We visited the elephant freedom project because supposedly it is the most ethical and they care for the elephants. Long story short this place has rented 2 elephants to “save” them from their owner and give them a better life, they say. They claim that this is the closest thing to a good life for these elephants as they were born and raised in captivity and they wouldn’t survive in nature by themselves. Maybe this is true, and maybe they are indeed treating the elephants better (I really want to believe this), HOWEVER, this is still a business, and these people are making money out of renting these elephants and showing them to the tourists for 40$. If they care so much about the elephants why isn’t it a non profit organization? Instead of making profit they could “save” more elephants. Just something to think about! Another thing is that the elephants were forced to walk uphill. As far as I know normally elephants would avoid walking uphill and downhill at all costs as this takes a lot of energy, and it was very obvious that they didn’t enjoy walking up. Just google it yourself and you’ll see. All in all, I did enjoy the close encounter with the elephants but I’m very skeptical about this project and having been already to Udawalawe National Park I can surely say that the experience of observing herds of elephants in their natural habitat is far better. If you want to see elephants I would highly recommend to visit one of the many national parks in Sri Lanka instead of these private businesses.

This was one of the most powerful experience I ever had and definitely a highlight of my trip to Sri Lanka. Other than all the other orphanages around Pinnawala, the The elephant freedom project has just one elephant and 3 people that take care of her - She is a real princess. Within the 5 hours program, we learned a lot about elephants, fed her, walked her and washed her. I never felt an elephant so close to me - it was breathtaking. If you visit Sri Lanka, don‘t miss out this unique experience. Kasun, our host, treated us like friends and made us feel the most comfortable. Lastly to mention the delicious Sri Lankan meal and the whole house being overall genuinely. Thanks for making our trip so special!

Elephant Freedom Project, how great it sounds! My experience however was unfortunately very different. I didn't see "free" elephants, I saw elephants that have a tight schedule, who spend their "free time" posing for photos with tourists, who walk the same short distance, up and down a hill twice a day, and bathed by tourists at the same exact spot twice a day. Most importantly, I saw elephants on chains in the middle of the day, which I found truly upsetting because they start the day by saying they have a "no chain" policy during the day, and they charge you heavy money (14 000 LKR/morning or afternoon) for you to support this "good" cause, but this really is only for you to feel better. On top of that they ask you to tip their mahouts (and staff), because they make a lot less money than in the riding camps, so you are supporting them to stay on this path instead of the camps. To be honest they were both really nice and smiley, who do their job, and what they are allowed by the owners. If you know a little bit about elephants, you can feel from the beginning that there is something just off about this whole setup, it is all about the tourists taking to perfect photos, and they don't really understand why you don't want to. I was cringing through the morning I spent there, and my instincts were right. It didn't take too long to find Maneke on chains showing signs of emotional distress, because it was "lunchtime", not for them, but for the tourists and the mahouts. I had a bad feeling when I I saw everyone up at the lunch area, and I asked one of the guides what's up with the elephants, he looked uncomfortable, and said they are bathing down the river by themselves, because they love that, and expected me to believe that they can be just free without someone watching over them. When I hiked back, they indeed were by themselves, chained to a tree, not doing what they love, but doing what stressed elephants do: repetitive and monotonous motion of head bobbing, weaving and swaying. (Posted the video on YouTube.) When I shared what I saw with the owner, she looked very disturbed and started apologizing and sharing different explanations. All I say is when there is a will there is a way (hiring extra staff etc.). At Elephant Freedom Project they simply just feel it is ok to chain up the elephants, when they are not "at use". It is indeed more simple than finding a solution. For me there is no acceptable explanations about chaining elephants, when all you communicate is that you fight against this kind of behaviour. Because of my experience I don't believe anything that this organization communicates about the chains, hooks (although I did not see them using this during the day), goals and values, but it is for you to decide what you believe. In the end, I said I simply can't support Elephant Freedom Project and asked for a refund, and they understood and gave back my money when I said I wouldn't write a review if they did. Well, I lied, but so did they. I hope my photos/videos speak for themselves. PS. Indeed these elephants can not be rehabilitated, so if you really want to see captive elephants, then this is still better than a riding camp, no questions about that. However, if you would like to see happy and really free elephants, go to any of the National Parks Sri Lanka has to offer, it is more affordable and you are truly supporting a good cause of keeping their natural habitat protected. This way you can actually experience how they are in nature, and what amazing creatures they are! Will you still have photos of an elephant hugging you? No. But you will have many pictures of herds of elephants roaming in the wild, doing precisely what they should, enjoying their life, and enjoying just being an elephant. The best ones are: - Sigiriya area: Kaudulla, Minneriya, Hurulu Eco Park (we saw the most here) - the herds are migrating between, so you should double check where there are sightings in that season - Udawalawe National Park

