Sri Lanka Elephant and Community Volunteers

When you arrive into Colombo you will be met by a member of the in-country team and taken straight to your home near Kegalle for your time at the project. Depending on what time you arrive you will either go straight to your room for a sleep or be briefly shown around and have introductions at the project.

The next day will start with a detailed orientation, explaining the project, an introduction to Sri Lanka, the teaching, the farm and also the other trips we have scheduled. You will also have the chance to meet the other volunteer and the in-country team is always on hand if you need anything else.

Then you will head to Pinnawala to spend 3 - 4 hours walking around the elephant centre, watching the elephants bathe in the river and also do a bit of shopping.

The following morning you will head for Kandy, the cultural capital of Sri Lanka where you will visit the Temple of the Tooth, Buddha on the hill, Kandy Lake and in the evening watch a traditional Kandy dancing show.

Now that you have seen some of Sri Lanka’s cultural elements you will have a day trekking into the local jungles for a chance to see some of the country's abundant wildlife such as monkeys, bird and insect species, many of which you won’t find anywhere else.

Not only will you have the great activities over these past few days but you will also be given lots of information about Sri Lanka and the basics of the language as you go.

The first Friday of your stay will be your first chance to start working with the mahouts and elephants, starting with the basics like cleaning up after and cleaning the elephants. Your weekends are free to either relax or explore more of this amazing country.

Please note: that excursions depend on the weather conditions and may be rescheduled if need be. 

From now on you can truly immerse yourself in the project. You will rise early to meet the mahouts and assist with elephant health checks before leading the elephants to the water for a quick bath. After breakfast you will help out at the eco farm as well as planting and weeding (this is season dependent).

After a well earned tea break you’ll help to clean the elephant beds and make them a nice fresh bed for the night. You’ll then stop for lunch before assisting the mahouts with the tourists that arrive in the afternoon. During the afternoon you will have a chance to bathe the elephants and help feed them. You’ll help the mahouts with further care of the elephants and tourist activities before tucking the elephants in for the day and going on to learn Singhalese or teach English to kids in the afternoons.

Elephants cost a lot of money to keep. Most elephant reserves actually rent the elephants including mahouts and food supplies. To pay for keeping the elephants substantial funding is required. Traditionally this income is generated from offering elephant encounters to tourists which can include riding the great giant. 

There will be approximately 3 hours of hands-on elephant time alongside all other regular activities. As the project also receives paying tourists your role will be to help the staff, assisting with the work of the mahouts when required. By the time you have finished your time at the project you should have a good understanding of the life of mahouts and elephants in Sri Lanka, plus some basic elephant communication skills too. 

• On Mondays from 4pm you can learn Singhalese (Sri Lankan language).
• At 4pm on Tuesday and Thursday you’ll support local underprivileged children by helping to teach English and other useful skills. There are some very poor families in the local area and they cannot afford to provide the additional tuition that will really help their child’s future. You may also be able to teach adults whom greatly appreciate the chance to improve their English. The children are generally from ages 5 to 18 and will be divided into groups of three
• On Wednesdays from 10.30 to 12.00 you will have Sinhala cooking classes where you will be able to eat your delicious self cooked food. From 16.00 you can help teaching the local children and adults English and enjoy a variety of games.
• On Fridays you will stop early to give you a bit more time for the weekend.

Please note: The aim is to keep you busy and entertained but please bear in mind that plans can change as they often have to when working outdoors and with animals! Remember, the more flexible you are, the more you will get out of the project.