By Hannah Vangoidtsenhoven – 2 week intern

I signed up to be a research intern for two weeks at KSES, not knowing what to expect. It was a fascinating idea that had been in my mind for a while to go see elephants in Thailand. I’d love hands-on experiences with elephants but when I did research, I found out that it is not good for elephants to be bathed or fed by tourists and that a sanctuary like KSES offers viewing elephants in a natural setting, which is better for them. The elephants that they take care of are free to roam in the wild, eating what they want and when they want. KSES pays a good amount money every month to the elephant owners so the elephants can be free instead of working for tourism or logging industry in confinement.

Before I went there, I knew I’d be observing elephants and recording my observations and staying with a local family but knowing and doing are different things. From the beginning when I communicated with the staff before signing up, they were prompt to reply to my emails and professional in every way. They were friendly and helpful. Also, I liked the fact that they also work with the people in the village, providing them with income and providing us with authentic experiences.

The homestay was definitely an authentic experience. My host family was warm and welcoming. I could feel that they genuinely cared about my well-being and provided me with delicious meals. It was very nice to have fresh local bananas and oranges as snacks. It was fun to help my host family cook. Breakfast food at the base was bread, oatmeal, boiled eggs, etc. Serious coffee and tea drinkers should bring their own. Nee provided supplementary breakfast such as pancake, latte, smoothies, etc at a cost.

Taking cold showers after the hikes was refreshing. Having a private room and a bathroom was a big plus. I was there in January so it was a dry season. It was a comfortable temperature during day but it was very cold at night (one morning it went down to 5C and the wall in my room is not completely closed) so I had to wear layers and use several layers of blanket on the bed, which the host family provided. The village was in a tranquil setting along the river where people work in the corn and rice fields. Getting a massage from a blind person in nearby village was great to heal my sore legs. I encountered many villagers, dogs, chickens, buffalos and pigs, which enhanced my experience.

It was an interesting experience to get up early in the morning, to hike to where the elephants were, to learn their names and identify them and to get to know their personalities. I saw the elephants everyday whenever we hiked up but everyday was different. Sometimes they were in the open space, which made it easier to observe them. Sometimes they were on the hill with lots of vegetation, which made it difficult to observe them. It was fun to watch them interact with each other and to learn why they behave in a certain way. Sometimes, we were able to see them very close across the creek. Also, learning about the plants and bugs was interesting.

After hiking, we had lunch together along the creek or at the base. It tasted really good after vigorous hiking. I came here by myself but didn’t feel alone at all. The atmosphere was warm and fun. I was never forced to do anything. I could choose how to spend my afternoon time, doing different projects that were helpful for everyone such as teaching the villagers English, picking up trash around the village, improving things around the base, making eco-bricks with plastic bottles and wrappers, and so on. As an intern, I was expected to do chores such as feeding the dogs, cleaning around the base, doing dishes, etc. The whole experience helped me appreciate what other people do and my life back home.