2nd week of July I paid a visit to the EVP in Mondulkiri to check out what they were doing. Orignally I signed up for three days but after the experience of the first, I didn't go back.
Before I describe the gory details, I wondered if anyone on the forum has gone to EVP and what their experience was. Maybe it was an off day and I'm willing to chalk it up to that, but I seriously doubt it.
Not much excuse for cramming 16 people into a Land Cruiser open truck trying to navigate mud roads made into quagmires by torrents of rain that could easily overturn and turn into death traps.
That was only the beginning....
Elephant Valley Project - Mondulkiri Province
Elephant Valley Project - Mondulkiri Province
The truth is that the only thing that matters is what I think because in the end you're going to give me all your money anyway.
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Well, it's a "volunteer" run NGO and all of the volunteers were (wait...I do remember one guy) all female and quite....well, protective. Rules, rules, rules. Here, first sign this liability release form...just in case the elephants stomp you into the cold, cold, ground...while we use a wedge to fit far too many people into three vehicles. It's that part which is particularly concerning.
I won't name names.
Anyway, there are two types of people at EVP, the volunteers who might be there for months, and the curious who can sign up for a 1, 2 or 3 day "experience". The 3-day experience for 2 was $440 (US) and tax-deductable since it's considered a contribution.
There was a real "Mother Hen" thing going on...or maybe more of a "Lord of the Flies" thing. Basically a bunch of self-empowered young barang females who believe they are doing the "right thing". There was certainly a pecking order to be sure. But make no mistake, after a few months you too can be an "elephant expert".
So..off we go on foot. Rain coming down in buckets which is to be expected. After quite the jungle stroll, we come across a group of four, blissful in their "return to being elephants in the jungle" life. Hey! You! DO NOT TOUCH THE ELEPHANTS!
And don't smoke at base camp. In the jungle. No shit. Take off your shoes on the tile floors exposed to the rain and mud! Yeah, I know the sign says "Beer - $1", but there isn't any beer because we're women and we dont like beer.
It goes like this all day long. I came with my Khmer brother and he spoke with the Khmer mahouts and got the real skinny. Another exploitive NGO (although I do have to believe that their efforts in as far as furthering land ownership by the locals is a good thing they are doing) it seems. The elephants have owners who get rent from EVP and retain ownership of them (execpt one or two which are owned by the project). The money gathered from people like myself and "volunteers" gives the project (which is privately owned) more dollar value so when the plug is pulled, someone walks away with a payday.
Or so the word on the street says...
Nevertheless, I simply cannot recommend anyone booking time with this project. If for no other reason, their transportation methodology is a mammoth accident waiting to happen. The actual "interaction" with the animals is nil.
Luckily, my Khmer brother talked to a few folks in Sen Monorom and we found a great guide who had freinds who owned three elephants nearby and we had a blast playing with them in the local jungle river and feeding them bananas. For a $50 fee we had them all day!
How inhumane!
I won't name names.
Anyway, there are two types of people at EVP, the volunteers who might be there for months, and the curious who can sign up for a 1, 2 or 3 day "experience". The 3-day experience for 2 was $440 (US) and tax-deductable since it's considered a contribution.
There was a real "Mother Hen" thing going on...or maybe more of a "Lord of the Flies" thing. Basically a bunch of self-empowered young barang females who believe they are doing the "right thing". There was certainly a pecking order to be sure. But make no mistake, after a few months you too can be an "elephant expert".
So..off we go on foot. Rain coming down in buckets which is to be expected. After quite the jungle stroll, we come across a group of four, blissful in their "return to being elephants in the jungle" life. Hey! You! DO NOT TOUCH THE ELEPHANTS!
And don't smoke at base camp. In the jungle. No shit. Take off your shoes on the tile floors exposed to the rain and mud! Yeah, I know the sign says "Beer - $1", but there isn't any beer because we're women and we dont like beer.
It goes like this all day long. I came with my Khmer brother and he spoke with the Khmer mahouts and got the real skinny. Another exploitive NGO (although I do have to believe that their efforts in as far as furthering land ownership by the locals is a good thing they are doing) it seems. The elephants have owners who get rent from EVP and retain ownership of them (execpt one or two which are owned by the project). The money gathered from people like myself and "volunteers" gives the project (which is privately owned) more dollar value so when the plug is pulled, someone walks away with a payday.
Or so the word on the street says...
Nevertheless, I simply cannot recommend anyone booking time with this project. If for no other reason, their transportation methodology is a mammoth accident waiting to happen. The actual "interaction" with the animals is nil.
Luckily, my Khmer brother talked to a few folks in Sen Monorom and we found a great guide who had freinds who owned three elephants nearby and we had a blast playing with them in the local jungle river and feeding them bananas. For a $50 fee we had them all day!
How inhumane!
The truth is that the only thing that matters is what I think because in the end you're going to give me all your money anyway.
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I would have just give them a funny look and keep on smoking. Were these chicks American?
- the_purple_turtle
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EVP is all about watching/observing domesticated elephants living as natural a life as possible after years of logging/carrying tourists/standing around being fed sugar cane at tourist sites. You don't go to EVP to ride them.
You don't go to Mondulkiri in the wettest month of the year to go out into the villages and experience good roads.
Maybe do your research next time, or get your Khmer brother to do it for you. The Director is away at the moment, but the (very competant) girl in charge in his absence has worked there for 3 years or more. I'm sure they'd both appreciate your well thought out, constructive criticisms and suggestions if you offered them.
You don't go to Mondulkiri in the wettest month of the year to go out into the villages and experience good roads.
Maybe do your research next time, or get your Khmer brother to do it for you. The Director is away at the moment, but the (very competant) girl in charge in his absence has worked there for 3 years or more. I'm sure they'd both appreciate your well thought out, constructive criticisms and suggestions if you offered them.
Word on the Street
Are you James Ricketson's sock puppet?
Like Purple Turtle said do you research.
We had a excellent day there but 1 Day was enough for me but and they are doing good work there not only in terms of the elephants but also the local Bunong community with healthcare and as you mention land titling. This is where the money goes.
Your "word on the street" is from Competitors that are selling elephant Treks.
Recognizing that the EVP is a huge draw card for toursits to Mondulkiri there is a "copy-cat" competitor named ......... "The Mondulkiri Project" which says
The Mondulkiri Project is a community organisation which is protecting forests from logging and providing local employment opportunities in a partnership with Bunong villages. It also aims to a start an elephant breeding program. Our one day Elephant Adventure tour operates daily from 8.30am. You can walk with, feed, swim with and wash elephants in our protected forest. No elephant riding. Learn about Bunong customs from our guides
They don't provide healthcare and other services for local Bunong community,they cannot start an Elephant Breeding Program but its a great tagline. it is a for profit masquerading as NGO.
Last edited by drwahwah on Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Like I said in the first post on this thread, I wanted to hear others experiences before I tossed mine in. Perhaps it was just a bad day and I can go with that. I did do my research and knew exactly what I was getting into going to Mondulkiri in the middle of wet season (which is my preference over dry season). All things being equal and for the amount of money paid, the transport from the Greenhouse to the site needs to be upgraded. There is no excuse at all for more than 7 persons per Land Cruiser (or whatever the other vehicles were that are only rated to seat that many people).
The truth is that the only thing that matters is what I think because in the end you're going to give me all your money anyway.
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- MerkinMaker
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Last time I was in Mondulkiki I was told (by local restaurant owner and the foreign owner of the guest house I stayed) that all the local Bunong hate EVP. They say they used to live off the forest but now that's illegal so they've tried to transition to tourism income with village tours and elephant treks and now EVP is doing everything they can to tell everyone that riding elephants is inhumane and the Bunong don't know how to properly care for elephants. While EVP make a killing and all of the money goes in the pockets of foreigners.
Don't shoot the messenger. I didn't see any elephant or ride any elephants whilst there. Just what I was told.
Don't shoot the messenger. I didn't see any elephant or ride any elephants whilst there. Just what I was told.
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- Requiescat In Pace
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I don't understand how riding elephants is inhumane. Does this group also think that riding horses is inhumane? What am I missing? Do they wack them with a spiked bat to make them move or something?starkmonster wrote:Last time I was in Mondulkiki I was told (by local restaurant owner and the foreign owner of the guest house I stayed) that all the local Bunong hate EVP. They say they used to live off the forest but now that's illegal so they've tried to transition to tourism income with village tours and elephant treks and now EVP is doing everything they can to tell everyone that riding elephants is inhumane and the Bunong don't know how to properly care for elephants. While EVP make a killing and all of the money goes in the pockets of foreigners.
Don't shoot the messenger. I didn't see any elephant or ride any elephants whilst there. Just what I was told.
The purpose of that action remains unclear, since the gals are up in the hills...keeping_it_riel wrote: That on its own is enough to have me running for the hills.
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