Witness the most majestic mammal in the wild; discover wild elephants in Sri Lanka on an epic safari! There are over 15 national parks in Sri Lanka with wild elephants — each with its own unique charm. We believe this is the most ethical way to see animals, instead of seeing them in captivity in immoral ‘sanctuaries’ like Pinnawala. Avoid these tourist attractions and discover our favorite national parks in this complete guide, which includes information on tickets and tours.
Where to See Wild Elephants in Sri Lanka
Seeing elephants in the wild is one of our most memorable experiences! There is a massive population of elephants in Sri Lanka, but unfortunately, many are captive in tourist attractions.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is one of the popular places, advertising itself as somewhere that cares for and protects elephants. Unfortunately, the reality is that the staff do not treat the animals well here. Instead, we recommend seeing these beautiful creatures in the wild by visiting the many incredible national parks in Sri Lanka.
4 x Best National Parks to See Elephants in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, there are many national parks where you can see wild elephants. Even better, with some, you don’t even have to enter the park itself. For example, near Yala, the elephants pass along the main road in the early morning or late afternoon.
Read on to discover our favorite places to see elephants in Sri Lanka, including tickets and information on how to visit.
1. Kaudulla National Park
Kaudulla is the unknown little brother of Minneriya National Park, and one of our absolute must-sees! This beautiful national park hosts over 250 wild elephants, and the chance of seeing more than five elephants is really high.
How to visit: You can find Kaudulla near Sigiriya, meaning you can easily combine this destination with your 3-week route through Sri Lanka. Here is everything you need to know about visiting Kaudulla, Best National Park in Sri Lanka.
2. Yala National Park
Yala is the most famous park in Sri Lanka, and that’s not without reason! The area covers a big part of the South-East coast, which means a greater chance to spot elephants in the wild!
Every time we’ve visited, we’ve been lucky enough to see elephants here; we also saw a leopard, which was magical. See tickets and availability for a safari tour to Yala National Park.
Read: Find out everything you need to know about Glamping in Yala National Park with this complete travel guide.
3. Minneriya National Park
Near Kaudulla, discover the popular national park of Minneriya. You can find many animals here, from wild elephants to leopards and water buffalo. This park is famed for the ‘elephant gathering‘, an incredible natural phenomenon where hundreds of elephants unite during the dry season.
Note: Although we haven’t seen this ourselves, we’ve heard it’s unforgettable to witness this number of elephants in the wild together!
4. Udawalawe National Park
If you’re staying in Ella, we recommend visiting the beautiful Udawalawe National Park. You’ll have the opportunity to see parrots, deer, buffalo, monkeys, and of course, elephants. There are over 400 elephants here!
How to visit: From Ella, it’s around a 2-hour drive to Udawalawe. However, it’s easy enough to do in a day if you book a tour from your accommodation. Alternatively, book a private driver who takes you to the edge of the national park and join your safari from there.
Is Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Ethical?
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is beautiful in the photos on social media; influencers often promote this ‘sanctuary’, but the reality is very different. Like many other tourists, we were led to believe that this was an ethical experience, where we’d get to see staff bathing and caring for rescued elephants.
We couldn’t have been more shocked at what we saw. The local people walked the elephants out of town, chained, into the river, where they attached them to rings on the rocks. The hope is that tourists won’t see this, as the chains and rings are hidden under the water’s surface at high tide. However, that day was a low tide, and we could see everything.
We noticed that as the staff were washing the elephants, they looked extremely scared. We realized that this is because the staff hit them with sticks. Later, they also hung their body weight on their ears to get them to kneel in the water.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is not a sanctuary; they have a completely unnecessary breeding program for elephants. Instead of being released into the wild, they are kept to serve as a tourist attraction.
Please, please, please DO NOT support this. You can easily find more evidence of the situation on Instagram; just look closely. We urge you to see wild elephants in Sri Lanka on a safari — living and socialising in packs among the beautiful nature, just as they should be.
By purchasing through our links, you support us at no additional cost.
Thank you for your support. ♥️
- Find Hotels via Booking.com
- Find a Rental Car via Sunny Cars
- Find Flights to Sri Lanka via Skyscanner
- Get a Travel Insurance via Heymondo
- Book Tours & Attractions via GetYourGuide
- Book a Bus/Train/Transfer via 12Go
Looking for more travel information? Plan a chat with us for personalised travel advice or get an answer from the Salt in our Hair Travel Community on Facebook.
This was an insightful read. Will share this with friends who are planning a trip soon.