The Elephant Freedom Project

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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 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

We are glad, that we had a chance to visit this place and experience part of the elephant's daily routine. These animals are treated with love and respect they deserve - no chains, no riding. After our arrival we received warm welcome from the staff together with tea and lunch and everything was explained to us.
If you want to experience elephants in Sri Lanka up close and also support a good cause, I highly recommend this place ❤

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!

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.

I spent a week volunteering at this ethical sanctuary after a long search. Being a fan of elephants, I wanted optimal conditions, and I was not disappointed. It was perfect!
The elephants are well-cared-for, not exploited, and have great interaction with their mahouts and whole team. Staying with a Sri Lankan family adds to the fantastic atmosphere. The people running this project are wonderful, and I'm confident I'll return for an even longer stay. Miss you all!

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 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.

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.

Amazing place! The staff is friendly and we will have a beautiful memories with this place! I really recommend to visit them and see how good the elephants are treated 😊

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!

Amazing place!

Very intimate, warm atmosphere. We were invited to dinner. Everything was explained to us. We even saw a short, self-made video about this place and the life of elephants in Sri Lanka. The property is cozy, full of fruit trees (all signed). The owners have a very healthy, friendly dog. You can see that they love animals.

Groups are tiny (maximum a few people). The adventure lasted 3 hours. The guide is incredibly nice, has a lot of knowledge and also speaks English very good.

Elephants rule here! No chains, no driving, no beating, no forced to do anything! We did everything slowly - at their pace. The elephants were relaxed, not afraid. They were looking for human contact.

The project has two rescued Elephants. For 3 hours you can establish a wonderful bond with them. We walked with them, bathed them, fed them. We watched the Elephants wallow in the mud, eat dinner, take a rest. Both are treated very individually, according to their personality.

I recommend this place with all my heart to anyone who is not indifferent to the fate of animals! You can also book an overnight stay there.

We were there today. Please don't believe the negative comments!

Greetings from Poland!

Visited the Elephant Freedom Project as a volunteer for 3 days.
This has been the most humbling experience of my life. The project have 2 beautiful elephants that they have rescued from very hard lives. As a volunteer you get to clean there beds out every morning and feed them their breakfast, Giving you some very special personal time with the elephants before the day visitors arrive.
We stayed in the family home, We had our own room and tasty traditional food cooked for us every day.
The family, along with the small team of staff they have were all so nice and could not do enough for you .
You are encouraged to get involved and help out where you can, For example, we got involved in creating a fruit tree garden which was very rewarding work.
Going for an elephant walk into the woods and helping to bath them in the river was so very special.
Thank you for giving me the most profound experience I have ever had.❤

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 ♥

Dedicated staff really look after the animals. Definitely the only ethical elephant trip you should look to do on the island.