Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

The World's Largest Captive Elephant Herd

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 on a 25-acre coconut plantation beside the Maha Oya river. Originally set up to care for orphaned elephant calves found in the wild, it has grown into a breeding programme housing over 80 Asian elephants — the largest captive herd anywhere in the world.

What to See and Do

The undoubted highlight is the twice-daily river bath, when the entire herd is walked through the village streets to the Maha Oya river. Watching dozens of elephants splashing and playing in the water is an unforgettable experience. The morning feeding session around 9:15 AM lets visitors watch baby elephants being bottle-fed with milk. An elephant dung paper factory near the orphanage produces handmade paper from elephant dung fibre — an unusual but popular souvenir stop.

Visitor Information

The orphanage is open daily from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. River bathing takes place from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Foreign adult entry is approximately LKR 3,500 (prices may change). Arrive early to secure a good viewing spot at the river. Several restaurants along the river bank offer lunch with elephant-watching views.

Getting There

Pinnawala is located about 90 kilometres east of Colombo, near the town of Kegalle on the Colombo-Kandy road. The journey takes approximately 2 hours by car. Regular buses run from Colombo and Kandy to Kegalle, from where local buses or tuk-tuks reach Pinnawala. It makes an ideal stopover when travelling between Colombo and Kandy.