We are looking for research and photography interns to stay for 4-8 weeks! If you have experience in these areas, please sign up. For shorter stays, please get in touch.
If you want to have a unique experience hiking in the forest to find the elephants and observing their natural behaviours in their home environment, then Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is the right place for you.
Come and join us for the experience of a lifetime. Interns must be physically fit to hike everyday up and down the mountains to get to the elephants. In our sanctuary, you can see exactly where your donations are going and how they are benefiting our sanctuary, our elephants and our community.
Our sanctuary has rescued 5 elephants from the tourism industry and we have now brought them home to live out their lives in the forest, in semi-wild conditions. We need volunteers to help us keep these elephants happy and healthy in their natural habitat. With volunteer support and donations, we hope to return more elephants to the forest soon.
Our Village: Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is set amongst the rolling hills of Northern Thailand in a Karen hilltribe village. It is surrounded by a forest that is perfect for our elephants to roam and forage in.
The Karen people are originally from Myanmar but they have migrated to Thailand in search of a better life during the wars over many generations. Due to this they have their own language and culture, which volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and experience. They are keen weavers and are well known in Thailand for their elephant keeping. They make an income from their elephants and working the fields, mainly growing rice and corn using rotational slash and burn. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn more firsthand about their culture and even help out with the community when required.
Your Stay: Our days begin with early morning hikes through the forest to find the elephants, staying with them while observing and taking data on their natural behaviours until lunch. Some days lunch is eaten with the elephants in the forest, a very unique experience! Hikes will usually return to the village around early afternoon but the day doesn’t end there.
You will have the opportunity to participate in teaching English to the homestays and you will also learn about elephants in Asia and the local language and culture. Afternoons will also be spent inputting data or working on projects. We also have a number of add-ons you can choose from including relaxing with a Thai massage or learning how to basket weave.
Interns can stay with us anywhere from 4-8 weeks, starting on a Sunday and ending on a Friday. Students who wish to carry out research for their studies are also welcome.
Gardening
General Maintenance
Help with Eco project
Animal care
Helping with Tourists
35 hours/week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Here is a typical schedule for a week:
Sunday: You will meet at our meeting point and leave Chiang Mai at 9am to begin the journey to the village, stopping off for lunch on the way. After arrival, you will be introduced to your homestay, taken on a village tour and given introductory talks.
Monday-Thursday: Here you will be working on the project, breakfast is served at 7:30 am, hikes to the elephants begin at 8 am and distance will vary depending on were the elephants choose to roam. The morning will be spent watching our elephants and carrying out some much needed research on their natural behavior. Afternoons will be spent inputting data, completing project work or immersing yourself in hill-tribe culture.
Friday: Spend the morning hiking to the elephants and in the afternoon you will be free to explore the surrounding area or relax for the weekend.
For volunteers wishing to stay longer than 1 week, weekends will be free to explore the surrounding area, relax in the village or take a trip to Chiang Mai. You will have the chance to experience a diversity of tasks. Please be aware that tasks may vary depending on the time of your arrival and your own preferences.
Some of the tasks include:
- carrying out health checks
- performing research on the natural elephant behaviors and on the surrounding forest
- taking part in community projects such as teaching English at the school and to other locals
- helping out in the fields planting and harvesting crops
- biohiking to record the biodiversity in the area
We provide an income for our community by housing our guests, volunteers and interns in their own home-stay provided by the local people.
All of our home-stays are different from each other, some being a private room inside the family home, others being a wooden hut just outside the family home. Some home-stays have a western toilet, others have a traditional squat toilet. Each one beautifully unique, just like their welcoming hosts.
The accommodation is basic but comfortable and provides all bedding, a mattress, mosquito net, extension cord to charge electronics, filtered water and usually a shared bathroom with cold showers and toilet paper provided. Hot shower may be provided at our base hut (depending on water pressure). Please be aware that during the dry season there might not be a lot of water available in the pipes for running water, but there will always be a bucket of water in your home-stay toilet to be used for showering or flushing the toilet. Electricity can also come off and at different intervals during the dry and rainy seasons.
Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)
We will pick you up from our meeting point in Chiang Mai, which is about 15 minute drive from the airport. It is easy to get there from the airport by getting a taxi from outside arrivals.
Males & Females welcome
Couples accommodated
Families accommodated
Pets NOT allowed
Your tasks: Interns must come with an open mind and be prepared to work with and experience another culture. You will have the chance to experience a diversity of tasks. Please be aware that tasks may vary depending on the time of your arrival and your own preferences.
