Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

For my love of elephants, I decided to turn my birthday party last year into a fundraising event helping Asian elephants.

During my visit to Sri Lanka, one of the highlights of my trip was to visit an elephant orphanage. Known for having the largest herd of captive elephants in the world, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a remarkable place for caring and protecting many orphaned wild elephants found wandering around the forests of Sri Lanka.

Located at Pinnawala village, 13 km northeast of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa province. The orphanage was first established in 1975 by the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation for feeding, providing care and sanctuary to orphaned baby elephants that were found in the wild.

In the village, you will be able to enjoy watch the elephants being fed and bathing in the river.


Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Address: B199, Rambukkana 71100, Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 7° 18′ 2″ N, 80° 23′ 18″ E
Admission: 16 USD

Sri Lankan Gems

Did you know the best gems in the world can be found in Sri Lanka? Remember Princess Diana's Sapphire engagement ring from Prince Charles? Yes, it's Sri Lankan Sapphire. Sri Lanka is the Sapphire capital of the world.

If you're looking for an exquisite piece of jewelry with precious or semi-precious gemstones. Sri Lanka offers the best quality of Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Topaz, Garnet, Quarts and many more. Even Marco Polo wrote this in his journal. Jewellers from around the world import their gemstones from Sri Lanka.

During my visit to Sri Lanka, a lot of Asians and Europeans buy Sapphire from Sri Lanka to sell it in their home country. And the secret of buying it cheaper is do not bring your tour guide or driver with you when going to the Jewelry shop. Apparently they also get commission so the price goes up very, very high. I stayed at Mount Lavinia Hotel and there were a few jewelry shops in the resort, believe me, I got my earrings at 80% discount complete with certificate.

So when in Sri Lanka, don't miss to visit the reliable jewelry shops like Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association, Zam Gems, Vogue Jewellers, Colombo Jewellery Store. Even if you're not going to shop, it's just fun to look! 😜

Yala National Park Safari

As an animal lover, I am definitely inquisitive of the animal life in the wild and being able to see them all in the jungle is just compelling.

As the most visited park in Sri Lanka, Yala National Park covers 979 square kilometers (378 sq mi) which makes it as the second largest national park in Sri Lanka, next to Wilpattu National Park.

Situated in the southeast coast of Sri Lanka with the nearest city, Katagarama and about 290 Km from the capital Colombo. The park is renowned for the variety of it's wildlife and tropical flora. From a substantial elephant population along with the big cats (leopards), spotted deer, wild buffalo, Sloth bear, jackal, wild boar, crocodiles and many more. The bird life comprises of over 120 species. Consisting of five blocks and adjoining parks, two blocks are opened to the public for safari adventures. Block one is the most visited area since it contains the highest density of Leopards. To be able to appreciate Yala, choose a suitable guide that will inevitably show you the alluring attributes of the park. 

Plan your trip Yala National Park.

Address: B499, Sri Lanka

Coordinates: 6° 22′ 22″ N, 81° 31′ 1″ E