Udawalawe National Park
Sri Lanka's best park for seeing wild elephants, with open grassland around a large reservoir, herds with young calves on almost every drive, and the Elephant Transit Home next door.
Udawalawe National Park is the most reliable place in Sri Lanka to see wild elephants. The park was created in 1972 to protect the land around the Udawalawe reservoir, and its open grassland and scrub make the animals easy to spot. On almost any jeep safari you will see herds of elephants, often with young calves, grazing, dust bathing or wandering down to the water.
Elephants are the stars, but they are not the only wildlife. Water buffalo, spotted deer, mugger crocodiles, jackals and monitor lizards are common, and the park is excellent for birds, from peacocks and bee eaters to eagles circling overhead. Leopards live here too, though they are seen far less often than in Yala.
Safaris run in licensed jeeps with a driver, and most people choose a half day, either in the early morning or the late afternoon, when the animals are most active and the light is best. Book your jeep through your hotel or a trusted local operator, and ask whether the price includes the park ticket. Stay inside the vehicle at all times, keep your voice down near the animals, and never encourage your driver to get too close.
Just outside the park, the Elephant Transit Home cares for orphaned elephant calves until they are ready to return to the wild. At feeding time you can watch the young elephants come in for milk from a viewing area. It is a great add on to a safari, especially for families. If leopards are your goal, Yala National Park further south is the better choice.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Foreigners pay around USD 40 to 45 per person once the vehicle and service charges are added. Jeep hire is extra. Check the current total at the gate.
- Opening hours: 6:00am to 6:00pm
- Time needed: Half day for a safari, plus 1 hour for the Elephant Transit Home
- Best time: Early morning or late afternoon, year round
How to get there
The main entrance is near Udawalawe town, about 170km from Colombo on the road to Embilipitiya. Jeeps wait at the gate and at hotels in Udawalawe and Thanamalwila. It is about 2 hours from Ella by road.