1. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage founded in 1975 is currently home to 100 Elephants. This is a captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants. You may see a bunch of elephants crossing the street at around 10.30 in the morning and walking towards the river Ma-Oya to have a bath along with baby elephants. There are a lot of Restaurants and Boutique shops around. Visitors can watch them get fed at 9.15 am 1.15 pm and 4.15 pm. This will be a great experience. You should buy a ticket before you enter this 25-acre orphanage and this is the hotspot in Pinnawala.
2. Pinnawala Open Zoo
Pinnawala Open Zoo was opened in 2015 and this is the first open-air zoological garden in Sri Lanka. Apart from the Dehiwala Zoo in Colombo, this is the only other zoo situated on this Island. Here the wild animals have plenty of room to roam around and have not been caged unlike in Dehiwala Zoo. Do not forget to pay a visit to the Leopard area and the Crocodile Pond. There are guides given by the Zoo who will be lecturing about these endemic animals while you are on tour. Anyway, they offer a free service for the ticket you purchase and it’s your duty to tip them if the lecturers are worth paying for. As this Zoo runs for about 44 Acres you can hire a buggy cart for a reasonable price. If you prefer walking you are free to walk. If you want to get drone footage you have to get permission from the relevant authorities. There’s a help desk in the reception. You can park for free of charge and do not forget to get some snacks from outside when you enter the Zoo.
3. Kandyan Spice and Herbal Garden
At this Spice and Herbal Garden, all the services will be given for free. A guide who speaks your language will take you through the gorgeous garden which is a home to most endemic, herbal and ayurvedic plants and tress lecturing you about the Ayurveda, plants and trees. While experiencing that you will get a complimentary Sri Lankan Spice Tea followed by a brief explanation of the Ayurvedic products in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, you can get a complimentary head or shoulder massage by a student masseuse from the Ayurvedic and Herbal Academy. It’s your choice to tip that person or not. The best thing is you can see a traditional Sri Lankan cooking demonstration at this garden. From climbing a coconut tree and picking coconut to the favourite Sri Lankan coconut sambal dish, authentic curry with a traditional recipe with bread will be a unique meal when you eat this on a banana leaf. The demonstration and the quick meal will also be free of charge. You will not believe the professional services they offer for free at No 99, Kandyan Spice Garden, Ganethanna, Hingula. Also at this place, there is a boutique shop where you can buy Ayurvedic products at a reasonable price. You can find this lovely Spice Garden on google maps. Search: Kandyan Spice Garden, Ganethanna, Hingula.
