How to see the elephant river bathing in Pinnawala before an afternoon flight from Colombo airport?

For a 2:35 pm flight from Colombo, stay overnight in Pinnawala: check into a riverside hotel in the evening, watch the elephants in the morning, have breakfast and then leave for the airport.

The elephants are brought down to the river at approximately 8:00 am, so an overnight stop is enough to see them in the morning.

Allow around 2–2.5 hours to travel from Pinnawala to Colombo airport when traffic is light. For an afternoon flight, leave with extra time straight after the morning river visit.