We are looking for research and photography interns to stay for 4-8 weeks! If you have experience in these areas, please sign up. For shorter stays, please get in touch.
If you want to have a unique experience hiking in the forest to find the elephants and observing their natural behaviours in their home environment, then Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is the right place for you.
Come and join us for the experience of a lifetime. Interns must be physically fit to hike everyday up and down the mountains to get to the elephants. In our sanctuary, you can see exactly where your donations are going and how they are benefiting our sanctuary, our elephants and our community.
Our sanctuary has rescued 5 elephants from the tourism industry and we have now brought them home to live out their lives in the forest, in semi-wild conditions. We need volunteers to help us keep these elephants happy and healthy in their natural habitat. With volunteer support and donations, we hope to return more elephants to the forest soon.
Our Village: Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is set amongst the rolling hills of Northern Thailand in a Karen hilltribe village. It is surrounded by a forest that is perfect for our elephants to roam and forage in.
The Karen people are originally from Myanmar but they have migrated to Thailand in search of a better life during the wars over many generations. Due to this they have their own language and culture, which volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and experience. They are keen weavers and are well known in Thailand for their elephant keeping. They make an income from their elephants and working the fields, mainly growing rice and corn using rotational slash and burn. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn more firsthand about their culture and even help out with the community when required.
Your Stay: Our days begin with early morning hikes through the forest to find the elephants, staying with them while observing and taking data on their natural behaviours until lunch. Some days lunch is eaten with the elephants in the forest, a very unique experience! Hikes will usually return to the village around early afternoon but the day doesn’t end there.
You will have the opportunity to participate in teaching English to the homestays and you will also learn about elephants in Asia and the local language and culture. Afternoons will also be spent inputting data or working on projects. We also have a number of add-ons you can choose from including relaxing with a Thai massage or learning how to basket weave.
Interns can stay with us anywhere from 4-8 weeks, starting on a Sunday and ending on a Friday. Students who wish to carry out research for their studies are also welcome.
Gardening
General Maintenance
Help with Eco project
Animal care
Helping with Tourists
35 hours/week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Here is a typical schedule for a week:
Sunday: You will meet at our meeting point and leave Chiang Mai at 9am to begin the journey to the village, stopping off for lunch on the way. After arrival, you will be introduced to your homestay, taken on a village tour and given introductory talks.
Monday-Thursday: Here you will be working on the project, breakfast is served at 7:30 am, hikes to the elephants begin at 8 am and distance will vary depending on were the elephants choose to roam. The morning will be spent watching our elephants and carrying out some much needed research on their natural behavior. Afternoons will be spent inputting data, completing project work or immersing yourself in hill-tribe culture.
Friday: Spend the morning hiking to the elephants and in the afternoon you will be free to explore the surrounding area or relax for the weekend.
For volunteers wishing to stay longer than 1 week, weekends will be free to explore the surrounding area, relax in the village or take a trip to Chiang Mai. You will have the chance to experience a diversity of tasks. Please be aware that tasks may vary depending on the time of your arrival and your own preferences.
Some of the tasks include:
- carrying out health checks
- performing research on the natural elephant behaviors and on the surrounding forest
- taking part in community projects such as teaching English at the school and to other locals
- helping out in the fields planting and harvesting crops
- biohiking to record the biodiversity in the area
We provide an income for our community by housing our guests, volunteers and interns in their own home-stay provided by the local people.
All of our home-stays are different from each other, some being a private room inside the family home, others being a wooden hut just outside the family home. Some home-stays have a western toilet, others have a traditional squat toilet. Each one beautifully unique, just like their welcoming hosts.
The accommodation is basic but comfortable and provides all bedding, a mattress, mosquito net, extension cord to charge electronics, filtered water and usually a shared bathroom with cold showers and toilet paper provided. Hot shower may be provided at our base hut (depending on water pressure). Please be aware that during the dry season there might not be a lot of water available in the pipes for running water, but there will always be a bucket of water in your home-stay toilet to be used for showering or flushing the toilet. Electricity can also come off and at different intervals during the dry and rainy seasons.
Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)
We will pick you up from our meeting point in Chiang Mai, which is about 15 minute drive from the airport. It is easy to get there from the airport by getting a taxi from outside arrivals.
Males & Females welcome
Couples accommodated
Families accommodated
Pets NOT allowed
Your tasks: Interns must come with an open mind and be prepared to work with and experience another culture. You will have the chance to experience a diversity of tasks. Please be aware that tasks may vary depending on the time of your arrival and your own preferences.
