Bangkok Adventure: Teens' Elephant Service Journey

Course Description: Bangkok Adventure: Teens' Elephant Service Journey

🇹🇭 Thailand Volunteer Program for Teens

Experience Thailand through a once-in-a-lifetime elephant service and adventure program that blends meaningful volunteering, cultural immersion, and epic activities. Over 16 days, you’ll support real conservation work at an elephant sanctuary, connect with local hill tribe communities, and explore some of Thailand’s most fascinating cities and landscapes.

Led by caring, experienced staff, this program is all about service with purpose: you’ll reflect on your impact, learn about ethical animal care, and build empathy and confidence while making new friends from around the world. 🌏💛

This 16-day itinerary forms the first part of the longer 25-day Thailand Elephant Service & Adventure program.

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🌟 Program Highlights

• 🐘 Care for elephants at a rescue park while supporting ethical conservation

• 🧱 Work alongside a local hill tribe community on a building or improvement project

• 🌳 Zip-line through the jungle in Chiang Mai

• 🤝 Spend time with mahouts (elephant caregivers) and learn about responsible tourism

• 🛶 Float down the Mae Kok River on bamboo rafts

• 🥊 Try Muay Thai kickboxing and watch a professional match

• 💆 Relax with a traditional Thai massage

• 🍜 Join a Thai cooking class and enjoy the dishes you prepare

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🐘 Service Projects

🐘 Elephant Rescue Park – Chiang Mai

Spend several days at a Thai-owned elephant rehabilitation center focused on the care of injured, abandoned, and abused elephants.

You’ll:

• Prepare and distribute food for the elephants

• Help plant crops that will feed them in the future

• Take part in enrichment activities that keep elephants mentally and physically stimulated

• Learn how deforestation, habitat loss and tourism impact elephants

• Work alongside local mahouts, gaining insight into their traditions and the bond between caretaker and elephant

This hands-on experience helps you understand the realities of conservation work and what ethical elephant care truly looks like.

❗ No elephant riding is included or supported on this program, in order to prioritize elephant welfare.

About Elephant Rescue Park

The Elephant Rescue Park is dedicated to rehabilitating Thai elephants, focusing on health care and responsible breeding management for elephants who have been mistreated or displaced.

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🏞️ Lahu Tribal Village – Mae Salak

Experience life in a rural hill tribe community and give back through a community improvement project.

Past projects have included:

• Building or improving roads to help the village stay connected

• Constructing communal spaces where families can gather, read, and sell their crafts

You’ll also enjoy a cultural exchange evening with the Lahu tribe, with song, dance, and games that bring everyone together.

About the Lahu Tribal Village

This small village of about 90 people maintains a traditional agricultural lifestyle, with many homes lacking running water or electricity. The Lahu people continue to farm by hand with the help of water buffalo, preserving their cultural practices and deep connection to the land.

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🌾 Rice Farming in the Karen Community – Chiang Mai

Spend a day learning what it really takes to grow one of the world’s most important staple foods.

You’ll:

• Be welcomed by a local farmer from the Karen community

• Learn how rice paddies are prepared, irrigated, and harvested

• Take part in a hands-on rice planting session, helping plant rice shoots

• Gain a new appreciation for the discipline, skill, and physical effort behind rice farming

About the Karen Community

The Karen people were once known for elephant raising, but today many focus on rice farming, forestry, and land-based livelihoods, using traditional knowledge to live in balance with their environment.

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🎒 Activities & Adventures

🏞️ Mae Salak, Thailand

• Float down the Mae Kok River on bamboo rafts, steered with long bamboo poles

• Spend the day in the local Lahu community, including time at a rice farm

• Prepare a traditional Thai lunch from scratch using local ingredients

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🏙️ Bangkok, Thailand

Kick off and end your journey in Thailand’s lively capital:

• Learn about Thai customs and etiquette during orientation

• Explore the city using multiple modes of transport:

• Elevated Skytrain

• Canal boat

• Tuk-tuk

• Longtail boat

• Follow a Thai food walking tour at Jodd Fairs Market, sampling local dishes and snacks

