GVI Thailand Elephant Project

Before I joined the Thailand Elephant Project with GVI I hadn't done any travelling, let alone flown half-way around the world on my own. I would have been nervous if it weren't for the great support I got from the GVI staff prior to beginning my journey, but they were very helpful and made everything very easy for me. When I got to Thailand I was picked up at the airport and taken to the fantastic Eco Resort in Chiang Mai where I was introduced to other volunteers and staff members who wasted no time in getting me up to date on what I would be doing. The next day we drove to the village where I met the rest off the staff and volunteers on the project, who were all very friendly. The local villagers prepared a delicious feast and welcomed me and the other new volunteers into the village with giju (a kind of good luck ceremony). The next day we all went on a short hike to meet the elephants and feed them bananas. It was incredible to get so hands on with such iconic animals in their natural habitat. When choosing which expedition to take this was a decisive factor and the thing I was looking forward to most, but amazing as it was, the thing I enjoyed most about the project was life in the village. There is always something going on in the village to get involved with and all the locals are welcoming and so friendly that living there felt like a privilege. The next couple of weeks passed by too fast despite every day being packed full of fun activities that I will never forget. Working with the elephant project also gives the feeling of really making a positive difference. My only regret with my time on the project is that I didn't stay for longer and I cannot recommend it highly enough.