One of the most amazing experience of my life!!! This is the right way to do tourism, this is the way to promote the wonders of your country!!! No animal exploit, no horrible selfish tourism, no riding elephants. We loved Kumari the elephant princess, we walked with her, we fed her and we bathed her. If you love and respect animals and you want to have a great experience, this is the right place to go.

Great experience we had today. We feel that the 2 elephant ladies are being treated well and not too much exposed to tourists as in other projects. Clear recommendation.

An obligatory point of your visit to Sri Lanka! It was an amazing experience during which we can observe elephants up close, touch them, wash them, water and feed them. You can see that the people running this place care about the welfare of the animals, and on top of that they tell a lot of interesting facts about them. In relation to visitors they are extremely helpful and polite! They do not force the elephants to do anything, they do not have any chains, and people are not allowed to ride them. The walk didn't last long, it was more like observing the elephants, because on that particular day the animals were not in the mood for a walk (the keepers didn't force them to walk, which all visitors respected completely). The elephants look happy, and their favorite part of the day is bathing in the river and, of course, eating :) I have the impression that they are treated much better here than in the elephant camp I visited while in Thailand (and it also advertised itself as a place saving elephants from hard labor). As an added bonus to this nice day, we got tea/coffee and a delicious vegetarian lunch.

This is an amazing place with very very friendly people. Especially the elephants get treated very well. They’re not being chained or hit, and only follow vocal commands because of the good bond the animals have with the mahouts. You can see they really care about the wellbeing of the elephants. For the ones that stay the night; The rooms are nice and clean. There is no A/C in the room but there is a fan on the ceiling that can cool you down. The shower has cold water, but with the Sri Lankan temperatures that’s not bad at all. They make breakfast, lunch and dinner in tourist version, so it’s not spicy at all. Only thing I can say from my experience is that I really recommend to pay a visit and see the way elephants SHOULD be treated everywhere.

Wish I could give more than 5 stars. This was the most amazing experience which I will treasure for the rest of my life. It is not catered to entertain tourists. They offer small groups of people the opportunity to interact with a rescue elephant and spend the day feeding, walking and bathing this magnificent elephant. I highly recommend this experience to people who genuinely care for the welfare of elephants.

What an amazing experience we had in this place! We started off with a walk with the 2 elephants (both called Kumari) while feeding them cucumbers and bananas. After that we went to the river and washed the elephants with coconut shells, which they really seemed to enjoy. We then had some Sri Lankan food in the house of the family who owns this place. Everyone was soo friendly and the guide who came on the walk with the elephants was very informative and full of knowledge about elephants in general. The main reason we chose this place is because it's one of the few places where they don't have elephants chained up or mistreated, like in the nearby elephant "orphanage".

It has been almost a year since my wife and I visited the Elephant Freedom Project on our honeymoon. It was one of the top reasons we decided to go to Sri Lanka as part of our trip in the first place - we were in search of an ethical elephant sanctuary we could support. The hosts were amazingly nice and you could see the true love they have for Princess, the elephant they were taking care of at the time (possibly still?). We went for a walk through the woods together and into a stream together, walking along side her the entire time. Truly magical. We met another awesome small group that went along with us, and all shared a delicious meal at the end. We have since donated towards their noble cause and will continue to do so having seen, first hand, the amazing work they are doing. Till next time!

We had an amazing time here! We did a half day in the afternoon. Staff are all friendly. Our guide was knowledgeable and the mahout and elephant (Nilame) looked like best friends. No chains in sight, and the mahout did not use a billhook during the time we were there. Our guide had great English, and taught us a lot about elephants and Sri Lanka in general. We would highly recommend this to any animal lover! You get to wash the elephant in the river and later go for a walk with the elephant, and feed him some food.

