点评:Our morning visit to the Kulen Elephant Forest Sanctuary was one of the highlights of our time in Siem Reap and an experience we won’t forget in a hurry.
We had to make our own way to the sanctuary’s office in Siem Reap for 8am, where we were then transferred by minibus to the sanctuary itself. The journey took around an hour.
On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our guide, Tom, who introduced himself and shared some background about the company and the sanctuary’s mission. It was reassuring to hear about their focus on ethical tourism and giving elephants a peaceful, natural environment in which to live.
Our first activity was preparing snacks for the elephants. Once armed with our creations, we headed to the feeding station where we met two of the sanctuary’s residents: Gangster and Chubby. Both were clearly thrilled to see us… although we suspect it had far more to do with the treats we were carrying.
After snack time, we took a gentle walk through the forest alongside the elephants, watching them roam, forage, and interact in their natural surroundings. The real highlight came when Chubby decided she fancied a bath. Seeing her splash about happily in the pond was absolutely magical. She made several attempts to persuade Gangster to join her but she wasn’t having any of it and preferred to stand watching from the water’s edge instead.
Once back at base camp, we were treated to a tasty lunch before boarding the minibus for the return journey to Siem Reap. The Kulen Elephant Forest Sanctuary was a brilliant experience. Our guide was friendly and informative and the time spent with the elephants was relaxed and enjoyable. It was lovely to learn more about them while seeing them up close in such a calm setting, and it’s definitely something we’d recommend to anyone visiting the area.
翻译:我们在暹粒的行程中,库伦大象森林保护区的清晨之旅绝对是一大亮点,也是一段令人难忘的经历。
早上8点,我们自行前往保护区位于暹粒的办公室,然后乘坐小巴前往保护区。车程大约一个小时。
抵达后,我们的导游汤姆热情地接待了我们。他做了自我介绍,并简要介绍了公司和保护区的宗旨。他们致力于打造符合伦理的旅游模式,并为大象提供宁静自然的生存环境,这让我们感到非常安心。
我们的第一个活动是为大象准备零食。准备好食物后,我们前往喂食站,在那里见到了保护区的两位“居民”:Gangster 和 Chubby。它们显然很高兴见到我们……不过我们觉得,这更多的是因为我们带了零食。
吃过点心后,我们沿着森林漫步,与大象们一起观察它们在自然环境中漫步、觅食和互动。最精彩的部分莫过于小胖子想洗澡的时候。看到它在池塘里快乐地嬉戏,真是太神奇了。它几次试图说服小伙子一起玩,但它根本不理会,更喜欢站在水边看着。
回到营地后,我们享用了美味的午餐,然后登上小巴返回暹粒。库伦大象森林保护区是一次非常棒的体验。我们的导游热情友好,知识渊博,与大象相处的时光轻松愉快。在如此宁静的环境中近距离观察它们,并了解更多关于它们的知识,真是太棒了。我们强烈推荐给所有来此地的游客。