5 Reasons to Book Your Volunteer Vacation to Surin Project Today

Surin Project, located in the Surin Province of Thailand (about three hours from Siem Reap, Cambodia and six hours from Bangkok), in an ancient Kui village, is a volunteer experience like none other.

The project, which is located within the Surin Elephant Study Center, aims to give elephants and mahouts there a better life. For every mahout who brings his elephant to Surin Project, SEF matches their monthly salary and gives them the opportunity to support their families. In exchange, the project requires the mahouts leave their bull hooks at home, have their elephants off their chain for at least three hours a day, participate in cultural exchange activities, not have their elephants participate in rides or shows and assist volunteers with their daily project work.

Surin Project is not a sanctuary, like Elephant Nature Park, but the work being done here by volunteers and staff is just as important. It shows mahouts in the area that people will participate in programs with elephants, even if they are not offering rides or shows.

Most importantly, Surin Project needs people like you to come and help the program and keep these elephants at the project and off their chains. We’ve even come up with five reasons you should book your volunteer trip to Surin Project today!

1. Cultural immersion

Be a part of a local community. Each day Surin Project offers cultural activities to give you a first-hand look at life here. From basic Thai language to religion and lifestyle, you’ll come away with a better understanding of Thai culture.

2. Education

It’s one thing to read about the conditions of elephants in Thailand, it’s another thing to see it first-hand. A week (or more) at Surin Project exposes you to the realities of the captive elephant situation in Thailand, the ways in which elephant tourism has evolved and the positive work that is being done to make changes for a better future.

3. Friends for a lifetime

Spend a week with other like-minded volunteers from around the world. You’ll create unique, special and unforgettable memories from a time spent together.

4. Helping

There is nothing better than knowing your time at Surin directly helps not only the elephants, but also the mahouts whose elephants are in the program, the local community and the businesses we support.

5. Elephants

You get to spend an entire week with our elephants; walking alongside them and bathing them in the river as well as observing and learning more about their personalities and behavior. Do we really even need the other four reasons?!?

For more information on volunteering with Surin Project, please visit Save Elephant Foundation. You can also follow along with the day-to-day life of the project on Facebook.