A volunteer-based organization focused on reforestation and food security in arid areas. Established in India, Haiti and Kenya. This location is in a tropical dry evergreen forest and is entirely run on solar energy. Hosts a vegan festival annually. Serves three vegan meals per day (2 at the weekend), blending influences from different regions. Organic whenever possible and fresh from local farms. There is no charge - food is offered as a gift. Down the street at 0.2 miles is its tea shop which serves organic tea and vegan laddus (no charge). Also offers free guided tours of the off-grid community, forest, and vegan farm animal sanctuary every day and throughout the day. Every Friday, from 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm, hosts the Eco-Film Club, which includes a tour of the community and forest, a screening of an environmental documentary, and a vegan meal. Open Mon-Fri 8:00am-9:30am, 12:00pm-1:30pm, Mon-Wed 5:30pm-7:00pm, Fri 7:00pm-8:30pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-10:00am, Sat 5:30pm-8:00pm, Sun 5:30pm-7:00pm. Serves meals at these times.
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
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Last update on 16 Aug 2024 by Aviram
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Added by BadassJB on 09 Nov 2011
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162 Reviews
First Review by vegantommasina
Regina1803
Points +16
Sustainable Lifestyle - Edit
Wenn du das Leben in der Natur und in einer veganen, internationalen Community suchst, einen nachhaltige Lebensweise und Wiederaufforstung unterstützen möchtest, dann ist Sadhana Forest der richtige Ort für dich. Ich nehme viele neue Freundschaften und jede Menge gute Erfahrungen mit, ich komme ganz sicher wieder.
Read morePros: Veganes Essen, Nachhaltigkeit
Guest
TabG
Points +20
Highly recommended - Edit
Das Essen hier ist 100% vegan, unverarbeitet, frisch, gesund und absolut lecker. Es wird stets darauf geachtet, dass man alles Notwendige über die drei Mahlzeiten pro Tag zu sich nimmt.
Read moreDas gemeinsame Essen in der Main Hut ist schön, kostenlos und alle sind willkommen!
Guest
kiirstenliittle
Points +16
Sadhana Forest - Edit
The food was amazingly fresh, homemade, healthy and organic
Read moreYou get a variety of delicious plant-based food that gives you all of the nutrients you need
The community is a beautiful place to eat in as well
Guest
asharuby
Points +36
Delicious food and a conscious community - Edit
My experience at Sadhana Forest has been wonderful! The community of volunteers is very strong, kind and generous. Eating delicious vegan meals together was a favourite part of my day, and rewarding especially rewarding after volunteer work. The food is entirely vegan, clean and delicious!
Read moreGuest
DaneshBollu
Points +15
Living in a forest - Edit
Coming to sadhana forest was something that I gifted myself with. This place offered me much more than just an forest experience. I came with a list of things to learn starting from reforestation, water conservation, sustainable lifestyle, living in a community and to name a few. I liked the non-judgemental environment that is offered by the place and people. It made me feel very connected to the nature and for that I'm very grateful. The conversations and people had a huge impact in my pursuit of purpose. This place offered me to channelize my thoughts and give a direction to venture out into the unknown with my recharged self and disconnected beliefs.
Read moreGuest
OrlaneLemeille
Points +20
Sadhana forest experience - Edit
My experience in Sadhana was great overall, living in the forest for 10 days away from the city and in a vegan friendly environment was amazing. I really loved that.
Read moreIt is also a great family friendly environment. The long-term volunteers are always available to answer questions and help if needed.
You help around the forest for around 5 hours per day in the morning (+2 afternoons a week) and you get accomodation in private hut for couples and families, or in dormitories for single travelers. You also get three big vegan meals a day: big breakfast with fruits, lunch and dinner.
Food is wholemeal, unprocessed, easy to digest and they serve big portions.
I also learned how to cook vegan recipes when I was helping out in the kitchen during seva (selfless service).
Beside that, I met incredible people there that I will definitely keep as friends.
Guest
Mattfriedman
Points +16
Free meals in beautiful volunteer community - Edit
Sadhana Forest is a beautiful community. Everyone who comes here seems to be, almost by default, interesting, compassionate people. I'm leaving here with a very full cup, and some heightened aspirations for my life. Go for a vegan meal and a tour, or better yet stay and volunteer!
Read morePros: Super friendly, Alternative lifestyle, Sustainable
Guest
Nausicaainthemountain
Points +20
커뮤니티의 길을 탐색하는 시도 - Edit
대안을 실험하는 일은 언제나 어렵다. 없는 길을 가는 것이기에. 오랜 시간 초심을 잃고 지속하는 것도 쉽지 않은 일이다. 그런데 이렇게 오랜 시간 초심을 잃지 않고 지속해가면서 이만큼 많은 사람들이 드나들고 있다는 것 자체로 의미가 깊다고 생각한다.
