LK · Sabaragamuwa Province · 6.44°N 80.89°E

udawalawe national park

Elephants in open grassland, reservoir birds and a quieter southern safari stop.

Best time
Elephants are here all year. January–March and June–August are the drier stretches, and October–November rain makes the tracks muddy.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly direct from KL to Colombo (about 3.5 hours), then it's about 3.5–4 hours by road. Sri Lanka is 2.5 hours behind KL.
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LK · Sabaragamuwa Provinceudawalawe national park6.44°N 80.89°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Elephants in open grassland, reservoir birds and a quieter southern safari stop.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingUdawalawe National ParkLK, Sabaragamuwa Province
KLudawalawe national park
≈ 2,333 km from KL, as the crow flies
Elephants maximus maximus du parc national de Uda Walawe National District de Monaragala au Sri Lanka

Photo: PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Udawalawe is the park for elephants: open grassland around a big reservoir, where several hundred live year-round and are easy to watch. Next door, the Elephant Transit Home raises orphaned calves for release back into the wild.

Makan

  1. Rice and curryGuesthouse spreads of dhal, vegetables and a fish or chicken curry.Map ↗
  2. Curd and treacleThick buffalo curd with palm treacle, a southern speciality.Map ↗
  3. String hoppersSteamed rice-noodle nests with coconut sambol, a light breakfast after a dawn safari.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Jeep safariOpen grassland makes the herds easy to see, often within a few metres of the jeep.Map ↗
  2. The reservoirWaterbirds, buffalo and crocodiles along the shoreline, with the hills behind.Map ↗
  3. Elephant Transit HomeAt feeding time, orphaned calves charge in for their milk while visitors watch from a platform.Map ↗

Good to know

  • A night near the park makes the early safari easy; coming from the coast means a very early start.
  • Halal is limited around the park; vegetable rice and curry is the easy fallback, and guesthouses can pack a vegetarian safari breakfast.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.