During our trip from Negombo to Kandy, our tour guide proposed this visit. This government orphanage takes care of 20 elephants. Low entry fee, and you get to see the elephants up close. They have a great space to walk freely, and go to the river twice a day for their bath. Only for this walk, they get a chain (with cloth to protect the feet). In the water they get a real treat/scrub. The other elephants bathe freely. In the resort, the only “tourist- activity” is the possibility to feed them some fruit. If you want more tourist activities with the elephants, there is a private foundation held orphanage a bit farther. I suppose they are treated well there too, but probably with back-riding as a possibility.

Every time we visit Sri Lanka and if we travelling to Central Mountain area we visit the Orphanage since I love to watch elephants behaviors! However, I am not so happy to see them chained in the sanctuary where they should be free to be around. When I asked one of the caretakers, he said they will have freedom to go around from 08:00-16:00 hrs. after then only they will be chained until next morning! I do not know the truth of it! This time what I noticed from elephants behaviors which I never seen it i.e. when they want to scratch their head, back, feet, etc., they break a piece of palm tree from their food stock and make it as a form of a brush and then scratch! It was so funny to see when doing it! Also, noticed 1 elephant in a place, chained, alone was very nervous and make his trunk & ears constantly shaking very fast that made me in tears and in shock! I again asked a security person who was next to me why it is doing so, he said that elephant was doing so ever since it moved to the sanctuary! To me I feel he was not happy or nervous from whatever the condition he was in! Not sure exactly why, but heartbreaking to see it doing so!

Good place to watch, feed and bathe elephants. You can buy a ticket from the counter, different packages are available. We took the zoo and bathing pass for close to Rs 4000 per head. You can head over to the feeding area behing the counter. The washing timings are in the morning and day 1 pm to 4 pm. Washing is done on the other side after crossing the road. Friendly staff on the spot. They keep asking for tips in spite of the ticket price, your choice to give a tip or not! Lots of eateries around. Can buy elephant dung designed and handicrafts paper also on the route to the bathing area.

A nice experience to see elephants in a cluster, taking bath. I expected it to be in a sanctuary however it was easily accessible by tuk tuk. They gave a combined ticket for spice garden, zoo and elephant orphanage. If you have limited time in Sri Lanka, Spice garden tour can be taken as it’s very close by. However most of the spice gardens are commercial, as they aim for selling their Ayurvedic products, which are exorbitantly costly. Zoo was very very small but was beautiful. Overall good experience on the way to Kandy.

To share my recent visit to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the chance to get up close with elephants was undeniably fascinating, but my feelings about the experience are a bit mixed. The elephants' confined spaces and what seemed like a lack of consideration for their natural behaviors left me feeling uneasy about their well-being. As someone who values ethical animal tourism, it was disheartening. I genuinely believe there's room for improvement in making the environment more enriching for these incredible creatures while prioritizing their welfare. We, as travelers, play a crucial role in advocating for responsible tourism practices, and my hope is that Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage evolves to offer a more compassionate and educational experience for both visitors and elephants.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a good experience, clean and hygienic. You get to feed the elephants, get to touch them and even bathe them and play with the majestic animal. Asian Female elephants do not have tusks and the males do have tusks but they are removed for safety reasons. All in all, you can visit it. There are time slots for the activities of the elephants please go through them and then choose the time to visit.

The park is run by an government related organisation. It is in a good condition. Signs and information boards explain everything. There is also a chance to feed little elephants. The idea of this institution is good, although not everything might be done in the best way. Maybe some elephants suffer from too less space, but on the other hand, some of the elephants wouldn't have a chance to survive in the wild.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage offers a mesmerizing experience, especially during bathing time. It's heartwarming to witness the joy on your child's face as they interact with these majestic creatures. The opportunity to feed and bathe the elephants creates unforgettable memories. It's a must-visit destination for travelers seeking a meaningful and enriching experience with nature and wildlife

We witnessed Elephant bathing in River ! MUST WITNESS Once in LifeTime ... well organised. It is gr8 to see so many Elephant Babies & Adults enjoying themselves and bringing so much Joy to us ! You can watch this from 8.30 to 12.30 in mornings & again after 3.30

Went on a quick visit to the elephant orphanage. As well as paying for entry, we purchased the walking with an elephant, which we all loved, got to talk to the ranger, walk along side the elephant and touch here, with plenty of great photo ops. This was the highlight. We did feel the entry fee was way overpriced and if we did not purchase the tour it would have been disappointing and not value for what we paid. Given 4 stars for the walk with the elephant experience.