We left our two-day experience here with very mixed feelings which we feel are important to share with potential visitors. I'll start with the positives: the organization is one worthy of your support. They are truly trying to protect the lives of both the elephants and their natural habitats in the Mondulkiri region. With limited resources, this is not an easy task. They rent/buy land to save it from deforestation which would result in both a loss of biodiversity and habitat for the elephants. We spent a lot of time doing research on a place that supports ethical tourism with its elephants, and it certainly seems that this organization does that. Keep in mind that the elephants are trained, having been previously owned to work in the logging industry or agriculture, and they have suffered previous hardships and abuses at the hands of humans. They now have a sanctuary where they can walk through the jungle, eat bananas, and play in the water, coming and going as they please. Now for the negatives: seeing that these elephants are (semi) domesticated, it did at times feel like they were putting on a show, especially with the bathing part of the tour. The part in the jungle with the elephants was lovely: we found them in their natural habitats, eating plants and roaming freely. For the bathing part, they came in one-by-one to spend time with us, and I'm not sure that they really enjoyed it. There were 20 people around them touching them and taking selfies. I'm not sure this is a choice they would've made on their own, and that part felt a bit forced. However, considering their lives before, it seems like an overall positive retirement for these aged elephants. The most difficult part for us was the jungle trek. The walk itself is not very difficult if you are used to hiking/walking. It's the views you see that will forever be burned into your memory. Out of the six hours walking, we spent not even half of that time in actual jungle. EVERYTHING has been burned. We felt like we were walking through a jungle graveyard. We passed countless active fires, leaving the path ashen and smoky. The guide rarely communicated with us, providing no details as to what we were looking at/how this place has changed over time/any information at all. He spent the tour walking well ahead of us and watching videos on his phone. We were shocked and horrified by the state of the land here. There is in no way that this can still be considered a "jungle trek", and considering that the jungle surface area has reduced from 80% in 2000 to just 30% in 2015, the situation will clearly continue to worsen. This is not necessarily the fault of the organization who has only been active since 2013 and is working hard to combat this, but we felt we were misled with the description of the trek and would've really appreciated a guide who provided explanations, background information, ANYTHING. It left our hearts broken and our minds heavy with the horrendous state of our planet. Overall, we are happy to have given our money to an organization that is trying in many senses of the word, something the region badly needs.

We thoroughly enjoyed the 2 day trip. Did the elephants the first day and slept in a beautiful setting with great food and company. Enjoyed the interaction with our guide and some happy-happy rice wine. The elephants are very gentle and loving. The hike is challenging as it is very steep, but you take frequent rests that make it pleasant.

Every once in awhile you meet an organization full of kind, bright, and extraordinary people fighting the good fight. The Mondulkiri Project is such an outstanding organization. We did both the elephant sanctuary visit and the trek. The organization makes efforts to save elephants from hard labor or from disappearing forests/habitats through ownership of land that allows elephants to roam free. They also administer any medical help if needed. When we visited the elephants, you can see how happy these elephants are and how well the team knows them through their care and dedication. It’s truly interesting and humbling to observe these gentle giants’ personalities and how they relate to one another. The trek was amazing, and to see the countryside and highlands of Cambodia was a real treat. Our trek guide was amazing. Not only did he prepared a traditional stew from bamboo over a fire the night we camped, but had a mastery and understanding of the terrain, the vegetation, the tribes and their customs as we trekked through a few villages. A highlight was tasting “egg fruit” for the first time. It was yummy and tasted like a combination of banana and sweet potatoes. The trek had some challenging inclines but the views were worth the effort! If you are staying in Senmonorom, I highly recommend booking both the elephant sanctuary visit and the jungle trek!

As someone who has experienced other elephant sanctuaries in SE Asia, this one may be my favorite. We chose the 2 day/1 night trek and we can’t speak highly enough on our experience. This felt nothing at all like tourist trap, and it is very apparent that their love and dedication to the animals is most important to them. The first day was an easy hike where we fed, swam, and just interacted with the elephants. In our group of 12 people, each and every person had the opportunity to get up close and personal with each of the elephants through the morning and afternoon. The lunch and dinner served were two of the best meals we had while in Cambodia. The second day was a challenging at times, 12 mile hike through the mountains, farm land, and bamboo jungle. Our guide Samoon, had an incredibly infectious laugh, and made sure an appropriate pace was set for the group. We saw 3 amazing waterfalls and again had a great lunch halfway through our day. These memories will forever be cherished by us and we are so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of something so special!!!! The entire trip was seamless and well organized, they even brought us to our hotel once we were done sharing pictures with our new friends from all over the world….a huge shout out to Mondulkiri Project for all you do….THANK YOU!!!

The guides were very accommodating, friendly, and informative. The meals provided were adequately prepared. Two dishes were available, with one of them being a vegetarian option. Tea and coffee were also served (I opted for the coffee – so good!!). As for the elephants, they look healthy and well-taken care of. They were free to roam around and were not forced to do anything at all. I highly recommend visiting this sanctuary.

Amazing experience at the Mondulkiri Project, the guides could not be more helpful and their English was amazing. The food provided is more than enough and very tasty. It's clear how loved the animals are and I would highly recommend this sanctuary over others in Thailand and Northern Cambodia. I hope that enough people visit so that they can continue the fight against the mistreatment of elephants in Asia.

I absolutely loved this place! I would totally recommend to stop here if you are traveling in Cambodia. I really liked the project and the good things they do for the elephants and to protect their habitat. Seeing elephants in their natural habitat, free of any kind of abuse or explotaition, is amazing. Also, the staff was super nice and they showed me how to cook dinner in a bamboo stick, and it was delicious. Sleeping in the middle of the jungle in a hammock was also a cool experience.

Did the 2 day tour (30th June to 1st July 2022) with trekking being the most horrendous. The guide was not a guide at all, I had to beg him to stop and slow down numerous times. And in the morning he laughed and said “happy water” repeatedly (rice wine) from last night??? I already had a SUPER tough time catching up and he was laughing??? He also did not wait for me and my friend at a two way junction when he already knew both of us were slower. I appreciate his help towards the end, else I will not get through certain parts. He offered very little explanation or information throughout the trek, he seemed more interested to get to the village which is also his home. The trek was very difficult to me. I gave up towards the end. Please consider before signing up.

One of the best experience I’ve had in Cambodia. The guides really love the elephant and take care of them. We also stayed for the night, and it was also a great experience. Really recommend this place although it’s a bit expensive.

I did the two day tour and loved every moment. The elephants are friendly and the staff are excellent. The hike is quite intense 18 km but with cover from the sun for most of it. Sleeping in the hammocks was also excellent, waking up to the sounds of nature

We availed of the 1-Day tour and it was such a memorable experience from start to finish. Case in point, going to the sanctuary was already quite eventful with the bumpy and roller-coaster-like ride we had. There were more than 10 of us in the group but everyone got the chance to interact with the lovely elephants. The guide was very informative and took great care of us to ensure our safety during the trek, especially when we swam with the elephants as the rocks can be very slippery and sharp. If you're in Mondulkiri, I highly suggest including this in your itinerary. This is a haven for the elephants, so they are very well taken care of (no circus-like entertainment/animal abuse!).

Had an amazing time, was an absolute highlight of my travels! You get to spend so much time with the elephants and they all seem very happy and well looked after! Would really recommend going here!

A once in a lifetime experience. My girlfriend and I did the 2 day elephant and trek your, which we highly recommend. The trek was not easy but really worth it, you get the extra night, great dinner, breakfast and lunch and get to meet some beautiful people doing great things here. There is no riding of elephants or mistreatment. They are rescued and treated properly and your money goes to protecting them and feeding local villagers. We hope you will take our recommendation and do this tour for yourself.

Famous 2 day jungle experience, I recommend, the staff was great.

The Elephant Sanctuary was superb, however they overbooked and outsourced the Gibbon tour and it was very difficult to walk in the jungle, cutting sometimes as we walked. And we only glimpsed the gibbons and saw a squirrel. The only birds we saw was in the beginning and we ran low on water.

Really amazing experience! The trek in the jungle, sleeping in the jungle and even the traditional dinner were memorable. On the second day you get the chance to see elephants in the nature. They are living freely and are coming to you only if they want to. But also because you get to give them bananas which are their favorite treats. You get a memorable experience and you contribute to help them taking care of the elephants that have been mistreated before. Definitely recommended !

We really enjoyed everything! The tour with the elephants was super exciting as well as the dinner and the night in the hammock. These were all unique experiences for the both of us!

Wonderful experience. Incredible place with 4 female elephants. The place is amazing and the guide was super nice and super interesting. The elephants are friendly, you can feed them, one of them even went swimming in the river with us. Definately worth going, the animals live in the forest, not another tourist trap where they Hurt the elephants. Here the are free and treated with respect.

A great place where we could enjoy the elephants in a calm and respectful way, and the stories told by the guide were very interesting. We had a very good lunch, a hot, varied and convivial meal, with tea and coffee before getting back on the road. I recommend this sanctuary if you want to see elephants while respecting animal welfare.

Amazing experience! Swimming with the elephants in the river was the highlight, but there were many exceptional experiences. From the long interactions with many elephant, to the meals cooked with local recipes to the tough but beautiful hike the next day.

One of the reasons for coming to Cambodia was to personally experience meeting elephants in their natural environment. I was not disappointed. Mondolkiri project is doing so much to liberate these beautiful creatures from a life of captivity and hard labour. Our guide on the day was most welcoming and explained in detail what the project aims to continue doing with bringing more elephants to the sanctuary to live out their lives in peace and free to roam and enjoy their natural environment. We were then introduced to each current resident, quite a humbling experience in the presence of such gentle giants. There was a wonderful opportunity to swim with a couple of them by a very pretty waterfall which was such an amazing experience not to be missed. Highly recommend visiting this sanctuary if in Cambodia. Money from tourists being invested into a happy future for elephants and not for entertainment purposes. Will take home good memories.

