“I just completed a week long trip through volunteer solutions in Kegalle, Sri Lanka working with the Elephant project. I found volunteer solutions through online research and reviews. Prior to coming the pre departure booklet they sent me was extremely helpful. Upon arriving I did not see my ride right away but was able to get in contact with my project manager and get everything sorted out. I stayed in a homestay during my visit and it was the best. Rosie was my house mum and she was very helpful and kind. Our accommodations were very well kept and comfortable. If there was ever anything we needed Rosie was able to either provide it for us or point us in the right direction. Working with the Elephants was incredible. We cleaned their beds, bathed them, and at the end of our stay got to ride them. The experience was something I will never forget. I learned a lot about elephants and the Sri Lankan culture. During my stay I worked with the elephants three days and visited the girls home and elephant orphanage on the other two. It was a very well organised trip and I will leave feeling humbled. If you are coming expecting a five star hotel then you should reconsider. But if you are ready for an adventure, some time away from technology, and meeting some of the nicest people then you should give this trip a shot! I highly recommend it.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“I just completed a week long trip through volunteer solutions in Kegalle, Sri Lanka working with the Elephant project. I found volunteer solutions through online research and reviews. Prior to coming the pre departure booklet they sent me was extremely helpful. Upon arriving I did not see my ride right away but was able to get in contact with my project manager and get everything sorted out. I stayed in a homestay during my visit and it was the best. Rosie was my house mum and she was very helpful and kind. Our accommodations were very well kept and comfortable. If there was ever anything we needed Rosie was able to either provide it for us or point us in the right direction. Working with the Elephants was incredible. We cleaned their beds, bathed them, and at the end of our stay got to ride them. The experience was something I will never forget. I learned a lot about elephants and the Sri Lankan culture. During my stay I worked with the elephants three days and visited the girls home and elephant orphanage on the other two. It was a very well organised trip and I will leave feeling humbled. If you are coming expecting a five star hotel then you should reconsider. But if you are ready for an adventure, some time away from technology, and meeting some of the nicest people then you should give this trip a shot! I highly recommend it.”

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Posted 5 years ago

Hello Emily, Thanks for leaving us a review. We are very happy to know that you enjoyed your stay in Sri Lanka a lot. Although you had a short stay, however it was an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for you. Thanks for sharing your experience and we look forward to having you in our other volunteering experiences soon as well. Thanks Team Volunteering Solutions

Posted 5 years ago

“Our host, Rosiee, was exceptional and helping the elephants was definitely rewarding. Would definitely recommend this to others”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Our host, Rosiee, was exceptional and helping the elephants was definitely rewarding. Would definitely recommend this to others”

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Posted 5 years ago

“It was really nice. I got to try many things that I would not have a chance to do in HK my home town. We also witnessed the magical moments of baby turtles returning to the sea female turtles laying eggs etc. Everything was well taken care of by our friendly and brother-like local coordinator Amal. He was very caring and help us with everything. He encouraged us to try out different jobs even the ones out of our expectations such as construction and leading tours. I love animals and I think this is the best chance I could have to get closer with them and contribute. The hatchery is doing a great job so I believe you should continue working with them.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“My volunteering experience in Sri Lanka was sooo rewarding. I got the chance to learn about turtles to meet people to experience the local culture to enjoy the nature and to see myself having the ability to contribute to the place I like. Amal has been really good to us. The communication was smooth and we need not to worry about language barriers. He was flexible to cater our needs for example if we would like to visit any places he would just arrange to drive us to. We also had a good relationship not in terms of just "boss and volunteers" but as friends to learn about each others' cultures including languages religions and everything. We are still keeping in touch now even after the project. The overall living experience was excellent. It was very comfortable and homely stay with all the facilities that I could have asked for. The staff at the accommodation was very friendly and served us well. I love how they gave us flowers every morning! The food was also nice. They served us with the amount that we could hardly finish every meal. I definitely enjoyed working at the conservation centre. Not only Amal our coordinator all the other people working there has been treating us well. As we got ourselves familiar with the centre's work they were willing to let us get involved in more and more fun jobs. For example carrying a turtle with care picking seaweed on the seashore and even doing construction work to repair a tank! These might be once-in-a-lifetime experience for us and we were thankful that they truly treated us as part of the team. Interacting with people was the best part. I didn't feel like just working working and working but at the same time meeting new friends from Sri Lanka. Some chatted with us a lot some don't really know English but we still interacted using smiles and body languages (and a bit of Sinhalese we learnt). They even organised a birthday party for me! I enjoyed learning about Sri Lanka exchanging thoughts and having fun with all these people. Recommendations to future participants going on the same project: It is a great opportunity for animal-lovers or nature-lovers. It could be emotional seeing female turtles laying eggs and baby turtles beginning their life. Besides you would have the chance to get in touch with other animals in Sri Lanka like elephants and monkeys during your free time so go for it! It is important to open up yourself as to gain more. The people there would be happy to see you love the work or the overall environment. If you are willing to they are also willing to have a lot of fun with you.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“It was really pleasant to be able to get close to elephants and understand their behaviour and needs. Rosiee was a nice host very helpful. I appreciate the fact that it was possible to travel on the weekends. Amal and Rosiee are helpful and have answered to all my questions and needs. The overall living experience was excellent. It was very comfortable and homely stay with all the facilities that I could have asked for. The work was interesting but maybe we hadn't do as much things as I imagined. Depending on the weather (too hot or rainy) it was not possible to work so the volunteering days were short. Bathing the elephants in the river and give them vitamins directly in the mouth were the highlights of my project.”

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Posted 7 years ago

“My overall experience was very rewarding for me. I was able to thoroughly engage in another culture and learn some aspects of the locals lives. I am very grateful for Volunteering Solutions and the programs they have offered me over the years. The head program organizer was very helpful and a useful resource. He was constantly reliable. I was hoping for some sort of cooking so I can do some of my own cooking. However the food that was provided was always more than enough and enjoyable. The turtle hatchery was amazing and I wish I could have spent more time of the day working there. The employees their were very passionate about their work and you could really feel their sincerity they have towards the turtles. They were also very helpful and a reliable resource as well.”

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Posted 7 years ago

Volunteer in Sri Lanka Reviews