This place is amazing. Not only you have the chance to be part of a very noble cause, but also you will be having excellent home made srilankan food. The staff there is so nice, they can help you with your transportation and everything you might need to get there. Highly recommended, we people have to support causes with sense like this and not the ones that encourage riding the elephants and hurting their backs (there are tons of places nearby that allow you to mount the elephants)

The elephant freedom project was the best thing we did in Sri Lanka. Form the moment we arrived the staff and family were so welcoming and friendly, they made us feel very at home. The experience with the elephant's was just incredible, they are very friendly and it was so beautiful to see the bond they have with the staff, you feel love everywhere here. The food is so tasty and they are very generous with portions sizes, I definitely recommend staying over so you get the whole experience. What makes the project stand out is their ethos, they are rescued elephants from the riding industry, they have saved them and given them a better life. If there’s one thing you do in Sri Lanka is the elephant freedom project.

We had a great time with the Elephant Freedom Project crew. They’re taking really good care of the elephants, you can see right away that the elephants feel very comfortable despite their traumatic experiences in the past. Everyone at the project is super positive which makes you feel very good throughout the whole day! Highly recommended!

Had an incredible time here! We were looking for a place to see and learn about elephants that actually respects the animals and doesn't keep them in chains. The EFP met that need and delivered an amazing experience. The staff was so charming, friendly, and knowledgeable, and they clearly adore Kumari the elephant. The dung paper factory tour at the end was an unexpected bonus. Oh, and the food (lunch) was incredible, too, as was the greenery around the center - we learned a ton about local plants, such as starfruit trees and passion flowers. Thank you for such a fabulous time!

This is a wonderful place for anyone who would like to meet elephants. We washed them and fed them and walked with them. We stayed there for the night, very cozy rooms, delicious dinner and breakfast, very nice owners of the house. When I return to Sri Lanka, I will definitely come here again.

(Translated by Google) We went through the morning program. It was absolutely fabulous. At first we were instructed and went for a walk in the wild with Kumari elephant. We were feeding, stroking, taking pictures of elephants. We received a lot of information from the guide, not only about elephants, but also about the lives of Sri Lankans. The walk was followed by a pause with tea or fresh juice and then we went to produce paper from elephant droppings. Very interesting tour, where the production took place. When we returned, we went to wash the elephant and the last dot for this beautiful experience was the best Sri Lankan food ever. The whole experience is attended by a maximum of 8 visitors, it is not some mass tourist visits such as in Pinawalle. (Original) Absolvovali jsme ranní program. Bylo to naprosto famózní. Nejprve jsme byli poučeni a pal jsme šli na procházku do volné přírody se slonicí Kumari. Slonici jsme krmili, hladili, fotili.. od průvodce jsme dostali mnoho informací, nejen o slonech, ale i o životě srílančanů. Po procházce následovala pauza s čajem, či fresh džusem a pak jsme jeli do výroby papíru ze sloního trusu. Velmi zajímavá prohlídka, kde rovnou probíhala výroba. Když jsme se vrátili, šli jsme slona umýt a poslední tečkou za tímto krásným zážitkem jsme dostali zatím nejlepší srí lancké jídlo. Celý tento zážitek absolvuje maximálně 8 návštěvníků, nejedná se o nějaké hromadné turistické návštěvy jako třeba v Pinawalle.

It was perfect! The elephant Kumari is in a very natural environment where people care of her very well. There are absolutely no chains, riding and other stuff. The higher price is based on professional services and very small groups of people that are allowed to the elephant (only 8 people in the morning, 8 in the afternoon). I could see that the elephant was very happy and thankful. The lunch was also delicious. Highly recommended. The best experience in Sri Lanka for sure.

Good project. The elephants are very kind here, please, if you want to have a really close experience with an elephant, this is definitely an option that probably won't hurt and is pleasant for the elephants and doesn't harm them. I don't know the surrounding projects personally, but I lived in Pinawalla for 3 days and saw a lot in the area. Everywhere they were spearing elephants and letting tourists ride them. This does not happen in the freedom project. Thank you.

I have very very mixed feelings about visiting this place earlier this week.. the staff was lovely and so was the lunch and obviously seeing elephants was amazing as I love these elephants so much! The experience itself just made me feel super uncomfortable. I expected to see these elephants do their own thing and we would watch them, but it was all about posing with them for pictures and the staff telling them what to do and where to go for the pictures. So I would not recommend going here and if you do definitely don’t expect an authentic experience.

Absolutely amazing experience, I strongly recommend everyone who would like to have a real interaction with animals who are treated well - as tourists we have a huge impact by who we support with our money. Cleaning and feeding elephants, being able to learn about them from passionate people who are dedicated to provide the best care for animals - fantastic, unforgettable time! Lifetime memories guaranteed.