Read more아침과 오전에 세바를 하고, 오후에 자유로운 시간과 다양한 커뮤니티 활동을 하는 하루 일과의 구성이 좋다. 다양한 사람들을 만날 기회를 가지면서도, 사다나의 본래 목적을 한 발짝 한 발짝 꾸준히 실현해가는 지속가능한 방식이라고 생각한다.
처음에는 딱딱하고 엄격한 제지가 조금 당혹스럽기도 하였으나, 시간이 지날 수록 왜 이러한 규칙이 있는지 이해하게 되었다.
장기봉사자가 있기는 하지만, 대다수는 8일에서 20일, 길어도 6개월에서 1년 정도 머물기에, 이러한 방식으로 정말 마을을 이루고 살아가기 위해서는 어떻게 해야할까 고민이 든다.
일반적인 여행에서는 이만큼이나 많은 사람들과 교류할 수 없다. 그것이 이곳의 가장 큰 매력인 것 같다. 영어가 유창하지 못하더라도, 함께 땀 흘리고 일하면서 마음을 나누게 된다.
Pros: 다양한 사람을 만날 수 있는 것 , 몸을 움직여 일하는 것 , 균형잡힌 스케줄
Guest
utsav_mtk
Points +22
Food, Sadhana Forest and it's People - Edit
The food here is oil-free, plant-based and wholesome. Eating here and doing the kitchen seva has broken so many bubbles for me on how easy it is to eat clean. A volunteer wrote "Let there be more forests to grow people." and this for me is an apt definition for Sadhana Forest and it's people. This is not really an easy holiday, the sevas are very intense, there is so much work that on somedays it can push you beyond your comfort zones. It takes a lot to grow and maintain a forest, and at the end of the day, in sweaty t-shirts, getting through another day feels very cathartic... I come back to this place every few months, and every single time, I meet amazing people. Dear reader, if you feel like you want to connect with people who are challenging the system and showing us a way of sustainability, and of kindness to everyone we share this planet with, then this is the place for you.
Read morePros: Clean and nutritious food, Lots of people who eat clean
Cons: Growing a forest is hard, some days are very long.
Guest
Franky93
Points +86
Super - Edit
Super repas bon et équilibrée, bon pour la santé. Je suis resté deux semaines en tant que bénévole et je me suis regalé tous les jours
Read morePros: Gout, Healthy , Riche en protéine
Guest
VaniGarg
Points +16
The most spectacular vegan food - Edit
The simplest and tastiest vegan food is at Sadhana Forest. People from diverse backgrounds cook vegan food here. For this reason, I enjoyed not only Indian cuisine, but also Italian and many others. The dessert on Fridays and other special days is something I looked forward to all the time. Moreover, the vegan tea hut from Monday to Friday is the most chill place for me here.
Read morePros: Excellent people, Tasty food, Beautiful heart warming vibes
Cons: They only serve non caffienated tea, They serve non-spicy food
Guest
SurajPratapSingh
Points +16
The Journey towards change and engagement. - Edit
On the 14th of November, 2023, I was fortunate enough to begin an inspiring journey in Sadhana Forest, a wonderful vegan community that magically filled 36 days, precisely 3,110,400 seconds, of my existence with extraordinary experiences. This community, loaded with the essence of acceptance and altruism, enveloped me in their arms and offered unfathomable love, rendering my stay in this idyllic sanctuary simply phenomenal.
Read moreVenturing into this journey, I had the exceptional chance of participating in the illustrious Plant 4 India fellowship program that the forest offered. The opportunity not only ushered me into a world of learning but also gave me the privilege to bring about a positive impact on this green community. This whole experience has been significant in shaping my perspective towards life and strengthening my commitment towards veganism.
In the realm of this amazing odyssey, today marked a day of double joy. It was not just the commemorative birthday of Sadhana Forest, but also the day of celebrating the loving union of long-term volunteers, Abhilash and Sandhaya. Participating in these celebrations, reveling in the festive spirits of the community, and imbuing myself into these delightful moments has left some indelible footprints in my heart.
In conclusion, my stay at Sadhana Forest has been a blend of many stirring emotions, learnings, and heartening experiences. These moments have enriched me, teaching me the importance of community living, organic food cultivation and highlighting the beauty of the place where kindness and love are the only currencies. I look forward with eagerness to the remainder of my days in this forest, and to all the invaluable lessons that await me in this sustainable paradise.
