ELIE & The Elephant Valley Project

Fantastic and ethical. I did the full day of Elephants tour. The day was two (relatively) short treks into the jungle to find the rescued Elephants, separated by lunch and a bit of rest at the base camp. The guides are full of information and enthusiasm, bringing fantastic energy to the exoerience. I'd been travelling around SEA for 5 months and chose this as my first elephant experience to support based on research talking to other travellers.

The best and most ethical elephant experience in South East Asia! A chance to see them up close living exactly the life elephants should live. The guides Jack and Cynthia did a great job leading the trek, and gave incredible value with their information about the entire project. We did the full day Elephant walk and jungle trek and we would highly recommend - totally worth every penny to help this organisation build 🙌🏼

A truly wonderful and heartwarming place. These elephants, once used as working animals, are now free from the burdens of labor and human demands. It’s incredibly moving to see them living with dignity and care, no longer expected to serve people’s needs. A big thank you to Jack and Cynthia. Jack is a great character, passionate about conservation and incredibly knowledgeable. He welcomed our questions, making the experience deeply insightful and educational, which made it feel even more ethical as we understood what was truly happening. Cynthia was simply wonderful, a true inspiration. Having volunteered in numerous places around the world, her dedication to doing what’s best for animals shines through. She was a real gem to be around! Unfortunately, many businesses continue to exploit elephants, forcing them to give rides or, more commonly nowadays, have groups of people “washing” or “bathing” them. This kind of treatment is far from natural or ethical. Jack told us about these kind of places and why they’re not ethical, and it all makes sense. Which is why I appreciate the EVP! If you want to experience elephants in a way that truly respects their well-being and honors their natural lives, this is the place to visit. EVP is a highly focused animal welfare project supporting freedom, happiness, and respect, something every visitor should seek out. We had no direct contact with the elephants, observing them from a distance in their natural habitat. The elephants were not chained or pulled around - they moved freely, eating as they pleased while we followed them (they’re surprisingly fast!). It filled my heart with joy to see such a project operating with this level of care. Even in conversations with the workers, there was openness about areas for improvement and a constant desire to do better for the elephants. I admire places like this - far more than those that appear perfect but lack honesty. Thank you EVP! I wish you all the best❤️

Elephant sanctuary that currently has 7 elephants they are caring for. These elephants previously spent up to 12 hours a day hauling logs for the logging industry or carrying tourists in Cambodia's larger cities. Now they live together in the jungle. The organization has also helped to procur legal land rights for the indigenous Banong community. They also engage in forest protection, provide jobs for about 50 Banong, assist the Banong with paying for medical care, and serve as a model for other sanctuaries. I spent 3 nights there (they also offer 2 night, one-day, and half-day visits. As well as longer term volunteer opportunities) and had the chance to see 6 of the 7 elephants as well as help build some planters for endangered plants. There's no riding, bathing, feeding, touching, etc, the elephants. That's a good thing. Those aren't normal things for elephants and it's bad for them to be forced into those activities. That said, the majouts still have a lot of control over these animals' lives. They appear to be lead out to certain areas where guests can observe them. They are chained overnight - the keeps them from wandering off of the sanctuary where they aren't as protected. You can see the mahouts guiding (and riding) them to bathe and eat (at least partially for the guests' benefit it seems). Little doubt these animals are cared for and live a better life than they might if not at EPV. The accommodations were sufficient. Large dorm rooms with mosquito netting. Shower and toilet (there will probably be some animals in there). And the food (including vegetarian) was great. I'd wanted to see Elephants during my SEA trip and never did until I found EVP. I think I made the right choice.

We were a group of 14. Although our time was short, we learned so much and got to see some of the wonderful work that goes on. Exploring their environment and making a small contribution to this much bigger project. It's rare to see these majestic creatures so close, all without the unethical strings attached with other elephant encounter opportunities.

Absolutely epic. The staff there are mostly indigenous people who take such great care of the elephants. The guide is passionate about the fauna and flora of the place which makes you fall in love with it too ! This is money well spent as you're helping a whole community and you're fighting against animal abuse. A lifetime experience, highly recommend !

Incredible day at the Elephant Valley Project! We spent a day following and observing 2 groups of elephants in their natural surroundings, it was awesome. Elephants are treated with respect and not as tourist 'toys'. Great respect for this organisation and how they involve local people in what they are doing.

We enjoyed our day at the EVP a lot! The staff, volunteers and guides were extremely friendly and knowlegeable. We visited the elephants in the morning and went on a jungle trek in the afternoon. Both were great! It is quite expensive but it really goes to a great cause and you can feel that! Thanks for the great day!