Greart eco-friendly elephant experience. elephant was very calm and seemed very happy and well cared for. The guide was excellent and full of Information about elephants. The lunch was also delicious - best dhal I have ever tasted in my life.

(Translated by Google) Thank you for the wonderful day with your elephant! Everyone was very friendly, told us a lot of interesting things about the elephant and we had the opportunity to bathe and massage the elephant and get in touch. You could tell that the animal is doing very well and has a lot of space. We made the right choice! Thanks for the unforgettable experience! Greetings to Kumari !! (Original) Danke für den wunderschönen Tag bei eurem Elefanten! Alle waren sehr freundlich, haben uns viel interessantes über den Elefanten erzählt und wir hatten die Möglichkeit den Elefanten zu baden und zu massieren und in Kontakt zu treten. Man merkte, dass es dem Tier sehr gut geht und er viel Platz hat. Wir haben die richtige Wahl getroffen! Danke für das unvergessliche Erlebnis! Liebe Grüße an Kumari!!

So slightly mixed feelings here. Was an amazing experience giving an elephant a bath and then going for a walk and feeding it fruit. Elephant is rented so I am not 100% sure what all that means but kind of sad. For what we paid for was a great eperience and the elephant seemed hungry but happy. The lunch that was provided taste great. 3.5 stars. Cool experience but just didnt feel like the elephant was really that "free"

Wow very funny place and many many eliphants satying here and very beautiful place.

Amazing place where you can help two elephants to have a better life. We had nice welcoming. They offered coffee and breakfast. We had amazing time with elephants. After we had a lunch with really good food.

What a beautiful and respectful experience! Staff very friendly and we loved the plenty of time we ha to observe, walk and even take a bath with this incredibly intelligent animals! We had a nice local coffee and a great typical lunch too! 10/10 ♥️

Must do experience! The elephants are looked after incredibly well, they are treated with respect and are not forced to do anything. This is best life I can imagine for any elephant that cannot be released back to the wild You get to see how they spend their day up close, they seem so happy which is so lovely The information given also brings awareness to the abuse most domesticated elephants receive. It’s worth the price 100 times over!! I hope they can get more elephants in future

This place is amazing! Here you can see elephants enjoying their lives. They are free and happy here, no chains, no punishment or elephant riding. During our visit we petted, washed and fed elephants. The animals are not agressive or sad, so you can come very close to them. Also we received a lof of interesting information about these animals, the guides are really well-educated. Big thanks to all workers and volanteers here, you're doing great job!

This place is a must for anyone visiting Sri Lanka. Such beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. We bathed them, fed them and walked with them. The place treats them like royalty.. such beautiful memories l will never forget

Elephant Freedom Project provides a remarkable experience with a strong focus on ethical practices. The project commitment to responsible elephant tourism is evident, offering visitors a chance to interact with these majestic creatures in a respectful environment. I can definitely recommend to stay at least overnight and the best for a few days if you have time.

This place is the only place I could find that doesn't ride, chain or abuse the elephants. We had the most amazing experience here. The family are so welcoming and friendly. We got one on one time with the Elephants able to spend time with them up close with out being rushed. Everything about this day was perfect. This project definitely is worth a visit.

Such a cool experience - we got offered tea/coffee on arrival, lunch, then to wash and feed the elephants. The guides had really good English and they explained how everything is done fully ethically, unlike most other elephant sanctuaries in Sri Lanka. We also got the opportunity to stay in the family home, which was lovely, super clean and the family are so friendly and helpful. Really good value for money too!

Wonderful place to stay and to interact with the elephants in a way that is minimally invasive. The two elephants that the project have rescued have a very good life now and clearly loved by their mahouts. Highly recommend a stay on the site and volunteer some time to help out.

Amazing experience at the elephant freedom project. Kasun and Angelie were brilliant guides explaining everything and so knowledgable. They are going completely against the trend in Sri Lanka, if you look at other places, even so called 'orphanages' all you see is chains. Here at the freedom project they take elephants that have lived hard lives of abuse (you can see the signs of abuse from their previous lives) in the tourist trade and give them an amazing home. The elephant handlers or 'Mahouts' were so caring, and clearly have such a special bond with the animals. You have the opportunity to feed and wash and care for both elephants, and everything is on the elephants terms! The only sad thing about this place is it is small and they can't look after more elephants! It is unfortunately not possible to send these elephants into the wild as they wouldn't survive, they are also owned by others so the project can only 'rent' the elephants, but they are saving them from a life of hardship elsewhere and rent them to care for them and protect them. One of the highlights not just of the trip but of my life, would recommend highly that you go and see the only place in Sri Lanka that truly cares for these incredible creatures and support their work.

