Udawalawe

All but guaranteed wild elephants, year-round.

What makes Udawalawe.

Udawalawe is the island's premier elephant park, built around a large reservoir whose open grassland and scrub make wild elephants visible on almost every drive, in herds that gather at the water through the day. The openness of the terrain makes for some of the best, most reliable game-viewing in the country and a strong alternative to busier Yala. Alongside the elephants are water buffalo, crocodiles, jackals, spotted deer and abundant raptors and waterbirds. The Elephant Transit Home on the park's edge rehabilitates orphaned calves and feeds them publicly several times a day, a moving counterpoint to the safaris.

All but guaranteed wild elephants, year-round.

Year-round (excellent dry-season viewing May – September)Best time
6Spots to see
~250KVisitors / year

What to see

Where to explore in Udawalawe.

The landmarks and corners worth carving out time for. Each one a reason this place earns its place on the route.

01
Elephant herds
Reliable sightings of wild elephants on open grassland around the reservoir.
02
Udawalawe Reservoir
The park's great tank, a magnet for elephants, buffalo and waterbirds.
03
Elephant Transit Home
A rehabilitation centre for orphaned calves with public feeding times.
04
Grassland & scrub plains
Wide-open terrain that makes Udawalawe one of the easiest parks for game-viewing.
05
Raptors & waterbirds
Eagles, serpent-eagles and waterbirds thrive around the reservoir and marshes.
06
Crocodiles & water buffalo
Mugger crocodiles and wallowing buffalo are common sights at the water's edge.

Find Udawalawe on the map.

Where Udawalawe lies within the Wildlife & Wilderness, and the landmarks clustered around it, so you can picture how it threads into the rest of a tour.