Watching wild elephants in Sri Lanka at Udawalawe national park.

Udawalawe national park in Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to watch elephants in their natural habitat. And Udawalawe national park is also home to many other wild animals.

Have you ever thought about visiting elephants in their natural habitat? If yes, then you might wanna consider Sri Lanka as your next destination. The island is not that big, but there are several places where world elephants roam. Udawalawe national park is one of them.bI just went to Udawalawe national park the other day. This was my third visit to the park within the past 5 years. The park covers almost 30 000 hectares, so you have a lot of space there.

It’s not only elephants that you see.

Water buffalos taking a bath.

The wild elephants are the main attraction in the national park. But you have many other animals in the park. When I was there last week, we did not just see wild elephants. We also saw animals such as crocodiles, water buffalo, deer, monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks, kingfisher birds, eagles. Just to mention a few of the animals we saw in the wild. And we got really close to the animals. One elephant was less than a meter from the jeep.

There are lot’s of wild peacocks in Udawalawe.

What does it cost to visit Udawalawe national park?

Entering Udawalawe national park.

If you want to visit, then you have to pay both an entrance fee and a car with an animal tracker to take you around. The price of this varies. It mostly depends on how many people you are. If you are just one or two people, then it will cost more. The reason is that the vehicles that take you around the national park hold up to 6 people. If you are a couple, then the price is likely to be 55$ to 65$ per person. And 40$ to 45$ if you are a group of at least 6 people. This will include a 4-5 hour tour inside the national park. And it’s with a driver who knows how to spot the different animals. Sure enough, elephants are easy to spot for anyone. But when it comes to spotting birds, then these guys are fantastic. And I found it very interesting to see how many colourful birds live there in the wild.

This bird is called an Indian roller.

Accommodation and Udawalawe national park.

You have several lodges near the entrance to the park. And they come in all price ranges, ranging from cheap dormitories for backpackers, to luxurious lodges for well heeled people. On my last visit I stayed at a very nice hotel in the nearby town called Embilipitya. The name of the place was Hotel Centauria.

The view from my window at Centauria Lake Hotel.

Where is Udawalawe national park located?

The park is located in the southern part of Sri Lanka. If you are staying on the Sri Lankan south coast, then it’s an easy drive to the park. Maximum 2-3 hours of driving to the entrance to the park.

So if you want to see elephants in their natural habitat. Then Udawalawe is well worth considering.

Sri Lankan elephants.