Pros: Excellent food, Good Value, Nice vibe
Cons: NA, NA, NA
Guest
NaurasIndori
Points +17
Brilliant reforestation efforts with delicious vegan food served - Edit
The extent of the work being done on reforestation of the arid, dry landscape is phenomenal. Would recommend Sadhana Forest to Naturalists, bird watchers, vegans and anyone who enjoys spending time in Nature and with people from varied cultures, languages!
Read moreHealthy whole food plant based diet space! Perfect place for vegans!
Pros: Food, Forest, Mud pool
Guest
sanjanabalakrishnan
Points +21
Sadhana forest experience - Edit
Sadhana Forest to me is a home with open doors. A sustainable vegan community with warm hearts and an intention to engineer compassion in every thought process. Volunteers from all over the world visit and the meals are completely unprocessed, vegan food that will make you crave for a second and also third serving!
Read moreVegan travellers would definitely enjoy the food at Sadhana forest.
Pros: Unprocessed food, Delicious , Free for visitors
Guest
AmerthiyaSen
Points +16
My 6 months in Sadhana Forest: - Edit
Sadhana forest is one of the best vegan communities I have ever lived, had a delicious vegan meals in sadhana, and had a best coconut tea in tea hut sadhana
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-09-20
Pros: Great place, Nature, Compassion
Guest
Vans1801
Points +20
Growth and Learning - Edit
When I first arrived in Sadhana Forest, I knew I was in for a truly unique experience. I have been curious about learning more about sustainable living and veganism, Sadhana Forest felt like the best place to be. This is my first time living in a community and it has been amazing staying with like-minded people who are very open and accepting.
Read moreThe meal preparation and dining are one of my favorite experiences. In the community, we cook meals together and everyone would sit down to eat together as a family. My first meal at Sadhana Forest felt very welcoming as when you sit for the meal first time, the community welcomes you and accepts you with open hearts. The food here is very delicious, healthy, and organically sourced. The community does not use any processed food and is 100% vegan.
Pros: 100% Vegan Diet, Sustainable Living , Living in the nature
Guest
LaraRadmacher
Points +20
Amazing experience - Edit
I stayed in Sadhana forest for 2 weeks and felt very great. They are a 100% vegan community only using unprocessed products. Everyone who stays here gets a regular opportunity to cook lunch dinner or breakfast and I got to know a lot about new ways of cooking. The community passionately supports veganism and shares about benefits and the impact of a vegan lifestyle. A great experience to widen our horizon, both for vegan and non vegan people
Read moreGuest
Pranitha
Points +17
Excellent - Edit
I'm a 19 year old, who came to Sadhana Forest with one of my friends as a volunteer and I met lot of people from different backgrounds and ages!
Read moreAll the days of my stay here, I did activities while being mindful and calm. I could notice that I became a very interactive person and was patient enough. It is a really great place and the people here are welcoming.
I liked the vegan alternatives that they made here. The food was good for everyone, it has very little oil and salt. And we had volunteers from different states to cook their own dish
Pros: Whole food based diet, Little salt and oil, Vegan
Guest
SaathvikaJali
Points +17
Wholesome and delicious vegan food - Edit
Sadhana forest is a forest tucked away in Auroville. This community practices veganism and all the food served here is sourced from local farms and cooked by the community volunteers.
Read moreThe food is simple, delicious and heartwarming. The food here is organic, and not processed (eg: brown/read rice instead of white rice and jaggery in place of refined sugar).
I volunteered here for 4 days and mainly did kitchen seva and I can confirm that there is very strict hygiene maintained here and the food is made with a lot of love, so do come and try the food here, you'll love it!
Pros: Whole food, minimal oil , Plenty of fresh fruits , Meals where the whole community Sits down and eats
Guest
ThibaudHamel
Points +20
Mind opening experience - Edit
I heard about this place a long time ago, and was finally able to come volunteer a few months ago. I was expecting a lot, and yet I wasn't prepared for all that I experienced here.
Read moreThe most incredible thing about this place in my opinion is the community. Living with people who all share the same values, are here for each other in the most compassionate way possible, and all striving for the same purpose is the one thing that was truly missing from my life before.
The concept of gift economy was also something that made me see the world in a different way. Giving to others without expecting anything in return, knowing that everything in this life is available in abundance and using that abundance to spread as much love as possible.
That abundance is also reflected in the food. Everything is obviously vegan, and given to anyone willing to join us for a meal, even as a visitor. Everything is unprocessed, except for a very small amount of oil. We have to accomodate for most people's taste, so the food isn't as spicy as you would expect in India, but everything is amazing, varied, and of course, local.
