Food, Lodging & Travel
Families will be staying at the Elephant Sanctuary site in a shared dorm style accommodation. In our shared house, rooms have 3 or 4 beds, so families can have their own room for themselves with shared bathrooms. The accommodation is placed on the slopes of the valley providing some great views over the surrounding forest and wildlife that inhabits it like certain types of birds, such as eagles and hornbills. Sunset can be spent unwinding at the lounge/kitchen/dining area, enjoying the amazing sounds of the nocturnal forest creatures as they prepare to sleep. Wake up to the hauntingly beautiful call of the Yellow-cheeked crested gibbons that call this forest their home. Interestingly the main project buildings are made from mostly recycled and salvaged materials and have all been built by local villagers working with volunteers over the years. There are also options for private jungle bungalows for families (with double bed and ensuite bathrooms and we can also place 1 or 2 single beds for children too as the bungalows are spacious) and a large bungalow for big family groups (please enquire for more details).
All meals are prepared by the chefs and are delicious and plentiful. Meals depend on seasonal products available at the market, but include a wide variety of beef, pork, fish and vegetable dishes. Every meal ends with a platter of fresh fruit. It is possible to accommodate Vegetarians, Vegans, and other dietary preferences. Free and safe drinking water is readily available from the kitchen.
The base camp’s electricity supply is powered by a generator from approximately 6 PM until 9 PM, when you will have lights and be able to recharge your electrical equipment. It is essential that you bring a torch for all other times, and for walking between the bungalows and the kitchen/lounge/dinning area. There is no internet once at the Sanctuary in the forest. Housekeeping will make up the rooms each day, and there is a free laundry service available for families.
On the first night if you add on the transfer package, (Saturday to Sunday) upon arrival in Phnom Penh, you will be staying at a guest house/hotel in the city. Dinner, breakfast and lunch for the road the next day is provided as part of the package. On the last night (Friday-Saturday), you will stay in shared accommodation in the town Sen Monorom, before being transferred back to Phnom Penh early Saturday morning. Dinner on Friday night is not provided, but volunteers/families usually go out to eat together.
The project is closed during weekends for the elephants to have some peace. Therefore all volunteers will go back to Sen Monorom on Friday afternoon together and stay in the shared accommodation. And those who are staying longer than one week have the weekend free until Sunday afternoon, where they will go back to the Elephant Sanctuary.
Visa to Cambodia
You can stay in Cambodia on a Tourist visa for 30 days. You can apply for this online before departure, and the 30 days starts when you enter the country. Your passport needs to be valid for minimum 6 months upon entry. It is only possible to extend your visa once for another 30 days and you would need to pay an extra fee. It is not recommended to overstay the allowed time of your visa, as this could involve a penalty fee and/or not being able to enter the country again.
How to get there
Families should fly to Phnom Penh airport (PNH) for a Saturday arrival at the latest for a Sunday start. You can opt for an add on transfers package at £260 GB pounds per adult and £140 GB pounds per child under 12, which includes – Airport pickup on Saturday night, 1 night accommodation in Phnom Penh (dinner/bed/breakfast), private transport to Mondulkiri with English speaking driver (with other volunteers arriving that week) including lunch stop on the way, transfer back to the city of Phnom Penh at the end of volunteer programme (VIP minivan – public bus).
You should arrive in Phnom Penh on a Saturday. If you arrive in Phnom Penh earlier than this, you would need to arrange your own airport transfer and accommodation until Saturday. If arriving 1-2 days before Saturday, we are able to assist you with arranging accommodation at the same guest house for extra night(s).
Health Information
No health certificates or vaccinations are officially required for entry to Cambodia, unless arriving directly from Africa or a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Generally advised are vaccinations against Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A + B, Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis. Consider anti-malaria tablets as the project is located in the mountain forest, which in particular is prone to mosquitoes during and just before the end of the rainy season.