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Sri-LankaDescription and is it worth a visit
Dehiwala Zoological Gardens in Colombo is perhaps one of the few places in the city where you can take children. However, we will not recommend that you include it in your itinerary, especially if you are limited in time or come from beach resorts. For a safari experience, there are much more interesting national parks Yala, Udavale and others.
Dehiwala Zoo is located quite far from the center, and the road to it can be inconvenient if you stay in the central areas. The first thing that catches your eye is the high cost of admission for foreigners, which seems unjustified, especially in comparison with the cost for locals. Be prepared for the fact that on the spot you may be asked to pay extra for almost everything: for feeding animals, for the opportunity to pet them or take a photo. These unexpected expenses can significantly increase your budget, so it's worth being careful.
The territory of the zoo is really big, and there are a lot of animals here. A leisurely inspection should take at least 2.5 hours. You will be given a card at the entrance, and we advise you to stick to it so as not to miss anything. Many visitors in their reviews note that the condition of some aviaries and the animals themselves leaves a sad impression – they look tired and not too well-groomed. Although it may be subjective, the general atmosphere of the place is more reminiscent of a bygone era than of a modern zoological center.
If you do not pay attention to the disadvantages, then visiting the zoo will be quite interesting due to the variety of fauna. The territory has the necessary amenities: toilets, cafes and fast food outlets. The highlight of the visit is the elephant show, which takes place daily at 16:30 at a special venue. Other performances with animals, according to on-site information, are held only on weekends.
In general, our opinion is this: Dehiwala Zoological Gardens is the place to look if you have already exhausted all the basic ideas for leisure in Colombo and you have a few free hours. But it's definitely not worth going here on purpose, especially from distant resort areas.
🌐 Website: https://nationalzoo.gov.lk/zoo/
🕐 Working hours
Every day seven days a week 08:30-17:00.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
Admission for foreigners is 17 US dollars (5626 rupees, see Sri Lankan currency and exchange rate), payment in local currency at the current exchange rate. Locals pay 300 rupees.
🚶 How to get there
Dehiwala Zoo is located far from the center in the Mount Lavinia area (Colombo zoo on the map). It is 10 kilometers from the central Fort district here, a tuk-tuk trip will cost from 800 rupees, by car taxi 1000 rupees. But you can take buses or even a commuter train to Dehiwala station, and then walk or take a taxi. If you stop for a rest in the area with Mount Lavinia beach, then you can take a taxi or tuk-tuk from 300 rupees. If you decide to visit the zoo during the day from the resorts south of Colombo (Hikkaduwa, Bentota, etc.), it is most convenient to get past all the traffic jams by train also to Dehiwala station, and then taxi or tuk-tuk. Learn more about Colombo transport and how to use it told here...
Getting to know the sights of Colombo is much more interesting and informative with the help of excursions that you can buy on one of the sites with reviews: