Ethical Elephant Experience - Short Stay

location
1 - 1 weeks  ·  Alder 18 - 50+

rating  Excellent 4.8  · 
  Verificeret af Volunteer World
  Meget høj Svarrate

Højdepunkter

  • Ethical & sustainable
  • The elephants are given autonomy and freedom of choice, spending their days foraging in their natural habitat, without having to please humans
  • These elephants are not controlled with bull-hooks, and they do not drag heavy chains through the forest

Højdepunkter

  • Ethical & sustainable
  • The elephants are given autonomy and freedom of choice, spending their days foraging in their natural habitat, without having to please humans
  • These elephants are not controlled with bull-hooks, and they do not drag heavy chains through the forest
  • Experience the Karen hill tribe way of life
  • The elephants welfare is prioritised over guests desires.


  • Særligt velegnet til

    Alder 18+
    Singler
    Par
    Grupper

    Om programmet

    Improving welfare of captive elephants by allowing them to retire in the forest, creating alternative livelihoods, contributing to community development & forest health.

    - Isara Elephant Village -

    These elephants have retired from harsh working environments. They now forage and socialise how they wish, without force or fear. This journey is exclusively for guests seeking an ethical experience with elephants. You understand that the elephants' needs come first and ...

    Om programmet

    - Isara Elephant Village -

    These elephants have retired from harsh working environments. They now forage and socialise how they wish, without force or fear. This journey is exclusively for guests seeking an ethical experience with elephants. You understand that the elephants' needs come first and you wish to appreciate their presence without imposing upon them.

    Our aim is to allow these elephants to thrive without coercion or exploitation for the pleasure of guests. We do not allow large noisy groups of people, we allow the elephants to do as they were meant to do in their natural habitat. We adhere strictly to ethical guidelines; therefore, activities such as riding, bathing, feeding, touching, or posing with the elephants are strictly prohibited.

    Visitors hike into the forest daily to see the elephants in their natural habitat. For those interested, you can learn about elephant behaviour, and collect behavioural data for our research. The elephants are given verbal directions when needed as there are no bull hooks used to control them. During the day, elephants are free to roam, with their mahouts nearby to prevent conflicts with villagers or farms. The elephants are not forced to interact with visitors, but they are accustomed to human interaction, so they often come to you.

    You will be allocated a homestay in the village with a friendly host family. Karen people live in wooden/bamboo houses in the mountains. Accommodations are basic, you will have a private room with a thin mattress on the floor, bedding and a mosquito net.

    The bathroom is a separate room outside usually with a squat toilet and cold bucket shower. The village has fairly reliable power and water, but we will occasionally lose access temporarily.

    You’ll eat breakfast with your fellow guests at the voli-house, a very simple western breakfast of toast, jam, eggs, or cereal, with tea & coffee. Lunch & dinner is prepared by the locals, the food is very simple, generally vegetable, rice or noodles, egg, and occasional pork, chicken or fish. Vegetarians/vegans can be catered for. There are a couple of little shops in the village that sell drinks, snacks, and beer for purchase.

    Please note: This project is situated in a remote Karen Hill Tribe village, enveloped by jungle. You must be prepared to fully immerse yourself in jungle life, which includes adapting to different foods, cultures, languages, primitive ways of life, as well as the absence of luxuries. Be ready to encounter bugs, spiders (which cause no harm), and all aspects of jungle living. Please refrain from booking this project if you are not prepared to accept these conditions.


    Typisk dag

    3 day/2 nights

    Minimum 2 people is required, we can match individual travellers

    You will travel 2.5 hours out to the village, and meet your friendly host family & fellow guests.

    Visitors hike out into the stunning forest each morning to see the elephants in their natural habitat. For those interested, ...

    Typisk dag

    3 day/2 nights

    Minimum 2 people is required, we can match individual travellers

    You will travel 2.5 hours out to the village, and meet your friendly host family & fellow guests.

    Visitors hike out into the stunning forest each morning to see the elephants in their natural habitat. For those interested, you can learn about elephant behaviour, and how to collect this behavioural data for our research.

    Afternoons we will have different activities planned depending on season, a traditional craft such as basket weaving, learning the local language only Karen people speak or planting supplemental food for the elephants. You may be able to join the long-term visitors if they are teaching English to the children at the school.




    Fritidsaktiviteter

    You can relax every afternoon and evening at the volunteer house, with fellow visitors and staff, read a book or watch the sunset.

    The hikes can be tough and strenuous, and really tire people out, but this is not a very busy back to back activitiy filled volunteer program, it is more of an ...

    Fritidsaktiviteter

    You can relax every afternoon and evening at the volunteer house, with fellow visitors and staff, read a book or watch the sunset.

