- Region
- South East
- Best months
- January, February, March, April…
- Good for
- Elephant lovers, Families, Safari without crowds
About Udawalawe
If you want to be certain of elephants, this is the park. Udawalawe's open grasslands around a great reservoir hold hundreds of wild elephants year-round - easier to spot than anywhere else on the island, with far fewer jeeps than Yala.
Udawalawe was created around its reservoir in 1972, and the result is a safari landscape unlike the island's jungly parks: wide savannah-like plains where herds of elephants graze in plain sight. Sightings aren't a matter of luck here - it's widely said that a drive without elephants is nearly impossible.
The supporting cast is strong too: water buffalo wallowing in the shallows, crocodiles on the banks, sambar deer, jackals, rare rusty-spotted cats after dark, and superb raptors - this is one of the best places in the country to watch eagles work the thermals.
Beside the park, the Elephant Transit Home rehabilitates orphaned calves for release back to the wild. Feeding times, watched from a respectful viewing platform, are equal parts joyful and genuinely conservation-minded - a far better choice than captive elephant attractions.
What to do
Things to do in Udawalawe
Our local shortlist - every one of these can be arranged as part of your tailor-made route.
01
Elephant safari drive
Morning or late-afternoon drives among herds grazing the open plains - calves in tow, photographs everywhere.
02
Elephant Transit Home
Watch orphaned calves bottle-fed before their return to the wild - conservation done right.
03
Birding by the reservoir
Fish eagles, painted storks, bee-eaters and peacocks - the open country makes spotting easy.
04
Sunset over the tank
The reservoir bund at dusk, buffalo silhouettes included, is one of the south's quiet great views.
05
Continue to Yala
Ninety minutes east for leopards - the classic two-park safari pairing.
06
Break the hill-country descent
Udawalawe sits neatly below Ella, turning a travel day into a safari day.
Want the full picture? Our directory lists 60 well-reviewed sights and activity operators around Udawalawe - including small local outfits with no website of their own.
Browse every thing to do in UdawalaweWhere to stay in Udawalawe
Stays here are safari-style: comfortable lodges and tented camps around the park edge, several with pools overlooking the paddy and scrub. For 5-star polish, many guests safari here by day and sleep at the luxury camps of Yala or a resort on the south coast - we'll route it so nothing feels rushed.
Good to know
Udawalawe questions
Udawalawe or Yala - which is better?
For elephants and fewer vehicles, Udawalawe wins comfortably; for leopards and variety, Yala. They're 90 minutes apart, so doing both is easy and popular.
Is Udawalawe good for young children?
It's the island's best family park - sightings come quickly, drives can be kept short, and the Transit Home's feeding time is a guaranteed hit.
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Plan a trip around Udawalawe
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