If you love Elephants and you have to support this little Project. We have never been so close to those great animals and they get threaten so well. Also the owners are so friendly. We stayed there for one night. It was awesome.

Kumari was the sweetest! She looked so happy and was so calm. I absolutely loved bathing her. Would totally recommend, it’s worth every cent. Also the people are really nice and the lunch was delicious. 10/10

Great family, they really love the project and love elephants more than anything. I have been here several times and I can only recommend it.

Was worth the journey to see these beautiful animals up close! Staff were knowledgeable and passionate about the welfare of the elephants. Truly privileged to experience interacting with these creatures in an ethical manner, will have fond memories of Menike and Kumari!

We visited this place around Feb 2019. The place was good, but we were completely ill treated by some security over there. He was very rude and almost shouting at us in elephant bathing. There was a preferential treatment based on country or race or whatever it is. I was hearing the same from my friends as well. Overall, our Srilankan trip was a pleasant memory except this humiliating experience. Would not recommend this place atleast to my fellow Indians, unless the management enforces strong equality policies in the ambience with highest degree of fairness. Am not referring to Pinnawala elephant orphanage. We knew the difference. Shouting took place when we were bathing an elephant.

I loved this place and wholeheartedly recommend others to go here. They take great care of the elephants. I didn't know about the poor treatment of elephants until going here. We stayed 3 nights, so had the chance to have the cookery lessons and also go to the English school-that in addition to caring for the elephants. Unfortunately they don't earn enough to rent more elephants, since, naturally elephants are let to the highest bidder (often the riding organisations). Apparently it's uncomfortable for the elephant to be rode on and to make them obey humans they are taken from their mothers at a very young age and general treatment isn't good. I would wish the Elephant Freedom Project on any elephant for the great care they receive there... Without chains. The owner of the project doesn't believe in chaining elephants, so you can imagine the sight of a bunch of tourists /volunteers walking down a road to reach the feeding place and it has no chains. They do put a chain on them (one foot I think) at night time at the elephant owner's insistence.

Great experience to interact for some hours with a fully adult elephant! We gave him a bath in the river near by, then walked him, and ended up in a paper recycling company, they make paper out of the elephants excrements... very interesting process

I wouldn't recommend visiting for 2 reasons: Firstly it's not ethical - the elephant is rented and is still working, only this time as a business for tourists rather than in the logging industry. Yes, it's probably treated better but it's still not 'free' - its only allowed to go on short walks for show. Secondly, the customer service of this business is terrible. When we asked what the cost was for pick up Colombo and drop off Kandy we were told to just look at the website rates for pick up/drop off. Then after arriving were told it was going to be an extra 4500 to whats on the website. The lady working there just stood and smirked at us, saying we should have known that whats on the website is wrong! Another staff member said this happened earlier in the week too with other visitors. The 'project' seems just a way for Mr Tim to use tourists as a profitable business for himself.

I ❤️

(Translated by Google) Very attentive to animals (Original) Très à l'écoute des animaux

(Translated by Google) The only center for elephants that deserves to stop there, whatever your driver tells you because this place refuses to pay them a commission ... (ours bluntly lied about the origin of the elephant to dissuade us) There is only one elephant (Kumari) which is an elephant collected after being mistreated and used for work. It is well treated and the complicity with the "master elephant" is obvious. You can feed it, wash it in water and give it love (even if it's more about your bananas). The groups are made up of 6-8 people maximum which allows you to really spend time with the animal. The visit and the meal are nice but we were not there for that! (Original) Le seul centre pour elephant qui mérite qu'on s'y arrête, quoique vous dise votre chauffeur car ce lieu refuse de leur verser une commission... (le notre a carrément menti sur la provenance de l'éléphant pour nous dissuader) Il n'y a qu'un seul éléphant (Kumari) qui est un elephant recueilli après avoir été maltraité et utilisé pour des travaux. Il est bien traité et la complicité avec le "maître éléphant" est évidente. Vous pouvez le nourrir, le laver dans l'eau et lui donner de l'amour (même si c'est plus vos bananes qui l'intéresse). Les groupes sont composés de 6-8 personnes maximum ce qui permet de vraiment passer du temps avec l'animal. La visite et le repas sont sympas mais nous n'étions pas la pour ça !