    The hikes can be tough and strenuous, and really tire people out, but this is not a very busy back to back activitiy filled volunteer program, it is more of an experience.

    There are a couple of little shops in the village that sell drinks, snacks, and beer for purchase.


    Krav

    Krav

    Minimumsalder: 18 år

    For at kunne deltage i programmet skal du være mindst 18 år gammel på programmets startdato. Der kan være undtagelser, hvis du kan give tilladelse fra din(e) værge(r), eller hvis du ledsages af dine forældre.

    Sprogfærdigheder

    Du skal kunne tale Engelsk (fluently)

    Nødvendige dokumenter

    Proof of travel medical insurance for the length of tour stay.

    Nationalitetsrestriktioner

    Ingen begrænsninger. Hjælpende hænder fra hele verden er velkomne.

    Andre færdigheder

    We appreciate help from anyone, you do not need certain skills, just an open mind and willingness to help. You do need to have a high level of fitness.

    Tidsforpligtelse

    Der er brug for din hjælpende hånd Mandag, Tirsdag, Onsdag, Torsdag og Fredag fra 08:00 - 14:00

    Hvad er inkluderet

    Hvad er inkluderet

    Tjenester af Isara Elephant Foundation


    Included in fees:


    Transport from our designated pick up spot to the village at the beginning of your stay


    Transport back to Chang Mai city at the end of your stay.

    Accomodation on site in the village with a host family.


    3 meals per day while on site in the village and planned activities


    Your contribution directly keeps these retired elephants in the forest. Without this they can be taken back to a working camp. You can see exactly where your money goes when you stay with us.


    Indkvartering

    Volunteers are allocated a homestay in the village with a friendly host family. Karen people live in wooden/bamboo houses in the mountains. Accommodations are basic, you will have a private room with a thin mattress on the floor, bedding and a mosquito net.

    The bathroom is a separate room outside usually with a squat toilet and cold bucket shower. The village has fairly reliable power and water, but we will occasionally lose access temporarily.

    It is important to remember this is a hill tribe village, not resort style accomodation. Visitors must embrace the karen hill tribe way of life.

    Mad og drikkevarer

    You’ll eat breakfast with your fellow guests at the voli-house, a very simple western breakfast of toast, jam, eggs, or cereal, with tea & coffee. Lunch & dinner is prepared by the locals, the food is very simple, generally vegetable, rice or noodles, egg, and occasional pork, chicken or fish. Vegetarians/vegans can be catered for. There are a couple of little shops in the village that sell drinks, snacks, and beer for purchase.

    Internetadgang

    Begrænset adgang til projektområdet

    Hvad er IKKE inkluderet?

    Hvad er IKKE inkluderet?

    Afhentning i lufthavnen i Chiang Mai International Airport

    Afhentning i lufthavnen er heller ikke inkluderet i programgebyret.

    Flybilletter

    Den nærmeste lufthavn er Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) i Chiang Mai. Vi hjælper dig med at finde billige flybilletter til Thailand. FINDE BILLIGE FLYBILLETTER

    Rejseforsikring

    At rejse til udlandet er et eventyr, og det er altid bedst at være forberedt. Pludselig sygdom eller skade, aflysning eller tyveri - en rejseforsikring til Thailand giver sikkerhed og er en fordel at have. FÅ ET TILBUD

    Vacciner

    Hvis du har til hensigt at blive frivillig i Thailand, bør du søge lægehjælp, før du begynder din sociale rejse. Tjek dine krævede vaccinationer for Thailand. VACCINE CHECKER

    Oplysninger ved ankomst

    Start on Sundays only.

     

    Please make sure you read ALL of the information provided, if there is something you don't understand we are more than happy to answer all questions.

     

    All fees are non-refundable, but we know the world is unpredictable so dates can be changed until 2 weeks prior to your arrival.

    Tilgængelighed
    Jan. Febr. Marts April Maj Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Okt. Nov. Dec.

    Programgebyrer

    3 dage 328€
    Gennemsnitligt gebyr 765€/uge

    Programgebyrer

    765€ pr. uge 1 - 1 weeks Alder 18 - 50+

    Betalingsmetoder

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    INGEN KREDITKORTGEBYRER


    Duration

    1 - 1 weeks

    Deposit

    Depositummet er blot for at reservere din plads som frivillig. Betalinger håndteres af PayPal, vores betroede globale betalingsudbyder. Hvis du ikke har en PayPal-konto, kan du også betale med et kreditkort.


    Final Payment

    Din endelige betaling vil blive aftalt med Isara Elephant Foundation under ansøgningsprocessen. Almindelige løsninger er enten via bankoverførsel eller kontant betaling på projektstedet.


