National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka, Colombo: Address, Phone Number, National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka Reviews: 3/5
National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka
National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka
3
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This zoo features animals from across Asia, as well as a nightly elephant circus.
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Restaurants
781 within 3 miles

Palmyrah Restaurant
318
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Sri Lankan • Vegetarian Friendly

Robata Grill and Lounge
87
198 ft$$$$ • Chinese • Japanese • Seafood

Nuga Gama
1,282
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Sri Lankan • Vegetarian Friendly

AYU
119
198 ft$$$$ • Indian • European • Asian

Noodles Restaurant
891
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Chinese • Asian • Thai

Raja Bojun
559
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Sri Lankan • Vegetarian Friendly

Bowl'd
54
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Contemporary • Fusion

Cloud Red
183
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Bar • Contemporary • Vegetarian Friendly

The London Grill
372
0.4 mi$$$$ • Steakhouse • International • European

Cheers Pub
539
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Bar • British • Pub
Attractions
150 within 6 miles

Traditional Puppet Art Museum
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0 ftSpeciality Museums

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268 ftCasinos

Liberty Plaza
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255 ftShopping Malls

Nastars
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422 ftShopping Malls

Church of St. Michael & All Angels, Polwatte
26
0.2 miChurches & Cathedrals

Expo Rail
49
0.2 miScenic Railroads

Colombo Swimming Club
52
0.3 miSports Camps & Clinics

Green Path
55
0.3 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks

Seema Malakaya Temple
419
0.5 miReligious Sites

Gangaramaya (Vihara) Buddhist Temple
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0.7 miReligious Sites
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
3.0
507 reviews
Excellent
93
Very good
135
Average
123
Poor
70
Terrible
86
cabeysiriwardhane
Western Province, Sri Lanka11 contributions
The aquarium is done very nicely. Inside the aquarium very calm and quiet. The Zoo is very crowded during the holidays. If you visit the zoo in the day time on a weekday you can enjoy than a holiday. Too limited space for some animals. The zoo is open from 8. am to 10 pm during weekends (Usually 8.am to 6 pm).
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Harsha P
Colombo, Sri Lanka1,781 contributions
Family
I visited this zoo after 15 years with my family to give my daughters a lesson in some aspects of photography.
I was shocked to see the state the zoo was in & the conditions that the animals were kept in.
The was no discipline in the zoo. The staff were doing what they wanted & chatting on mobile phones & neglecting their work. The cages were smelly & not cleaned.
The zoo was full of courting couples who forgot that there were children under 16 who were there & kept caressing & fondling in broad daylight.
There were some guest who were feeding animals with salted & sugar coated food when there were boards indicating that it was prohibited.
The authorities were blind to all these.
The food stalls were dirty & the staff did not adhere to the food safety standards / requirements. The prices were too high & almost double the price as outside.
The place was littered with polythene bags & plastic bottles although there were disposal bins.
The Director & staff of the zoo need to love nature & not just do a job.
I remember this zoo when it was called the best n south East Asia 40 years ago but now it is the worst in Asia.
I was shocked to see the state the zoo was in & the conditions that the animals were kept in.
The was no discipline in the zoo. The staff were doing what they wanted & chatting on mobile phones & neglecting their work. The cages were smelly & not cleaned.
The zoo was full of courting couples who forgot that there were children under 16 who were there & kept caressing & fondling in broad daylight.
There were some guest who were feeding animals with salted & sugar coated food when there were boards indicating that it was prohibited.
The authorities were blind to all these.
The food stalls were dirty & the staff did not adhere to the food safety standards / requirements. The prices were too high & almost double the price as outside.
The place was littered with polythene bags & plastic bottles although there were disposal bins.
The Director & staff of the zoo need to love nature & not just do a job.
I remember this zoo when it was called the best n south East Asia 40 years ago but now it is the worst in Asia.
