Why Udawalawe & the Elephant Transit Home will steal your heart
If you want to see wild elephants in Sri Lanka, there's no better place than Udawalawe. Hundreds of elephants live in this national park all year round, and it's rare to go on a safari here without seeing herds up close.
The park was created in the 1970s to protect wildlife displaced by the building of the Udawalawe Reservoir. Today, its open grasslands, scrub and the great reservoir itself make it easy to spot animals. Herds of elephants graze and bathe, often right beside your jeep, with mothers shielding tiny calves between their legs. It's a magical sight.
Beyond elephants, Udawalawe is excellent for water buffalo, spotted deer, crocodiles, jackals and monitor lizards, and it's wonderful for birds of prey, including crested serpent eagles and white-bellied sea eagles. The colourful bee-eaters, kingfishers and peacocks make every drive a feast for photographers.
Right next to the park is the Elephant Transit Home, a rehabilitation centre run by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. It cares for orphaned baby elephants, many of them found alone after losing their mothers, and raises them until they're strong enough to be released back into the wild. At feeding times, you can watch from a viewing platform as the youngsters charge in for their milk. It's heart-warming, and it's an ethical way to see young elephants, because they're being prepared for life in the wild.
Udawalawe sits neatly between the hill country and the south coast, so it's easy to include on the drive from Ella to Tangalle or Mirissa, and it's a perfect stop for families.