Such a fantastic experience and worth the distance travelled to get there. We stayed at Tree lodge the night before to allow easy start to the 1.5 day tour. This was a great place to stay with an awesome dinner and morning breakfast. With a short ride to the jungle hut in the back of the Ute, we arrived, had a briefing, then walked to feed the elephants - such a great experience. After lunch we walked to swim with the elephants at the waterfall - amazing once in a lifetime thing to do. The evening was fun then a sleep in the hammocks overnight. Next day 8km hike was challenging and also unique and memorable. Tip - the lighter the pack, the better. Overall it was something to remember for your lifetime

Such an incredible and unique Cambodian experience, definitely check this place out if you have the time and are feeling adventurous/intrepid! Our first day was the 18km jungle hike, which is challenging and requires a certain level of fitness - BUT you feel a massive sense of achievement once you reach the jungle hut and are able to relax overlooking the forest canopy, watching the bats emerge as the sun sets all whilst listening to the amazing insect sounds surrounding you. The guides and local indigenous hosts were so friendly and welcoming, and you get to learn so much about their heritage and culture of the local area. The second day was spent feeding the elephants endless amounts of bananas, getting aquatinted with their personalities and back-stories, rounded off with walking them through the forest down to the river where you eventually get the opportunity to wash and swim with these gentle giants. The whole experience was pure magic, and the work they are doing at the Mondulkiri Project Elephant Sanctuary is truly heroic and inspiring. I'd happily revisit one day.

This was an amazing weekend. It was so nice to spend time with the elephants in the jungle and the team are very passionate about the project. The full day trek was very interesting and enjoyable too with beautiful waterfalls to swim in We also stayed at the treehouse bungalows for 2 nights which was really lovely and good food provided. Thoroughly recommend this as an adventure to get out into nature.

Great 2 days, day 1, 18km trekking and swiming at waterfalls. Day 2 plenty of chill time and hanging with the Elephants. Swiming with the Elephants at the waterfall and playing card games whilst sharing a bottel of "happy water" (rice wine) with our guide in the evening makes for a good night's sleep in the cosy hammocks. And wow what a view down the vally from the jungle lodge!

Very good experience. The explanations about the project and their éléphants were very nice and interesting. The meal was tasty. The éléphants and magnificent and you spend a good amount of time with them. We can see that they are happy. They are super friendly even when you go and swim with them. One of our best experience in Cambodia

We did the 1 day tour and absolutely loved the experience. Our guide, Mr. Duong, was amazing. He answered every question we had and gave us unique insight about the elephants, the Bunuong people, and the jungle itself. We happened to be the only people that booked the tour that day (during monsoon season), so perhaps our experience is a bit different from that of larger groups. The elephants are clearly very well taken care of. At no moment did we feel like they were being forced to do anything or put on a show for us. We fed them a measured quantity of bananas to ensure they wouldn't overeat, walked around them and followed them depending on where they wanted to go, and for the most part just enjoyed their company quietly sitting on a log nearby. When it was time for the swim, we headed to the waterfall and waited for the elephants to come. The elephants didn't seem in the mood to go fully into the river so intead we enjoyed their company as they stood by the riverbank, fed them a few bananas and splashed some water to help them freshen up. When we first booked we thought it was a bit expensive, but looking back it was an unforgettable experience and it's great to know that the price we paid is going towards protecting the elephants' home! Also, lunch was simple but delicious. We highly recommend Mondulkiri Project to anybody that would like to learn more about elephants in an ethical manner and support a beautiful cause :)

Firstly, it's clear that the NGO genuinely cares for and treats the elephants humanely and with respect. The elephants roam freely on the NGO's lands and can eat and rest as they please. Tourists are guests of the elephants and should always respect their wishes. Also, the guides clearly care for and admire the elephants. It was a true honor to bathe with and feed these majestic beasts. We did the two-day tour. The jungle trek is rewarding, although not for the faint of heart - I would not recommend it for children or senior citizens. The elephant tour was incredible. I will definitely go back. EDIT: since making this post, I have done some research into bathing with elephants. I would suggest not allowing tourists to use the brooms, which were tough and can damage the elephants' skin. You should only allow them to use water splashes or cloths. EDIT 2: I have discussed my concerns with the NGO staff, who were very responsive and explained the reasons for washing the elephants. The concerns I had surrounded frequent washing from numerous groups. Indeed the level of detail in the response demonstrates genuine care. I will be back. Thank you, Mr Lee.

Amazing experience with elephants and an amazing social project. Thank you for this beautiful day, for protecting the elephants, the communities, and the education of their children. You made our day and we are so happy to recommend ❤️

We had one of the most magical and human experience at Mondulkiri project, with the elephant and with all the people involved in this amazing project. They care a lot of their elephants, so go to visit them you won't regret it ! Thanks again for everything Marie & Élisa

This is a very fair and good project, run by honest people with respect for animal and nature. It was an amazing experience, meeting this majestic animals guided by super friendly and calm local Bunong guides. The animals live free and come an go whenever they want. It was truely an amazing experience and i definitely recommend!