Experiences in Udawalawe
- 01
Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home
A Department of Wildlife Conservation facility inside Udawalawe National Park that cares for orphaned elephant calves before they return to the wild.
- Time needed
- About 1 hour including waiting for the feeding
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Around the calves' feeding; confirm the current schedule locally
- Tickets
- We could not verify the current entry fee, opening hours or feeding times from an official source. Ask your hotel or the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and do not rely on dates quoted by touts.
- 02
Udawalawe National Park
A dry-zone park of about 308 square kilometres on the Walawe River, known for open grassland where Sri Lankan elephants are easy to spot from a jeep.
- Time needed
- About 3 to 4 hours for a standard jeep drive
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon; the drier months of February and June to September are usually easier on the roads
- Tickets
- Entry is by jeep with a driver and a park ticket, normally arranged by your hotel or an operator. Fees and gate hours are set by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and change, so confirm the current fee in rupees and in dollars before you book. We did not find a fee we could verify.
Day trips in Udawalawe
- 03
Ridiyagama Safari Park
A large drive-through safari park in Hambantota District, opened in 2016 with lion, elephant and mixed-species zones, as a day-trip add-on from Udawalawe.
- Time needed
- 2 to 3 hours plus the drive
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning, in drier weather; confirm opening days first
- Tickets
- We could not verify the current opening days, fees or whether you can drive your own vehicle. Contact the park or ask a local driver before travelling.
Landmarks in Udawalawe
- 04
Udawalawe Reservoir and Dam
A large irrigation reservoir on the Walawe River, with a long embankment dam and spillway gates, at the heart of the national park.
- Time needed
- 30 to 60 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon, when it is cooler and light is softer
- Tickets
- We could not verify whether any ticket or access rule applies at the dam itself. Treat the spillway and power station as working installations, follow signs and ask locally before taking photographs.
