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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.
221 Reviews
First Review by vegantommasina
Adelepcd
Points +16
Enjoy a vegan meal - Edit
You can come to Sadhana Forest to enjoy a free vegan meal with all the community! There is only good vibes, and sometimes music! It’s a beautiful place where you can meet a lot of nice people, and the meal is made with love!
Read moreGuest
OlgaMontoya
Points +16
Yummy Vegan Food at no cost - Edit
The food is delicious, cooked fresh for every meal with local, non processed and organic ingredients by volunteers from all over the world, so chances are that you will get different types of cuisines during the same meal and all of this free of charge !!!!
Read moreGuest
ShubhenduDasgupta
Points +16
Amazing vegan food - Edit
I'm amazed to see the gifts that this place gives to anyone who comes as a visitor or a volunteer, one of them being a great variety of non-processed foods.
Read moreGuest
AuréliaFontaine
Points +11
Join the Forest for a meal ! - Edit
You are welcome to join Sadhana Forest for a free vegan meal at any time and enjoy the proximity of nature as well as meeting the volunteers for a great experience !
Read morePros: Great food, Amazing volunteers, Nice vibe
Guest
Hortensephp
Points +11
Des plats délicieux - Edit
C'était la première fois que je mangeais des plats végan et j'ai vraiment apprécié. Vous pouvez venir goûter des repas quand vous voulez et gratuitement. Sadhana forest est un lieu idéal pour partager les valeurs autour du véganisme.
Read morePros: Très bon, Super équipe, Bon pour l'environnement
Cons: Parfois trop de féculents
Guest
LorenzoMirandola
Points +13
Delicious vegan food - Edit
I spent a few weeks in Sadhana Forest while volunteering in the reforestation project and doing other activities. One of the best part of the day was sitting all together to share a meal, at least sixty people eating together delicious southern indian dishes along with other specialities. I highly recommend checking out the place if you're in the area, it's free based on gift economy. You're welcome to share a meal, the volunteers will be happy to tell you more about the place.
Read morePros: Eccellent food, As many seconds and thirds as you want, All the bananas your heart desires
Guest
Traveller3492
Points +20
A fully sustainable, off the grid lifestyle - Edit
A group of kind, welcoming people, living a simple life in nature.
Read moreGreat place for raising one's consciousness and going back to basics; educating oneself about ecology, and of course living fully vegan!
Planting trees, cooking over a wood stove, cutting firewood. Important work on restoring an almost-extinct piece of indigenous tropical forest in India.
Some things that are nice about Sadhana Forest, are that it's neither connected to the Tamil Nadu power grid, nor water supply or sewage. Energy independence is achieved through solar power, and the place uses local well water which is purified for drinking. This also means that waste is processed or reused locally.
I recommend it to anyone wishing to feel close to nature, and to live without cruelty to animals. Giving Sadhana Forest a couple weeks is absolutely worth it. One thing to keep in mind: This is a place where often you work hard before 12 noon! Part of living a simple life.
Bonus: try a free indian sweet at the chai hut. or stop by for a generous saturday night meal.
Pros: Solar power sustainability, Veganism, Living in nature
Cons: 5:15 am wakeup call every morning
Guest
SuvarnaRasal
Points +19
Amazing, wonderful, beautiful and lovely place - Edit
For me Sadhana forest is Heavan on the Earth. The space is fullll of love, compassion and highly energetic people. However one should spend minimum two weeks to really feel the energy, love and compassion. Very important suggestion don't leave the space without meeting Aviram and Yorit the founder of the this lovely places.
Read moreGuest
Vita2040
Points +16
Feeding the heart and belly - Edit
I really loved the values and big heart of this place. A lot of 'free' restaurants pressure you to make a donation, but the community here really didn't expect any such thing and were just happy to have guests with whom to share their meal. I was so touched by their generosity and kindness.
Read moreThe ambience felt very home-like, and the food likewise felt wholesome and good for the soul, not just the body. I didn't know that vegan food could be so hearty and filling - I left with a feeling of fullness and deep satisfaction.
Pros: Completely free, Wholesome and filling food, Warm community feeling
Cons: Not very easy to find
Guest
Chloésadhana
Points +11
Vegan community - Edit
Merveilleuse opportunité de vivre dans cette communauté vegan, de manger local, bio et fermier
Read moreGuest
MysocialNetworking
Points +13
Best vegan community - Edit
Biggest vegan community in the whole world
Read moreServes the best jack fruits which is grown inside the forest
The best thing I like is the vegan ice cream and also people come from different background and countries so we get an opportunity of trying various vegan dishes at Sadhana Forest
Pros: Sustainable living , Reforestation , Water conservation
Cons: You tend to change and become nice
Guest
GeeZee
Points +452
Vegan Garden of Eden - Edit
Vegan paradise! Seriously! Sadhana Forest is the garden of Eden and a must for Vegan travelers.
Read morePros: The pinnacle of Vegan community , Vegan food, people, practices and community; 100%
Cons: So amazing that you may never want to leave
Guest
RichardRoy
Points +25
Food for the body and the soul - Edit
Highly recommended if you're in the Pondicherry/Auroville area!
Read moreSadhana Forest is at its core a community whose central driving force is compassion. Compassion towards the planet and all its inhabitants - through the reforestation efforts and in everyday life. The fact that vegan food is served here is entirely a natural consequence of this decision.