Written May 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jimmy S
Colombo, Sri Lanka437 contributions
Family
Hello This zoo is not one to take anyone when you can go to Yala down south for a day trip if you are staying in Colombo. Overpriced way to much for foreigners compared to Sri Lankans. You can go to an elephant orphanage around Kandy also just take the exporail train.
Written December 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dilan m
Sri Lanka31 contributions
Friends
Zoo is well cleaned and layered out properly now. Directions are given to all places so that you won’t miss anything in the park. The only the problem I noticed Is public washrooms, they are not properly maintained. Overall the visit was aw.
Written January 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Anita S
13 contributions
I've been to a few zoos in my life and yes, I do recognise the lack of funds and resources available to a country like Sri Lanka to be able to maintain it to the standard of western countries.
However, I do have be to honest here and this place left me feeling sad.
These animals were kept in pretty bad conditions. Concrete enclosures with no trees, grass, clean water or any kind of stimulation they'd get in the wild.
The tiger pits- one had a murky bath they could sit in which was way too shallow. One pit didn't have any visible sign of water anywhere. The tigers just paced.
The black bear same story, but he swung his head in a doorway for like 10mins straight.
But the elephants....omg, I couldn't watch for more than 20 seconds. Two huge ones were chained facing forward (to the crowd walking past) by both front and back legs to poles. They literally could not move step forward or back. One just swung it's whole head constantly. Then even more horrid- a baby one in the same containment! I honestly could not even look at it like that.
They were chained like that for the entire 3 hrs I was there so I don't think it was just a short 'show' type of thing.
It's bad enough seeing these magnificent animals in cages and pens, but seeing such an enormous thing literally tied to the ground just plain sucks.
However, I do have be to honest here and this place left me feeling sad.
These animals were kept in pretty bad conditions. Concrete enclosures with no trees, grass, clean water or any kind of stimulation they'd get in the wild.
The tiger pits- one had a murky bath they could sit in which was way too shallow. One pit didn't have any visible sign of water anywhere. The tigers just paced.
The black bear same story, but he swung his head in a doorway for like 10mins straight.
But the elephants....omg, I couldn't watch for more than 20 seconds. Two huge ones were chained facing forward (to the crowd walking past) by both front and back legs to poles. They literally could not move step forward or back. One just swung it's whole head constantly. Then even more horrid- a baby one in the same containment! I honestly could not even look at it like that.
They were chained like that for the entire 3 hrs I was there so I don't think it was just a short 'show' type of thing.
It's bad enough seeing these magnificent animals in cages and pens, but seeing such an enormous thing literally tied to the ground just plain sucks.
Written October 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
EmmKu
London, UK48 contributions
Friends
DO NOT SUPPORT THIS! I'm completely fine visiting well-kept zoos where animals are cared for and healthy, physically and psychologically. This zoo was disgusting and upsetting. Beautiful elephants were repeating one movement, chained up in amidst their own faeces. Turtles swimming in circles on repeat, pale from no sun. Cages dirty, parrots losing feathers, zookeepers hustling tourists asking for money for making animals doing tricks.
You pay $25 to get in, which in this country should ring alarm bells. I hope this place closes down soon and that people will stop going.
It is beyond me how any foreign tourist could give this zoo anything more than 1 star. I found it deeply distressing and upsetting. We took a quick tour and left in tears.
You pay $25 to get in, which in this country should ring alarm bells. I hope this place closes down soon and that people will stop going.
It is beyond me how any foreign tourist could give this zoo anything more than 1 star. I found it deeply distressing and upsetting. We took a quick tour and left in tears.
Written June 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
AHP4
Colombo, Sri Lanka9 contributions
Couples
We were looking for a place to take visiting friends on their last day in Sri Lanka and it was a mistake. Not only is it quite expensive for foreigners, it was depressingly sad. Some animals looked like they were starving because one could see their ribs, the small cages were in need of repair and many of the cages/attractions were empty. After an amazing two weeks, in Sri Lanka, it left a very poor last impression.