• Visit iconic landmarks including:

• Erawan Shrine

• Golden Mount

• Grand Palace

• Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha)

At the end of the program, return to Bangkok for a farewell dinner, reflecting on everything you’ve seen, learned, and contributed in the “Land of the Smiles.” 😊

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🌿 Chiang Mai, Thailand

• Soar through the treetops on a multi-platform zip-line experience

• Visit the old city and some of Chiang Mai’s most famous temples, including Doi Suthep

• Take a Muay Thai kickboxing class, then watch a professional match

• Unwind with a Thai massage

• Join a Thai cooking class, where you’ll prepare and enjoy classic dishes

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🏨 Accommodations

All accommodations are chosen for safety, comfort, and proximity to activities.

• Bangkok – I Residence Hotel

• Rooftop restaurant and pool

• Sundeck with city views

• Central, easy access to major areas

• Chiang Mai – Ana Park Hotel

• Relaxing, centrally located

• Swimming pool, free Wi-Fi and tasty breakfasts

• Mae Salak – Saranya River House

• River and mountain views

• Air-conditioned rooms, Wi-Fi, TVs

• Swimming pool to cool off after service work

Accommodations are hotels and lodges, not homestays, to maintain comfort, group cohesion, and energy for service projects.

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💫 What It’s Like

• Focus: Service, cultural immersion, and adventure

• Service Hours: 🕒 40 community service hours with a letter of completion provided afterward

• Style: Supportive, reflective, and hands-on — everyone participates in all projects

• Group Size: Up to 24 participants

You’ll live, work, and travel with the same group, building a close, camp-style bond while making a tangible difference.

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🌍 Cultural Sensitivity & Local Support

• This program requires an open mind for new foods, routines, and environments

• A professional local guide travels with the group to:

• Provide cultural context

• Help with language and logistics

• Deepen your understanding of each community

Most dietary preferences and allergies can be accommodated with advance communication.

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✈️ Flights & Internal Flight Fee

Flight to Bangkok, Thailand

• The program begins with a chaperoned group flight from New York or Los Angeles to Bangkok

• Leaders meet you at the airport and stay with the group from check-in onward

• All participants are required to join the group flight to Thailand

• Staff can help arrange connecting flights into New York or Los Angeles for those coming from other cities

• Participants from outside North America can reach out to discuss options

✈️ Internal Flights (Required – Extra Cost)

Separate from international airfare, there is an additional *� $485 USD fee for internal flights, which covers:

• Bangkok ➝ Chiang Mai

• Chiang Mai ➝ Bangkok

This cost is not included in program tuition and must be paid separately.

Return Flight Home

• Chaperoned return flight from Bangkok to New York

• You can:

• Join the group flight and then connect home from New York, or

• Fly directly from Bangkok to your home city (leaders stay at the airport until all flights in the designated window have departed)

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🍜 Meals & New Cuisines

• Included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily

• Thailand’s cuisine features:

• Flavorful noodle dishes

• Curries and stir-fries

• Fresh fruit and vegetables

• Plenty of rice-based dishes

You’re encouraged to try new things, but North American–style options are usually available too.

Most dietary needs can be supported:

• Vegetarian

• Lactose intolerance

• Celiac

• Food allergies

• Kosher-style

Staff are experienced in working with dietary restrictions and happy to talk through specifics in advance.

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💧 Drinking Water

• Large containers of clean, filtered water are provided

• You’ll refill your reusable water bottle regularly throughout the day

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🧺 Laundry

• Pack about one week’s worth of clothing (as outlined in the packing list)

• You’ll have the chance to drop off laundry at local wash-and-fold services

• Clothes are returned clean, folded, and ready to wear

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✅ What’s Included

Your program tuition covers:

• All lodging

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily

• All listed activities & recreation

• Airport transfers in designated time windows

• Gratuities & taxes

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❌ Not Included

• International transportation to and from Thailand

• The $485 USD internal flight fee (Bangkok–Chiang Mai–Bangkok)

• Personal spending money for:

• Snacks

• Souvenirs

• Laundry

• Optional travel insurance (recommended but not included)