Name: Tulee
Company: Eco Explorer Company
Placement: Volunteer
Country: Thailand

Eco-tourism Project in Jomtien, Pattaya, Thailand

Eco Explorer Company Thailand is a Not-for-profit eco-conservation promoting wildlife and culture throughout Thailand. Based in Jomtien, the company runs numerous volunteer projects and expeditions all over Thailand from a few days to4 week plus.

Volunteer Programmes include:

English Teaching with Karen Hilltribe Children in The Forest
Dusky Langur Conservation and ecotourism project
The Gibbon Project
The Elephant Mahout Project
Care for Dog Project

The Elephant Mahout Project based in Jomtien, Pattaya.

I was originally supposed to the stay at the camp for 2 week as a volunteer, however I enjoyed it so much, I decided to stay and give up the final leg of my around the world trip as I believe this to be such a worthwhile cause and wanted to help inform like minded travelers about the project and try to raise the profile of the camp.

The elephant Camp and Eco Explorer Company Thailand have set up a community with over 28 domestic elephants. Every elephant in the camp has been rescued from a bad situation such as the Tsunami, bad treatment by previous owners, and/or working on the streets.

The Mahouts earn money for their elephants and their families through the volunteer programmes, ensuring the elephants are well cared for and respected. Each Volunteer becomes part of this community.

Working with their allocated elephant, building up a rapport and trust, they learn how to train the elephant, ride without a basket, clean, wash and feed them during the day. This program has a high educational level, regarding domestic elephants and Thai culture. In the evening volunteers teach english to the families, cook, eat and spend time with the Mahouts.

I realize their are many Elephant Camps in Thailand, all of which are fundamentally tourist attractions for visitors with shows and photos opportunities. However The Elephant camp is different. It is not a show.

The elephants live in a more natural environment and volunteers and tourists actually get involved with working with the elephants and are educated. As well as the longer term Volunteer Programmes, day tourist can also do a usual trek or spend half a day at the project, being shown around by the volunteers, being told about the history of each elephant and taking part in a mini version of the volunteer programme.

All the money raised goes directly back to the elephants for food, and medical supplies. As a not-for profit organization it is very difficult for Eco-explorer to compete with the likes of large scale parks such as Pattaya Elephant Village, not many people know it exists. To volunteer at the projects please contact:

Contact

Website: www.realexperiencethailand.com
E-mail: info@realexperienceThailand.com
Telephone: +66[0] 38-775-349
Address: Eco Explorer Co., Ltd. 328/19 Moo 8, Tambol Surasak, Sreracha, Chonburi 20110 Thailand.

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