Written January 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
tracybalcome
Saffron Walden, UK36 contributions
Solo
Please, please do not visit this zoo. Surly you will realise this is not the place for these wonderful creatures and surely you will realise that it is wrong to make these magnificent animals do these ridiculous tricks. Please, please do not support these treatment of animals. No elephant should be made to stand on it's head it's tragic
Written June 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Della60
Oxford, UK24 contributions
We took some school children to the zoo today. Sri Lanka is a country which is home to some of the world's most beautiful creatures. This zoo is the most cruel zoo I have experienced though I have not experienced that many. The tragedy of the Brown Bear will haunt me forever as well as 3 hippopotomi in a tiny pond
We are from the UK and have a charity in Sri Lanka. We had to pay 100 times more than the Sri Lankans to get in. Is this to deter us from experiencing the cruelty. Zebra in a small pen. A tiger pacing in a cage with a small amount of water. This zoo should be shut down and the animals released.
We are from the UK and have a charity in Sri Lanka. We had to pay 100 times more than the Sri Lankans to get in. Is this to deter us from experiencing the cruelty. Zebra in a small pen. A tiger pacing in a cage with a small amount of water. This zoo should be shut down and the animals released.
Written March 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Corenna E
1 contribution
Solo
The baby elephants attraction is just that... An attraction.
The babies are taken from their moms to be exhibited in this zoo. The elephant exhibit is people bottle feeding babies! It's not natural and these babies are orphans because they were taken from their mothers to put on this show!
If you must see elephants visit a sanctuary where you can see the moms feed their babies.. Or better yet, a safari or a documentary on TV.
This isn't about conservation it's about money. I hope more visitors learn about this practice and choose to stay away. I am appalled at this practice.
Dehiwala Zoo...the world is watching...
The babies are taken from their moms to be exhibited in this zoo. The elephant exhibit is people bottle feeding babies! It's not natural and these babies are orphans because they were taken from their mothers to put on this show!
If you must see elephants visit a sanctuary where you can see the moms feed their babies.. Or better yet, a safari or a documentary on TV.
This isn't about conservation it's about money. I hope more visitors learn about this practice and choose to stay away. I am appalled at this practice.
Dehiwala Zoo...the world is watching...
Written July 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
how much charge for each local adult and child?
My Tropical Journal
Colombo, Sri Lanka132 contributions
The above rates are correct. Adult Rs. 100 and kids Rs 30. But if you are a foreigner with residential visa, pls take those doc with you. +94 112712751 . Hope they will answer. :)
shocked123
Colombo, Sri Lanka61 contributions
what about parking a car over here? thanks in advance
Vachintha Piyadasa
Colombo, Sri Lanka1,823 contributions
There is no designated vehicle park for the zoo. However there are some spaces to park vehicles by the sides of the road. If you go there on a weekday, finding a decent parking space won't be problem. But during weekends, it may be a little difficult.
i want too oder 6 tickets
Aruna Gunawardena
Colombo, Sri Lanka3,931 contributions
We buy at the gate.
mahbub2016
Bangladesh
Dear sir, We will be stay at Colombo 24-25 July at hotel ERO Lanka.How can we visit Garden ? Time,transport with all about.
Dr. Dharshana Weerakoon
Gampaha, Sri Lanka491 contributions
Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Dehiwala 10350, Sri Lanka.
Phone: +94 11 2 712752
Hours: 8:30AM–6PM
Better take a Taxi or Three Wheel.
whoelseKhartoum
Khartoum24 contributions
opening hours
najimudeen
Melaka, Malaysia106 contributions
The opening hours of Dehiwela Zoological garden is from 10..00 am to 5.00 pm.
Frequently Asked Questions about National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka
- We recommend booking National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 5 National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka:
- Colombo City Tour (From $120.00)
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- Hotels near National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka:
- (0.03 mi) Mövenpick Hotel Colombo
- (0.07 mi) Wonder Hotel Colombo
- (0.13 mi) Colombo Haven Bed & Breakfast
- (0.12 mi) Sheraton Colombo Hotel
- (0.13 mi) Backpack Lanka Hostel
- Restaurants near National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka:
- (0.00 mi) Capri Club
- (0.00 mi) Panino (Cotton Collection)
- (0.04 mi) AYU
- (0.04 mi) Robata Grill and Lounge
- (0.10 mi) Carnival