Baobab Tree, Gange Wadiya
One of Sri Lanka's rare African baobab trees, standing in a small hamlet on the western edge of Wilpattu, near the Eluwankulama bridge on the road to Mannar.
On the western edge of Wilpattu National Park, in the small hamlet of Gange Wadiya, stands one of Sri Lanka's rare baobab trees. You will find it just past the Eluwankulama bridge, on the road that runs north from Puttalam towards Mannar, in the far north of Puttalam district.
Baobabs are native to Africa, and the few found in Sri Lanka are thought to have been brought by Arab traders many centuries ago. Local stories say the traders carried baobab fruit to feed their camels, and that the trees grew from the seeds they left behind. Baobabs once grew in other parts of the coast too, including Puttalam itself, but most of those have gone. Today only a few dozen survive in the whole country, most of them on Mannar island further north.
With its enormous, swollen trunk and wide, rounded crown, the tree looks completely out of place among the scrub and thorn bushes of the dry zone, which is a big part of its charm. It remained little known for many years, and it is still a quiet spot that sees few visitors.
All of Sri Lanka's baobabs are protected under the Antiquities Ordinance, so look but do not climb on the tree, pick its fruit or carve into the bark. The tree makes a good short stop if you are entering Wilpattu from the Eluwankulama side, or driving the coastal road towards Mannar.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: 30 minutes
- Best time: Morning, on the way to Wilpattu or Mannar
How to get there
In Gange Wadiya, just past the Eluwankulama bridge on the road from Puttalam towards Mannar, on the western edge of Wilpattu. Around an hour from Puttalam town.