All activities / Wildlife Safaris / Mondulkiri
Wildlife Safaris in Mondulkiri
Cambodia's largest and least-populated province, a cool upland of rolling grassland, waterfalls and dense forest in the country's remote east, home to the Bunong indigenous community and to forest reserves and ethical elephant sanctuaries that are the base for wildlife visits.
Why here
Mondulkiri is where you go to be with elephants the right way. The province is the heartland of Cambodia's Bunong people, whose families have long kept elephants, and its forests hold the country's most serious ethical sanctuary. Here you do not ride or wash an elephant. You hike into the forest and watch small herds of rescued, retired elephants roam, forage and bathe on their own terms, guided by Bunong mahouts who explain their histories and behaviour. Beyond the elephants the wider landscape of grassland, waterfalls and evergreen forest is home to gibbons and hornbills and is slowly opening to low-impact wildlife tourism. It is a quiet, hands-off encounter that puts the animals first and channels money to the indigenous community that shares the forest.
Best months
The dry season from November to April gives the easiest forest walking and road access, with the cool early months the most comfortable in this upland climate. The wet season from May to October turns trails muddy but leaves the waterfalls in full flow and the forest green. Elephant visits involve several hours of walking on uneven ground in humidity, so a reasonable level of fitness helps. Numbers are capped each day, so book ahead.
Getting there & around
The provincial town of Sen Monorom is a long road trip east from Phnom Penh, around six to seven hours by bus or car, or a shorter hop by domestic flight and road. The sanctuary meets visitors in Sen Monorom and transfers to the forest project. Day and overnight visits both involve forest walking, so bring boots, a rain layer, insect repellent and water, and book well ahead in the high season as daily visitor numbers are limited.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (1)
Elephant Valley Project
OutfitterThe Elephant Valley Project was established in 2006 near Sen Monorom in Mondulkiri and is run by the Cambodian NGO ELIE across roughly 1,500 hectares of protected forest. It is a retirement sanctuary where rescued elephants roam freely and visitors hike in to watch them under a strict policy of no riding, no bathing and no feeding. Day and overnight visits are guided by Bunong mahouts, and the project directs more than half its revenue to community health care and school scholarships.