunteer projects and all excursions on the program itinerary not listed as optional.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Animal Welfare
• Conservation

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Other

Participants Travel

in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 8-24 students

Scholarships are Available

Scholarships are available annually for students interested in Rustic Pathways programs on an application basis. The scholarships are for all Rustic Pathways programs across the world and not only for this particular program. Applications for scholarships are available starting in late January or early February for students and interested parties should contact Rustic Pathways directly to learn how to apply.

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Typically The Application Process Time is

1-2 business days

Rustic Pathways's Mission Statement

Rustic Pathways is a pioneer in providing superior quality travel and service programs for students and families in some of the world's most welcoming countries. Rustic Pathways demands professionalism and integrity across all of its operations, insists on quality in all aspects of its programs, and places the safety of its students above all other considerations. We enrich the lives of our students and our staff, benefit the parts of the world we serve, and build cultural bridges that lead to greater global understanding and cooperation.

Year Founded

1983