SRI LANKA DIARIES - PINNAWALA

We were excited about our tour to Sri Lanka and Maldives. It was a 8 day tour - between 18 and 26 January, 5 nights in Srilanka and 2 nights in Maldives. Ideal weather wise - neither hot and nor humid.  We were a group of 40, many of them senior citizens.

The value of 10 INR is equivalent to approximately 25 Srilankan Rupee (SLR). We were carrying USD, mainly for use in Maldives. We had planned to exchange USD at the airport for SLR, for use for shopping in Sri Lanka.

Our flight from Mumbai landed in Colombo after over two hours, around 6 am. After freshening up at Bandaranayake airport, 

we got into our coach which was to drive us around the various cities during our 6 days in Sri Lanka.

We drove straight to a nice restaurant facing the beach. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast and strolled around the beach for a bit.

We started our two hour drive for Pinnawala. Our local guide Mr. Benjamin briefed us with tidbits about Sri Lanka. We were surprised to hear that the country boasted of 98% literacy among the youth ... no diamonds found in the country, only graphite and gemstones .... 

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants. It was established by the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation in 1975 for feeding and providing care and sanctuary to orphaned baby elephants found in the wild. This has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. In 2011, there were 96 elephants, including 43 males and 68 females from three generations, living in Pinnawala. 

It was planned to attract local and foreign visitors, the income from which would help to maintain the orphanage.

The Pinnawala Orphanage has since become a tourist attraction.

Pinnawala Elephant orphanage has separate enclosures for male elephants, and for female elephants and babies.

Adult males do some light work such as transporting feed.

They are chained and managed individually. At night, the females are individually chained in stalls.

Visitors to the park can view the care and daily routine of the elephants, such as bottle feeding of elephant calves, feeding of all other elephants, and bathing in the Ma Oya (River).

The female and young elephants in Pinnawala roam freely as a herd during the day in an area of a few acres. They are herded for about half a km twice a day to drink and be bathed in the river at specific timing.

We walked around the orphanage looking at the male elephants.

Then we had to walk down to the river just before noon to watch the female and baby elephants having their drink and daily shower in the nearby river.

We passed by the little shops lining the way ....

and reached the river side. The elephants enjoyed being hosed down ....

Exactly at noon, all the spectators were cordoned off to safety, as the elephants started their walk back to the orphanage.

We then entered the interesting shop that sold paper and items made of elephant poop.

The statue at the entrance was so funny and true to life.

Within minutes, we saw the male elephants coming from the orphanage - it was their turn for bath. It was really cute to see them cross the road, as the traffic police controlled the traffic.

After a sumptuous lunch at an Indian restaurant, we drove for three hours and reached Dambulla. 

We checked in at Hotel Amaara Forest.

 It was a nice resort and we liked our apartment-like room.

After freshening up, we strolled around the resort. It had been a long day; we were happy to retire to bed early after dinner.

We were fresh next morning for Day 2 - Dambulla sight-seeing.