The food is prepared by the community and the variations in cuisine are a reflection of the multicultural environment here. The kitchen is capable of serving well over 200 individuals, as is common on the weekly visits of individuals from Auroville (along with the tour and the film screening- all of which are offered as a gift from the community).
To be able to prepare delicious and nutritious food consistently and in such large volumes to cater to the various tastes of all who visit or stay here is no mean feat and is quite a commendable accomplishment. Additionally, the kitchen accommodates persons on specific diets (Jain diets or raw food) or with allergies and prepares wholesome meals around such restrictions.
Oh, also, the food, like everything else at Sadhana Forest, is offered as a gift to all who pass by and are curious to see what life is like in a compassionate community!
Pros: Delicious and nutritious food, Diverse cuisines and welcoming community, Abundant proportions for residents and guests
Guest
georgegeorge
Points +22
Not just a meal out but an experience - Edit
Nutritiously dense, colourful and tasty food, enjoyed in a wonderfully friendly community. It’s hard to find a peaceful setting like this to enjoy your food. Oh, and it’s free!
Read morePros: Free!, Great company, No menu, so every meal is a surprise
Guest
LukeMarsh
Points +16
Vegan Kitchen! - Edit
For a vegan kitchen that produces hundreds to thousands of meals a week, the standard of food is really high. Having a kitchen run by volunteers from different countries is a really nice experience where everyone puts a different spin on their food.
Read morePros: Best Vegan food, Lots of Vegan food, Vegan food with lots of great people
Cons: There are only 3 Sadhana Forests
Guest
TinaFleurYoga
Points +20
Excellent meals in Sadhana Forest - Edit
I stayed in Sadhana Forest for 2 week, and enjoy every single meal. Vegan, local with an international touch, organic and non-processed ingredients... I highly recommand to come and share a meal... and much more !
Read moreTina, from France.
Guest
tanirothman
Points +16
Great vegan food at an amazing project! - Edit
First of all the food is amazing, sokuch veriaty and flavours and comepletly vegan! Cant stop eating..
Read moreAlso if you are looking for an experiece that is in nature, ecological, vegan, community, volunteer, and beautiful people (and as i wrote amazing food) you should come to this place!
Guest
LookItsBr00ke
Points +20
Love! - Edit
We are changing the world!
Read morePros: Animals!, Community!, Healing the Earth!
Guest
Alexks32
Points +11
Yummy and filling - Edit
The food was great and tasty. Never having tried much vegan food before I was unsure of what to expect. However I found the food delicious and was enough to fill me up. Defintely some vegan recipes I'm going to take with me and use in my daily life.
Read morePros: Plenty of food, Delicious, Fresh
Guest
RavenFarhadTohidi
Points +15
:Joyous-journey - Edit
[Many thanks to the Sadhana-forest team for welcoming me and considering me as part of the family.
Read moreAwesome place for connecting to nature, planting trees, eating amazing vegan food, meeting loving people, and much playing.
My deep love and gratitude ]
Pros: loving and happy team, living in natural housing, eating many amazing vegan meals
Guest
tomatosmoothie
Points +18
Awesomesauce! - Edit
Best place ever. If your vegan and love life. Come down here and be a part of the forest.
Read morePros: Vegan food, Simplistic living, Community
Guest
GautierLTU
Points +20
Vegan dream comes true - Edit
Vegan, eco-responsible and resiliant. Not only a restaurant, but an entire village dedicated to a natural lifestyle. A must.
Read morePros: Food, People, Village
Guest
cassiebarba
Points +16
I love this place!!! - Edit
Sadhana forest is an experience that everyone should have. The environment is so loving and welcoming and positive. The food is incredible.... 3 vegan meals every day Monday through Friday, two meals Saturday and Sunday. There is also no processed food there. They support local, are totally zero waste and are doing so much for the environment. I highly suggest to experience this place!!!
Read morePros: Environmentally friendly. , Incredible vegan food, No processed food
Guest
Sweettooth!
Points +45
Vegan Dream Come True!!!!! - Edit
Sadhana Forest is a vegan's dream come true! This must be the biggest vegan volunteer organization in the world and I wished I would've known earlier about this place! The food that is served by the community is 100 % vegan - for the environment, for animals and for us humans of this planet! And since every meal is prepared with local, organic, whole food ingredients and lots of LOVE, you get to eat tasty healthy vegan food😄I truly cannot recommend Sadhana Forest enough! If you're vegan already or interested in veganism, check this place out! It is full of beautiful souls :)
Read moreGuest
jasonfloats
Points +178
Great! - Edit
This place is wonderful! People are amazing and food is wonderful! Great proportion especially for the low low price of FREE! Thanks so much Sadhana😌❤️
Read moreGuest
Dirk1338
Points +16
Best vegan place around - Edit
The community has awesome vegan food. You can come on an Friday evening to the eco film club and a tour around the community and enjoy a great vegan meal after the movie, all for free!
Read morePros: Vegan, organic and local food, raw vegan option for volunteers
Guest
RiyaParikh
Points +15
May the Forest be with you. - Edit
A community growing a forest and growing in itself along with the forest!
Read morePros: Vegan, Open Minded Community , Great for Children!
Guest
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