    Mød din vært

    Isara Elephant Foundation

    Excellent 4.8 rating (18 feltrapporter)

    Non-profit - grundlagt i 2015

    Verificeret af Volunteer World

      Meget høj Svarrate

    Vært er

    Lo

    Spoken languages: Engelsk

    Om projektet

    A sustainable, ethical elephant experience, mutually beneficial to both elephants and the community.

    Mød din vært


    - Who we are?

    We are a team of veterinary professionals and locals working with the community to improve the welfare of captive elephants. 

    We are non profit registered in both Australia and Thailand. 


    - What we do?

    At Mae Tala Elephant Village, Isara Elephant Foundation Thailand provides a sustainable, safe home for elephants to live a more natural life, and an alternative livelihood for families who want to transition away from using their elephants in the harsh tourist camps. We assist with community development & education, veterinary care for all animals in the community and contribute the forest health.

    We are are retiring elephants to their natural habitat where they can forage freely eating their natural diet, exhibit natural elephant behaviours and are not expected to please tourists. This greatly improves the welfare of these elephants. They have autonomy and freedom of choice. They are monitored closely by their mahouts, to be sure they stay safe out in the forest & can receive any necessary veterinary care. 

    Elephants play an important role in forest health, as they roam throughout the forest they open up areas, allowing light to enter and creating new growth, adding habitat variety and overall biodiversity to the forest. As they roam, they leave their nutrient rich dung behind full of seeds which is the perfect fertiliser. This seed dispersal creates new plant growth for other species. We are monitoring our impact on the forest, with the help of Chiang Mai University’s Forest Restoration Research Unit (FORRU-CMU), you can contribute without regular tree planting activities.

    Volunteers coming to our project value elephant welfare, but also value the Karen culture, and are as engaged in the community as they are with the elephants. 


    - Where we work? 

    The project is located in a Karen hill tribe in Chiang Mai. Karen hill tribe communities are spotted throughout the mountains along the Thai/Myanmar border, where they settled as refugees after fleeing Burma due to ethnic and political conflict.They have owned elephants for thousands of years. The population in Thailand is around 1 million, and speak their own unique language. Their long history and integration in Thailand means they have now largely assimilated into Thai society. 


    - Who are we looking for?

    Whether you are after the experience of a life time, a student, a photographer, a teacher, a professional, taking a gap year, or seeking experience in wildlife conservation, animal welfare, veterinary, conservation, the environment, community development or just have a passion for elephants, we would love to have you! You DO need to be in good physical fitness, as the hikes into the forest to find the elephants can be tough, especially in the heat. 




    18 feltrapporter · rating4.8

    Tara Kerrin rating5

    2024 at Ethical Elephant Experience

    I spent a week with the people of this amazing foundation and it ended up being much more than I expected it was going to be. There was amazing immersion into the local culture, as well as education on the Thailand elephant industry. All of the long-term volunteers were so engaging and helpful, ...
    Stacey Venzel rating4.6

    2024 at Ethical Elephant Experience

    I had a memorable week volunteering with Isara. Monsoon season turned out to be a great time to go! The forests were lush and the temperatures tolerable. The hikes through the jungle are intense but well guided and lead you right to the 2 elephants, Sri Chan and Boonchu. They are 2 old ladies ...
    Oliver Schmidt rating3.2

    2024 at Ethical Elephant Experience

    Me and my girlfriend visited the Isara Elephant Foundation in february/march 2024. Upfront: we have mixed feelings about the stay, none of which are necessarily anyones fault, but I'll try to describe our experience as best as I can. We were accomodated at Pop's House, who's a nice and fun guy in ...
    Emily Evans rating5

    2023 at Ethical Elephant Experience

    Beautiful place with really friendly locals, incredible to see the elephants in their natural habitat, it meant you could really witness their personalities. Really enjoyed the afternoon activities and experiencing the culture. Highly ...
    Adrienne Bowerman rating5

    2023 at Ethical Elephant Experience

    Enabling elephants to retire in their native habitat while providing alternative income to the elephant owners and the villagers. You can see how ethical tourism promotes the health and well-being of not just the elephants but also the native people who have cared for and depended on them for, ...
    Siobhan Utting rating5

    2023 at Ethical Elephant Experience

    Had an amazing time working with the elephants, you can really see how much they care for them, and that the elephants are actually happy here and can enjoy their lives, rather than being used for entertainment. I've been on holidays before and seen elephants clearly stressed out being used for ...

    Placering

    Asien > Sydøstasien > Thailand > Chiang Mai

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