Laos Wildlife Sanctuary

I spent a wonderful two weeks at the Laos Wildlife Sanctuary. Everyone was friendly and kind, and I felt part of the family. I am a mature volunteer (70) and I found some of the work challenging due to the steep terrain and heavy loads. That said, there was always plenty of work I could do! I loved working with the animals, especially the bears. The centre is quite remote - a drive to the nearest village - but the team arranged activities on site and locally. I was never bored! The centre is on the edge of an eco resort and we could make welcome use of the swimming pool at the end of each day. The accommodation is fine: quite spacious sleeping cabins, a cosy kitchen/rest area and clean shower/loo block. We were a small team and it worked well. Food is delivered twice daily from the resort restaurant. I soon got to know which meals tasted best and the food was plentiful, On Wednesday afternoons we had 'volunteer enrichment', taken somewhere locally to see sights or experience local crafts; Sunday was our rest day to chill and swim. The centre is new, very well designed and a... I spent a wonderful two weeks at the Laos Wildlife Sanctuary. Everyone was friendly and kind, and I felt part of the family. I am a mature volunteer (70) and I found some of the work challenging due to the steep terrain and heavy loads. That said, there was always plenty of work I could do! I loved working with the animals, especially the bears. The centre is quite remote - a drive to the nearest village - but the team arranged activities on site and locally. I was never bored! The centre is on the edge of an eco resort and we could make welcome use of the swimming pool at the end of each day. The accommodation is fine: quite spacious sleeping cabins, a cosy kitchen/rest area and clean shower/loo block. We were a small team and it worked well. Food is delivered twice daily from the resort restaurant. I soon got to know which meals tasted best and the food was plentiful, On Wednesday afternoons we had 'volunteer enrichment', taken somewhere locally to see sights or experience local crafts; Sunday was our rest day to chill and swim. The centre is new, very well designed and a joy to work in. The management team and staff are all professional, helpful and passionate about their work. It was a wonderful experience that I will always treasure. (Show More)

The new site at the Laos Wildlife Sanctuary is amazing. We assisted in building a new enclosure for a leopard cat kitten so she can stay wild and be released when old enough to care of herself. I painted a wall of planters for a new tortoise habitat. I had a knee replacement 3 months before going on this trip of a lifetime and it turned out to be physically harder than my knee could handle but the staff and other volunteers at the sanctuary were amazing and worked hard to include me in what I could do and come up with meaningful work for when I couldn't (like working on uneven ground). Amber the volunteer coordinator and Jeremy the facility's director went above and beyond to make the experience fun and rewarding. If you want to work with ensuring a variety of local wildlife have the best lives possible, this is the place to volunteer. The volunteer cabins were well built, the volunteer centre (our kitchen & resting area) was beautiful, washrooms clean and working, food good, and the eco centre next door was amazing to visit after work and on our days off. I was lucky enough to... The new site at the Laos Wildlife Sanctuary is amazing. We assisted in building a new enclosure for a leopard cat kitten so she can stay wild and be released when old enough to care of herself. I painted a wall of planters for a new tortoise habitat. I had a knee replacement 3 months before going on this trip of a lifetime and it turned out to be physically harder than my knee could handle but the staff and other volunteers at the sanctuary were amazing and worked hard to include me in what I could do and come up with meaningful work for when I couldn't (like working on uneven ground). Amber the volunteer coordinator and Jeremy the facility's director went above and beyond to make the experience fun and rewarding. If you want to work with ensuring a variety of local wildlife have the best lives possible, this is the place to volunteer. The volunteer cabins were well built, the volunteer centre (our kitchen & resting area) was beautiful, washrooms clean and working, food good, and the eco centre next door was amazing to visit after work and on our days off. I was lucky enough to experience enrichment, cleaning and feeding for 3 types of deer, crocodiles, tortoises, 3 types of monkeys, 2 types of bear, a hornbill, a leopard cat kitten, and a binturong named Richard. (Show More)

Laos Wildlife Sanctuary does amazing work to protect and save wildlife in Laos. What a fantastic experience!! I volunteered for 2 weeks and the once in a lifetime experiences became almost a daily routine - releasing several animals, seeing croc eggs hatching, making enrichments that entertained the animals. The staff and the other volunteers became my family instantly, and we had such a great time, both on and off work. Cannot recommend this place enough! I miss it already.