Visit to the Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was a spontaneous trip. Basically, our plane was stopping there so my friend Christine and I  thought we should check it out. So glad we did as it’s an incredible country that was different from all the others I had been to so far.

Tourism is still relatively new in Sri Lanka so you have this unique mix of graciousness and wanting you to have a good time coupled with some uncomfortable hospitality as things aren’t quite what you are used to. Plus, some of the “attractions” are more makeshift than commercialized.

I sort of like it this way. You feel like it’s good people wanting to show you their country in a good way. You just have to be open to some of the randomness that will undoubtedly happen along the way, and if you are lucky, you will get to try some of the best curry ever  (It's not like Indian curry as they use different spices.  It's hot and sweet and just delicious).

The elephants aren't caged. The leaves make a natural fence. The elephants stay where there is food.

While there, you should probably check out the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. It's well organized and an interesting experience as the elephants aren’t caged. They naturally stop where they run out of vegetation – and the visitors aren’t foolish enough to chase after them. It’s great when respect for the animals is there as you don’t need fences to keep people safe – just common sense.

The orphanage is a combination of a nursery, breeding ground and sanctuary of wild Asian elephants living the area. It’s famous for having the largest herd of captive elephants in the world (they have over 100). It’s located northwest of Kegalle about halfway between Colombo and Kandy. You'll be able to feed the elephants, watch them take a bath and get some really good closeups.  

There are over 3,000 elephants living in the wild in Sri Lanka and what’s interesting is that the country is trying to figure out a way for elephants and humans to live together. As you can imagine, as civilization expands and takes over the jungle areas, the elephants are forced to be closer to the cities – and while I think they are adorable, they are destructive and eat a lot.

 So far no sustainable solution has been found, but I like that the government is trying to come up with something.