Cross another one off The List!
We didn’t know much about the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage until we actually arrived in Sri Lanka and started asking around. Apparently, what once started as a legitimate orphanage for injured, abused, and abandoned elephants, has since turned into more of a money making amusement park for tourists. At a whopping $20 US entry fee, you don’t really get much in return other than admission. Staying true to the idea of the place being an orphanage, your $20 is said to support elephant rehabilitation. That’s up for debate though.
Want to feed an elephant? Expect to tip a mahout.
Want a photo with an elephant? Expect to tip a mahout.
Want to touch an elephant? Expect to tip a mahout.
Want to ride an elephant? Go to Millennium Elephant Foundation instead.
After reading all of this, you might be asking why we included this place and experience on our list of things to do while we’re alive? Well…we had heard that it was an absolutely remarkable place to witness 40-50 elephants of all ages bathe together in as natural a setting possible without actually being in the “wild”! So, when every local we met tried to convince us to go to Millennium instead (so we could ride, feed, and touch the elephants), we politely declined and carried on with our original plans.
Disappointed we were not!! We’ve ridden elephants before, touched them, fed them, and even been massaged by them. For us, this experience was truly about just sitting and watching 47 elephants interact together in one of the most beautiful places imaginable!
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