Family volunteering holiday: elephant conservation in Sri Lanka

Families with children aged 10 or over will love this project. Set in rural Sri Lanka, over 5 hours from the hustle and bustle of Colombo, the location is absolutely stunning. Meet local people who welcome you with open arms, see wild elephants roaming contentedly in the jungle and plains, and work with both communities and elephants to help them co-exist in harmony.

In recent years, the human population in Sri Lanka has been growing, and there has been a huge increase in need for food, particularly rice. Farmers are spreading into previously untouched areas, and this change has meant that increasingly humans and elephants are now forced to live together - often with tragic results.

This award-winning conservation project aims to help people and elephants to live alongside each other. Volunteers help to monitor the elephants, collect data about the environment and speak with locals about their experiences with elephants. All of this is set in the stunning mountainous backdrop of rural Sri Lanka.

You and your family will live with other volunteers in a remote volunteer house. You will share a western toilet and refreshingly cold shower. The views from the patio of the accommodation are stunning, overlooking a large reservoir and jagged mountain peaks.

Three meals per day are served, but don't hold your breath for bangers and mash! Rice is the staple here, with breakfast, lunch and dinner all boasting rice and curry dishes. Bread and spread and fruits are also available, but you will essentially be eating a traditional (and delicious!) Sri Lankan diet.