Volunteering in Thailand – Opening My Mind to New Experiences

Posted by: Abbie

Hello! My name is Abbie and I went to Surin, Thailand and participated in the Elephant Village Experience. It was my first time outside of the United States and I was lucky enough to go with my best friend. We went for a week and it was the best time of my life.

We were able to live with the elephants and the trainer and his family. The elephant named Bank was pregnant at the time and lived in the backyard. We were able to walk the elephants to the river and then swim and wash them in the water. That was my favorite part and loads of fun.

We were taught how to make elephant poo paper and I find it extremely resourceful. Using a waste instead of the trees we breathe is a way better way to make paper. It should be used in more places in the world. We also went and worked in the fields to plant more grass and food for the elephants. As well as plant, we also cut down the grass for Bank’s meals. We did work a few hours in the morning and afternoon with a traditional Thai lunch in between, but we also had an enjoyable amount of down time. There were bicycles and a little shop a little ways away from the house that we could go to for snacks and other cheap items.

The Elephant Village Experience was beautiful and opened my mind to more adventures. It also helped me to see that I want to help animals while I travel. Thank you Go Eco.