Amazing place with real respect fot elephants! Many places in sri lanka are called 'orphanages' but in fact they hit elephants to make them obey. Here, only one elephant (kumari was saved 3 years ago after having being ill treated for wood industry) but all the staff is so careful about her! She is not hurt and she is cherished by her keeper. Only small groups (max 6 persons) so you really have the time to spend quality time woti het. About 1hour of walk and 30 minutes of bathing! Visit of dung factory is really interesting! Staff is really knowledgeable and nice. Their english is perfect which is rare in sri lanka! You end the half day with a very good rice and curry. Strongly recommended Nb : your driver may try to convince you this place is not good. Not a surprise it is the only place that refuse to pay commission to drivers (our driver even invented a far fetched story about it!!) You can go in trust to this place if you are animals lovers!

We had a wonderful stay at the elephant freedom project The people were very forthcoming The food they served was plenty and delicious The tour with the elephant was interesting and exciting They treat their elephant with a lot of respect If you want to see an elephant in Sri Lanka and you care about a cruel free and animal friendly experience this is the place to visit

(Translated by Google) We spent two nights here in the Elephant Freedom Project in February 2020 and were warmly welcomed. The experience with the elephant is super nice and on request we can show you how to prepare delicious curries. Highly recommended! (Original) Wir haben im Februar 2020 zwei Nächte hier im Elephant Freedom Project verbracht und wurden sehr herzlich aufgenommen. Die Erfahrungen mit dem Elefanten sind super schön und auf Wunsch wird einem auch gezeigt wie man leckere curries zubereiten. Sehr empfehlenswert!

🐅😁🦁

A highlight of our trip to Sri Lanka! The Elephant Freedom Project is an amazing organisation that cares for its elephant in an area that offers many elephant attractions that are not so kind. Elephants should NOT be ridden and this message is voiced well here. Two of us did the full day tour lead by Kasun who was an amazing leader who was kind, knowledgable and funny. Kamari the elephant is an amazing animal who looks comfortable and relaxed during the days activities. She leads the walks along with her carer (an amazing man who can actually communicate with Kamari and did not once show any signs of force towards her). We helped prepare a authentic Sri Lankan curry for lunch and visited a dung factory in the afternoon which was actually very interesting! We stayed overnight with the lovely family who host the project and they took us out for a dinner in the evening, cooked us breakfast in the morning and we even got to feed Kamari before the next days tours began. Having the opportunity to work so closely to an elephant for an entire day and to see her recognise us in the morning really did highlight the importance of projects like this and I recommend anyone who wants to interact with these beautiful animals to come here and not to the riding places where they are abused.

Excellent experience, Kumari was so sweet and we'll behaved. The staff and lunch were great!

Good place

Wonderful elephant sanctuary. When we went they had one rescued elephant called Kumuri. She obviously was very comfortable and was well looked after. We went on the half day experience which included a delicious lunch, an elephant bathing session, a walk with Kumuri and a tour of the nearby dung factory.

Nice people who are doing good with the elephant.

Such an amazing place to visit. The Elephant (Kumari) is totally free no chains no ride and the family and guides are so friendly. Highly recommended. Definitely I will visit again.

Amazing place to meet elephant. You can walk with him and wash him.

We felt that the elephant was very well loved and cared for and that the project was transparent about its actions. We spent time with Kumari at her pace without overcrowding her, no chains were used or riding allowed and her handler guided her just using his voice. It was a really special experience.

Finally an NGO that doesn’t do elephant riding 😊 this place is completely transparent with what they’re doing. Definitely would recommend this program to anyone looking to volunteer as this business is pure. They’re need more funds to get more elephants so please volunteer them if you can. The food was also amazing

Really nice experience! Skip the safari and go meet Kamuri. Everything went smooth. They provided pickup and drop off. We got a nice local lunch before we started with the activites. I did the half day due to busy schedule.

Fantastic place and people. We select this place beside of elephant orphant. It was worth.

