Thailand - Elephant Forest Refuge

One of my favorites moments must definitely be the elaphants walks and showers we got to do almost everyday. It was just amazing to be so close to these wonderful animals and we always had so much fun doing it.

Working to give abused and traumatized elephants the best love, care, nourishment I could offer and working alongside a dedicated team of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds was a truly wonderful, life enhancing experience, which will be in my heart and head forever. What a way to celebrate my 80th birthday! Thank you, GoEco!

Great experience! I would recommend this trip to everyone! It really is a trip of a lifetime! The most memorable experiences were just being able to learn so many tasks to help the elephants, and to be able to be a part of the sanctuary family!

This was a life-changing experience for me! Everyone we worked with - from the staff to the other volunteers - were amazing! The staff are so passionate about the elephants and really understand the needs of rehabilitation, and celebrate every milestone! The highlight for me was seeing 2 elephants who were recently moved to a larger area, making progress in their rehabilitation - we witnessed the first time they went for a swim in the lake, which meant they were adapting to their new home!

Our family volunteered at the Elephant Valley Sanctuary in Thailand. We had a great experience there. We loved walking with the elephant 5 miles to its new home...from the jungle-like setting through roads and rice paddies to the new sanctuary.We'd like to thank the sanctuary for a great experience. They made us feel very welcomed. The food was great and our volunteer coordinators were awesome.

I really enjoyed the secluded natural environment. It was amazing to wake up everyday surrounded by peaceful elephants. It felt good to be a part of a community that really puts the elephants needs first in a country where there is a lot of animals being exploited for tourism. This place really sets a great example for how wild animals and humans should coexist. GoEco made traveling to a foreign country to be of service easy by being available to plan and ask questions. Being a volunteer for this organization was exciting. I feel so good about Serving others with this kind of organization.

I loved getting to observe the elephants as well as hang out with other volunteers, interns, and staff during my stay. I had such a great time at this project - I wish I could have stayed longer. The other people there were all amazing and very nice. I am glad I had the opportunity to meet them. I also enjoyed learning so much about elephants and their welfare. I learned what a "happy" elephant acts like versus what a stressed or nervous elephant acts like. I learned about the different situations throughout the world that elephants face - especially when it comes to entertaining humans. I have a much stronger stance on elephant rights and am happy to support such a great cause.