When can you go in?
You can only go in around the feeds. The ticket counter opens about 20 minutes before each one. Between feeds, the gate is shut.
It's open every day of the year, Poya days too. Poya is the full-moon holiday that comes once a month.
Which feed should you pick?
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10:30 in the morning
Great after a morning safari. Leave the park by about 9:30, and you reach the Transit Home in good time.
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2:30 in the afternoon
The hottest time of day, but the stand has a roof. Good if you are staying in Udawalawe town.
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6 in the evening
It's cooler, but there are mosquitoes, so bring insect spray. It doesn't fit after an afternoon safari, which ends at 6 too.
Get there early
Seats are not saved for anyone, and the stand fills up fast. Come 20 to 30 minutes early for a good spot.
What happens at a feed?
The calves (baby elephants) run in, a few at a time. Keepers pour milk into a big funnel with a tube. Each calf drinks its milk in big gulps.
Then it wanders off to eat leaves and play, and the next ones run in. A feed takes about half an hour.
Busy days
Weekends, Poya days and school holidays are the busiest. A weekday is calmer.
Old times you may see online
Some websites still say the feeds are at 9, 12, 3 and 6. That was the old timetable, until about 2020. Today there are usually three feeds.
Check on the day
Times can change. To check, call the Transit Home on 047 223 2147. From abroad, call +94 47 223 2147.