An incredible and beautiful experience! Walking, bathing and feeding the Ellie <3 completely ethical and cruelty free. You can stay with the family - who are amazing! So warm and welcoming and feed your belly with wonderful Sri Lankan curries. Definitely a place to visit if you're in the country :D

(Translated by Google) The most ethical way to visit an elephant sanctuary. It remains captive but at least the elephants present in these centers no longer suffer. The instructor was very friendly and gave excellent explanations in English, we learned a lot. The lunch was excellent, the best we have eaten at Srilanka! I recommend 100%! (Original) La façon la plus éthique de visiter un sanctuaire pour éléphants. Cela reste de la captivité mais au moins, les éléphants présents dans ces centres ne souffrent plus. L’instructeur était très sympa et donnait d’excellentes explications en anglais, nous avons appris pleins de choses. Le repas du midi était excellent, le meilleur que nous ayons mangé au srilanka! Je recommande a 100%!

Very interesting place

(Translated by Google) An unforgettable experience. (Original) Nezapomenutelný zážitek.

Great place. No riding, and considering all the local constraints, one of the most free places for captive elephant to be. Had a great time washing and walking Kumari in the river and around the village.

(Translated by Google) High value (Original) قيمه مرتفعها

(Translated by Google) The local Kumari elephant cares beautifully, really great experience! Much information about elephants and their care. Served lunch as part of the morning program was excellent. I can only recommend. (Original) O místní slonici Kumari se starají krásně, opravdu velký zážitek! Mnoho informací o slonech a jejich péči. Podávány oběd v rámci dopoledního programu byl vynikající. Mohu jen doporučit.

(Translated by Google) To be preferred rather than elephant rides. (Original) A privilégier plutôt que les balades à dos d'éléphants.

(Translated by Google) Fantastic design, hopefully more of these! (Original) Fantastyczny projekt, oby więcej takich!

Accommodation is a bit Spartan, basically a homestay but time with elephant was fantastic especially washing her in the stream

Nice experience

Absolutely outstanding. From the awesome experience spending time with Kumari doing things at her pace, to the great food and awesome information, an absolute must do if you truly love elephants.... No chains!

Dear friends/ chauffeurs Guides Please don't bring your tourist to this place. Don't promot. While our guests having with elephant, no any facilities for us. They take meny hours. We have to wait outside. No wash room. They don't care us. Only small hut like dog cage.

(Translated by Google) Great experience! The elephant lady is doing great and she is well looked after. You don't have to worry about the animal being tortured or ridden (which was also very important to us). Bad recessions are simply wrong, so you don't have to worry, like we did at the beginning. The whole program was the best experience with an elephant. In addition, the tourist groups are kept small, which contributes to the feel-good factor of humans and animals! (Original) Tolle Erfahrung! Der Elefantendame geht es super und sie wird gut umsorgt. Man muss sich keine Sorgen machen, dass das Tier gequält oder geritten wird (was uns ebenfalls sehr wichtig war). Schlechte Rezessionen sind schlichtweg falsch, also muss man sich keine Bedenken machen, so wie wir anfangs. Das ganze Programm war die schönste Erfahrung mit einem Elefanten. Dazu kommt das die Touristengruppen klein gehalten werden, was zum Wohlfühlfaktor von Mensch und Tier beiträgt!

This is a magical place, and Kumari is a gentle soul who you can see has been through so much, but has built up trust with the project that she can just be an elephant again and not a tourist attraction. If you want to see a true elephant please go to the project, and not any riding attractions that will fund the industry. I cannot reccomend enoughthe afternoon I had with Kumari and her handler mahout, and the fact the family take you into their home to educate you about these beautiful creatures. #ridebikesnotelephants

This was a nice afternoon for us all. Didn't feel too intrusive on the recovering elephant and we all kept s respectful distance. Managed to climb the hill in our car rental and park which was good.

super

Here you can safely interact and communicate with an elephant. No elephant riding, because it's harmful for the animal. You will wash, feed and watch the elephant and he will like it. Prebook before you arrive.

Great experience washing and feeding Kumari. The whole afternoon was well run, you could tell they care about her wellbeing and are knowledgeable. The lunch was absolutely delicious too!

Best experience that we could have asked for!!! From the people to the elephants and the great lunch! Everything was just perfect ❤️ I can’t wait to hopefully be back one day and can’t thank everyone enough for this experience that I will always remember! Best project and best place to see and interact with the elephants for whoever is looking to meet these wonderful creatures in Sri Lanka in the most natural, ethical and perfect way!