Pinnawala

Pinnawela - Day trip to Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage

A chance for you to see the elephants at close reach watches them being fed and taking bath in the river. We will pick you up either in the morning or afternoon and drive you Pinnawala Elephant orphanage. It's the world's first elephant orphanage established to feed, nurse and house young elephants lost or abandoned. Visitors at the orphanage could see the baby elephants being fed milk from gigantic feeding bottles, definitely an unforgettable sight! The sanctuary is spread over 25 acres of lush forest with a wide river flowing through it. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is home to more than 60 elephants at present that roam around freely.

If you are visiting the orphanage timing is very important because then you can watch the Elephant procession to the river, see them bath and bottle feed baby Elephants without spending too much time at the sanctuary. This is the time table last time I visited but it is subject to change

TimeActivity
08.30 AMOpening time, Visitors can start entering.
09.15 AMBottle feeding baby Elephants.
10.00 AMBath time, Going to the River.
12.00 AMHerd returns to the orphanage, the larger ones are fed.
01.15 PMThe baby elephants are bottle fed again.
02.00 PMThe herd again leaves for the river.
04.00 PMHerd returns from the river.
05.00 PMBottle feeding of Baby Elephants.
06.00 PMClosing Time.

A chance for you to see the elephants at close reach watches them being fed and taking bath in the river. We will pick you up either in the morning or afternoon and drive you Pinnawala Elephant orphanage. It's the world's first elephant orphanage established to feed, nurse and house young elephants lost or abandoned. Visitors at the orphanage could see the baby elephants being fed milk from gigantic feeding bottles, definitely an unforgettable sight! The sanctuary is spread over 25 acres of lush forest with a wide river flowing through it. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is home to more than 60 elephants at present that roam around freely.

If you are visiting the orphanage timing is very important because then you can watch the Elephant procession to the river, see them bath and bottle feed baby Elephants without spending too much time at the sanctuary. This is the time table last time I visited but it is subject to change

Feeding times and Bathing times

This section was added because many people ask what the best time to visit the orphanage is. We personally enjoyed viewing the procession of elephants going to the river and bathing. The river is a picturesque place and perfect for taking pictures. But I know quite a few people who enjoyed feeding baby elephants. If you take a look at the time table you can see that it is possible to enjoy both these activities in around 2 hours. So I’d say 9.00AM to 11.00AM and 4.00PM to 6.00PM as the best times to visit the orphanage.

Kadugannawa Pass

Kadugannawa is one of the entry points to the ancient hill capital of Sri Lanka, the Kandyan Kingdom. It is popular because of the geographical setting which creates spectacular views over the valley below, and because of the gap through the mountains which had made it extremely difficult to access the Kingdom during the time of the Kings. Many Portuguese, Dutch, and British armies faced annihilation trying to capture the Kingdom of Kandy from 1505 to 1815.

Kadugannawa Ambalama

Kadugannawa Ambalama, a few meters downhill from the 97th kilometer post. Ambalama is the Sinhala word for those roadside resting places used in ancient Sri Lanka. In old times when there were no good roads, motor vehicles, and restaurants, there were many Ambalama spots as a facility for the commuters to rest, sleep, and have meals. Kadugannawa Ambalama is said to have been built during the time of King Sri Wikrama Rajasingha (1798-1815) the last king of Sri Lanka. Today, Kadugannawa Ambalama is renovated by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board as a historical monument and as a roadside resting place as well. Please remember to take your camera with you to capture the scenes of Kadugannawa in your next visit to Kandy.

Bible Rock

Bible Rock can be seen when passing the Kadugannawa Pass. From there it may seem a difficult hike, because of the shape of it and the thick jungle surrounding the mountain. But it is an enjoyable, moderate hike in which each step will be refreshed by the soft breeze. The hike which takes less than a day can derive the real pleasure out of life. And one journey to this place will refresh you proving that the wonders of nature can do more for the health than all the drugs in the world.

Captain Dawson Tower

During the British colonial times in Sri Lanka there were no easy road to access the Kingdom of Kandy. The old road from Colombo to Kandy was a very long one, which was via Kelani Valley, Ruwanwella, and Gampola. Governor Edward Barnes wanted to build a shorter road to Kandy and assigned the task to Captain William Francis Dawson in 1820. Captain Dawson planned the project and started work immediately. However, he had to face the difficulties of sudden climatic changes in the central hills, and the hazards of cutting through the thick jungle. Captain Dawson finally fell badly sick. Nine years after the commencement of Colombo-Kandy road project, he succumbed to his sickness on 29th March 1829, while the road work was still not complete.

When the road was finally built to Kandy, the friends and admirers of Captain Dawson erected this tower in 1832 in memory of him, at the highest point of the Kadugannawa pass. Anyone traveling along the Colombo-Kandy highway today can see, and visit this tower.

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