Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage: The Complete Guide

Introduction

Planning to visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage? The Sri Lankan Elephant is considered as a prestigious animal, and it has been a part of our culture and tradition since the olden days. Moreover, they hold a symbolic, traditional and economic importance as the tourists are attracted to Sri Lanka to witness them in their natural habitats and also elephants are used as a symbol of prosperity in various traditional and religious ceremonies of the country.

This gigantic animal once lived in the massive forests of this country in herds of 12-20 with the oldest female or the matriarch in the lead, sadly now given the development programs, the humans have entered into their habitats and the elephants are pushed to live in smaller and compact areas. The Sri Lankan elephant is now an endangered animal as their population is decreasing rapidly.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is the only place in Sri Lanka that functions as an orphanage, captive, nursery and a breeding ground for the elephants in need, and also this is the home for the homeless elephants who need special care.

This article will focus on the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage and give a guideline for the tourists who wish to visit this peaceful sanctuary of the beautiful elephants.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Time Table

If you are planning to visit Sri Lanka in your holiday and if you have the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in the list of places you wish to visit, the first thing that you would want to know would be the time schedules and their program.

The Pinnawala elephant orphanage timetable is laid down as follows for your convenience.

• 08.30 am – Opens for the visitors
• 09.00 am – 09.45 am Fruit feeding
• 09.15 am – 09.45 am Milk feeding
• 10.00 am – 12.00 pm Herd to the river
• 12.00 pm – 01.45 pm Fruit feeding
• 01.15 pm – 01.45 pm Milk feeding
• 02.00 pm – 04.00 pm Herd goes to the river
• 05.00 pm – Milk feeding
• 05.30 pm – Ticket counter closes
• 06.00 pm – Closes for the day

The programs for each day are carried out according to the above time table, and you could visit the orphanage at the time of the event that you wish to participate in, or you may also spend your entire day at the orphanage with the elephants.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Tickets

The purpose of the Elephant orphanage is to help the orphaned baby elephants and also the adult elephants by providing them a helping hand, thus it should be noted that we at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage charge an entrance fee. The funds collected from the tickets will be used solely for the purpose of uplifting the lifestyle of the orphaned elephants and for the maintenance of the orphanage.

The ticket is priced at a very reasonable rate and can be laid down as follows;

Sri Lankans

• Adults LKR 100.00
• Children LKR 30.00 (3-12 years)
• Children LKR 20.00 (In school uniform)

Overseas Visitors

• Adults LKR 2500.00
• Children LKR 1250.00 (3-12 years)

SAARC Visitors

• Adults LKR 700.00
• Children LKR 350.00 (3-12 Years)

To buy tickets or to arrange a Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage tour, contact Olanka Travels .

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Bathing time

The bathing time is a beautiful and a heart warming sight to witness. You will be able to see the entire herd being guided to the river by their foster fathers at the orphanage to have their daily bath to keep them clean and chilled in this warm weather. Amongst other heart filled moments you will also be able to enjoy baby elephants having a dip and playing in the water.

The time schedule of the Bathing Hours is as follows;

Daily at:

• 10.00 am to 12.00 Noon
• 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm

Hotels near Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Luck Uyana Cabana in Pinnawala

This is situated in the proximity to the orphanage, only 0.1kms away. This has air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi and so many other facilities. Moreover, it also has a pool where you can enjoy after a busy day at the orphanage.

Hotel Elephant Bay

This hotel is situated right opposite to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage thus you can just cross the road to see the elephants and enjoy their company. The hotel room comes with a balcony so that you could enjoy scenery and maybe also get a glimpse of the bathing elephants in the Ma Oya River.

Hotel Elephant Park

This hotel boasts an expansive venue capable of hosting up to 300 guests simultaneously. It provides the option of tailor-made culinary experiences upon request. Additionally, the hotel affords a picturesque view of the Ma Oya River, a scenic backdrop where elephants are often seen enjoying their baths.

Hotel Pinnalanda

This is considered as one of the best and the finest hotels in Pinnawala. You can relax and enjoy this beautiful place situated in the river bed of Ma Oya while witnessing the wonderful sight of elephants walking in the line to the lake and then bathing in the river.

How to get to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

The Elephant Orphanage is situated in the Village of Pinnawala hence giving its name, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The village is so popular for the orphanage so much so that the name Pinnawala is synonymous with elephants amongst the locals of Sri Lanka.

Pinnawala is a village situated in the Kegalle District of Sri Lanka in the Central Province. The closest main city to Kegalle is Kandy which is about 40 kms away, and you can reach the orphanage in about an hours’ time. If however you are planning to get to the orphanage directly from the Bandaranayake airport it will take about two hours for you to reach your destination as it is situated 75 kms away from the airport.

For your transportation needs, you have the option to summon a taxi, rent a vehicle, or utilize public transit options including buses or trains. For your convenience, we have provided a detailed train schedule from Colombo to Pinnawala below:

Trains from the Colombo Fort to Pinnawala

Daily – 17.20 Train number – 9264

Monday to Friday and Saturday – 16.10, 16.35 & 18.31 Train numbers – 9262, 9263 & 9265.