The second best thing is nature. Living here is not living in nature, it is being a part of nature, just as much as any other animal living in this forest. You can directly see the consequences of every action. Every action helps in making the forest greener, denser and full of life. We are nature, and nature is all around us.
I would recommend this place to every single human being on Earth. Some of it could be hard to get used to for some people, but the positives are so overwhelmingly amazing that stepping out of your comfort zone to come here would be worth it. Simply a life changing experience.
Guest
DivyaVC
Points +20
A community of vegan people - Edit
The vegan food here is delicious and this place creates awareness about the food that goes into our stomach, the carbon footprint that is created for producing the food.
Read moreThe people in this community support veganism and work towards a total vegan lifestyle. The food is very light on stomach and is healthy and tasty.
Pros: Whole food based diet, No processed food, Vegan friendly
Guest
dhruvi0007
Points +18
Tranquil experience - Edit
I’ve know about this selfless pocket of green for a long time but to actually experience it in person is like eden.
Read moreThe serenity of the forest washes over you, inspiring you to be the best version of yourself. Growth Is a corner stone of Sadhana Forest.
Personally, the city life just got too overwhelming and I needed a space to escape to which would allow me to self reflect and grow. This community, their ideology, and my interactions with like minded people and the forest itself really helped facilitate this.
To be a part of nature in such an intrinsic way, and to give back to the community and forest felt transformative.
Apart from the self development, to really feel part of a community (even within the short span I was here) and work towards something so much bigger feels really fulfilling and nourishing to the soul.
Coming here was a truly transformative process for me and I would urge everyone to visit at least once in their life.
Pros: Eco-friendly, Sustainable , Commune living
Guest
HarikaChavan
Points +10
My journey to enlightenment - Edit
Read moreSadhana Forest has been an awakening to the absolute truth of conscious living, which created such an incredible sense of awe within me.
Here, I get to awaken my senses and use my eyes and ears to see the raw beauty of nature and to listen to the sounds of native wildlife and experience it by living in the present.
This creates such a sensation of amazement throughout your day and it gets your adrenaline pumping by doing seva.
I also got to eat some delicious, home cooked vegan meals. It was my first time trying a vegan diet, that too one where only whole foods are used and very very little oil is used for cooking. It was super healthy and I’ve realised it’s much easier to be vegan than I thought.
One learns how to actually live their life to the fullest. This is something that I have always looked forward to, and now I have found a place where I can give all of me to Mother Nature.
Guest
LasyaKilaparti
Points +15
Place to un-learn and learn - Edit
At Sadhana you get to experience life at its purest form. I have always wanted to learn and understand the ways of living sustainably and with all of the constraints in a city life, I wasn’t very happy with the lifestyle I was leading. Sadhana has
Read moretaught me so many ways of making green choices while un-learning all the non-sustainable lifestyle choices that I had consciously and unconsciously made.
Life at Sadhana is very grounded. You work for yourself, community and the nature. I wish to visit Sadhana again and contribute more towards projecting and nurturing nature.
Guest
MarialunaWengorovius
Points +13
An immersion into sustainable living - Edit
Sadhana Forest was an amazing and unique experience where I got the chance to deepen my knowledge regarding sustainable living and also be surrounded by the kindness & wisdom of so many like minded people! The food is a dream and the community is based is amazing values such as non violence, compassion, gift economy and non competition. I think I’ll definitely continue to follow a vegan diet! The food was unbelievable good and made with so much love and care.
Read moreI highly recommend to anyone interested in reconnecting back to Mother Earth and nourish it in a regenerative and sustainable way. I know I’ll be back for sure eventually one day and I’m so grateful that I had this experience.
Guest
Ananya_ad234
Points +10
Vegan food at Sadhana Forest - Edit
Sadhana forest offers good nutritious vegan food options. For breakfast you get a lot of fruits along with millet or poha. Lunches and dinners include salads along with veggies and rice.
Read morePros: Nature, Sustainability, Alternative lifestyle
Cons: Comfort, Climate, Sevas can get physically challenging
Guest
TanaySingh
Points +17
No Cream, All Crop - Edit
Great setting for transitioning to and practicing veganism. There's a new menu everyday and no lack of variety. The diet is purely plant-based with organic substitutes for most processed foods, promoting the local economy.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-05-11
Pros: Living in harmony with nature, Refreshing mud pond, Good vegan food
Cons: Disconnect from outside world, Limited access to technology
Guest
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