Elephant Bathing in Kandy, Sri Lanka

by - 4/05/2023

When we travelled to Sri Lanka, our kids were really small. The younger one was 9 months while the elder one was just 5. Basically, they were not at the 'Remember anything ' age. However if there is something that has deeply impacted our elder one from that trip, it has to be the elephant interaction experience. And contrary to my own belief, even I too fondly cherish that first in our lives experience. 

I have empathy for all living beings in this world. I am a big plant mom but don't have any animal pets. However if I see any stray hungry, I will immediately feed it. So when we came to know about visiting the elephant orphanage, I wasn't sure what to expect. Will there be sick elephants? Baby orphan elephants or like what? However after our visit, I highly recommend it. Whether you are travelling with kids or adults only, this is going to be a lifetime experience. The one on one interaction will remain etched in your hearts forever.

The driver whom we had hired to take us to Kandy took us to Millennium Elephant Foundation. We didn't have much idea and later on we learned that Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is the largest and the oldest one in Sri Lanka. Anyways, not complaining as we had an incredible experience.

The foundation has 10 elephants as of 2019. This place was setup to rescue and care for captive Asian elephants in Sri Lanka. This place is spread over 15 acres and has 13 mahouts to take care of these giants. Of course a large number of foreign volunteers often offer their services.

The place starts with a museum of elephants and all the facts and data about these jumbos. There is a skeleton, which our elder one was scared of and a tooth which was challenging to pick up for her because of its weight. And then after gaining all the knowledge and information as to how to handle them, we proceeded to the most exciting part, bathing them!

There is a river flowing where this giants love to take a dip. We went absolutely close to one, her name was Pooja. Pooja was a 30 year old elephant and was the youngest in the foundation 😂

Initially very sceptical, the mahout eased us in our comfort zone into playing and interacting with Pooja. We scrubbed her with a coconut coir. Her skin was really tough, rough with thick hair; something which we had never imagined earlier. She filled water in her trunk and splashed all over. Our elder one got wet and was really angry. However, she soon became Norma because it was so much fun to bath her!

One thing I advise is to carry a second set of clothes when you are planning to go for elephant Bathing. You want to savour this incredible experience fully, which means you have to get down and dirty and wet! Definitely the most unforgettable moment from our Sri Lankan sojourn.

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 

This blog post is part of the blog challenge Blogaberry Dazzle hosted by Cindy DSilva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads' Cookhouse.

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17 comments

  1. My first close up experience with elephants was in Kaziranga. They can be so gentle. I would certainly like to see the elephants in Kandy also.

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  2. Wow! Just wow! I never had any interaction with elephants. Glad to know about so much info. Elephant Orphange and batging experience is really exciting. No wonder your 9 year old definitely remember this.

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  3. Your smiling face says it all, thanks for sharing the details. I love d way the elephants posed during the clicks, definitely it was looking for selfies 😁

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  4. When we has been to Coorg we had a similar experience at the Dubare elephant camp. I am also an animal lover and I hated it when we went for the elephant ride at Kerela so much that I started crying. But reading about your experience and seeing the happiness and playfulness you had with Pooja I am convinced this experience must have been amazing for you guys.

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  5. What fun this is with kids. Yu seem to have had a great time. We went to an elephant camp in Phuket and my grandson was happy while my daughter-in-law was thrilled as she loves elephants.

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  6. Srilanka Is always in my bucket list but will I be able do Elephant ride or Elephant bathing or not is still a question in my mind... But yes, the fun factors I cannot ignore. But I think I will give it a try if I visit Srilanka with my baby. Thanks for this beautiful post which is highly informative.

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  7. What an amazing experience it must have been Mandira, n since you claim that it is etched in your daughters memory fondly...it makes it all the more worthwhile. I can now relate better to yhe concept of adopting elephants after watching the Oscar winning documentary. Your little one was so little omg! I didn't travel with such a small baby... the only trips were to my hometown... hahaha... Kaveri

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  8. I have been to Dubbare Elephant camp in Coorg & visited one in Phuket Thailand as well. Though we visited Sri Lanka we didn't go to the camp as we travelled along the coastline to southern tip for whale watching

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  9. Elephant bathing wow that should be super fun your picture says about how the children enjoyed the experience and your tip of carrying a second set of clothes seems to be so thoughtful.

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  10. Sri Lanka is on our bucket list and I am definitely adding this to the itinerary. Seems like quite an experience. Lovely pics as always.

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  11. Zenobia Merchant9 April 2023 at 22:18

    This looks like so much fun. Is it similar to elephant bathing in Kerala? Extra change of clothes is so needed, I had got totally drenched after my elephant bathing activity.

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  12. Thank you for sharing your experience visiting the elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka! It's great to hear that the foundation is not only providing a safe and caring home for these captive Asian elephants but also educating visitors about these magnificent creatures. The museum sounds like a great place to start and it's wonderful that your elder child was able to overcome her fear and learn more about them. The opportunity to interact with and bathe the elephants must have been a truly unique and unforgettable experience.
    -Anjali

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  13. I'm glad you've brought your children to this place rather than those where tourists ride at them. Appreciate you sharing your amazing travel to Sri Lanka and how kids can be brought there and enjoy the trip as well.-MommyWithAGoal

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  14. I absolutely enjoy seeing your pics. Thanks for this post...wonderful experience must've been!

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  15. I love Sri Lanka and have always wanted to go to Kandy to do this! Def going to on my next trip!

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  16. That sounds like fun. Lovely pictures. We think the kids don't remember these trips when they are young but they do.

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  17. We bathed rescue elephants at the Dera Amer camp near Jaipur. Truly an unforgettable experience.
    Noor

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