Yes, it's a tourist trap. But, from the view point of a 11 year old, it's not everyday you get to stand next to an elephant herd, feed a plantains to a baby elephant, get to touch a baby elephant and it's mother and watch the herd go down to the river for their twice a day bath time. There is some valid criticism of the "orphanage" ... everything from, "they are allowing breeding to take place" to "there's too much contact with humans" ... Indeed, though many of those criticisms are valid, the elephants are well treated, and it is a good foreign exchange earner for the country. Locals get in for free, while foreigners pay a decent entrance fee. Discriminatory yes, but fair when you consider the income distribution between locals and foreigners. We
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