Udawalawe National Park Voyage Tips and guide

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Udawalawe (also spelled Udawalawa) is a national park which lies on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces in Sri Lanka. It is famous for its large wild elephant population, making an excellent destination for safari-style tours.

Udawalawe National Park is a wildlife sanctuary which was constructed to safeguard the animals which had to move during the construction of the Udawalawe reservoir. Although it covers a large area, it is easy to do a jeep tour which allows you to see a wide range of wildlife. Udawalawe national park is the third most visited wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka.

The park lies on the boundary of the wet and dry zones of Sri Lanka and it extends up to 308.2 km². Most of the land is flat, the highest part of the park is Ulgala, otherwise known as the pointed rock, at 373 metres. The landscape changes from yellow to green as the seasons change from dry to wet. The park features many miniature water bodies such as ponds and tanks, which attract wildlife. The park is mainly flat and there are many 4-wheel drive tracks, so it is easy to travel around the park in search of wildlife.

Udawalawe national park was established in 1972. Before the park was designated, the land was farmed using the chena cultivation method (slash-and-burn shifting cultivation). The park's creation resulted in the displacement of local farmers. The area surrounding the park is dominated by cultivated land.

The park includes evergreen forests and two identified endemic floral species. Chloroxylon swietenia, Berrya cordifolia, Diospyros ebenum, Adina cordifolia, Vitex pinnata, Schleichera oleosa, and Diospyros ovalifolia are tall trees that can be commonly seen in the park. Even though it is identified as a forest, the greater parts of the park are covered by grasslands and empty plains.

Udawalawe is especially known for its elephants. Many roam around in the park, whilst deer, buffaloes and golden jackals can also be found. Apart from mammals, many rare birds such as the European roller and black-necked stork can be spotted here. When it comes to reptiles, you can see mugger crocodiles and monitors. Crocodiles mostly come out in the evening to bathe in the sun.

The annual rainfall in the dry monsoon forest exceeds 1500 mm, while average temperatures are 24-29 °C.

There are regular buses from various locations in Sri Lanka to Udawalawe:

From Colombo:

• From the Colombo Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal, it will take 3½ hours to get to Embilipitiya, and costs Rs. 175-350.
• From there, take a bus to Udawalawe (locals will point it out to you)
• Alternatively, take a taxi from Embilipitiya and continue to Udawalawe, which takes 1 hour and should cost Rs. 3500-5300.
• Another option from Colombo is the route 98 bus but this may take longer. Some route 98 buses also leave from Katunayake Bus Station near the airport.

From Ella:

There are several options, but all require at least one change of bus.

• The fastest way is to take a route 31-1 bus bound for Kataragama. Get off at Thanamalwila (1½-2 hours). Then get on a route 98 bus headed to Colombo (these are very frequent). Get off at the stop nearest your hotel in Udawalawe (1-1½ hours).

• Otherwise, take a route 99 bus to Wellawaya (1-1½ hours) and connect to the 98 from there (2-2½ hours).

From Arugam Bay:

• Take the westbound route 98 bus from Pottuvil. It travels along Thanamalvila Rd which is the main road in Udawalawe town.

From the south coast:

If you are staying in the south of the country (Galle, Mirissa, etc.), take the train to the southern line's terminus at Beliatta. Take a taxi from there (1 hour, Rs. 10,000) or take a bus to Nonagama and another bus from there to Udawalawe junction (the highway turn-off for the town).

In Ella, three options exist besides buses.

• You can also take a taxi or a hire car. Ask at your hotel. Prices may range from Rs. 12-20,000 (2½ hours).

• Talk to the drivers hanging out on the main street. They may be able to direct you to a shared van heading to Udawalawe. This may cost Rs. 2000+ per person.
• Finally, you could join a day tour of the national park, but the included transport will leave from Ella around 04:00 in order to get to the national park later in the morning. Keep in mind that you won't be in the national park for sunrise or sunset with this option, which are the best times to spot wildlife.

The entrance fee ranges around Rs. 3000-5000 per foreigner and is calculated in a complicated fashion (Jan 2020): price per foreign visitor ($15) + service charge ($8) + vehicle fee (Rs 250) + VAT (8%). The total is then converted from USD to Rupees according to the exchange rate on that day.

No permits are needed to enter, but keep your passport with you just in case. Carry some extra cash as well for tipping or buying souvenirs, hats, water or snacks from the sellers near the entrance.

A vehicle and driver/spotter can be arranged in Udawalawe town, online, or through your accommodation. There are plenty of operators, so read reviews and shop around.

If you get off the bus, dozens of guides will approach you and try to sell you their safari. Here you'll be required to haggle, and may get a cheaper price than for the options listed below. Nevertheless, you'll not know about the quality of the driver/spotter: If they can't find the animals or approach them too closely, you or the animals might not have a good experience.

Tours that can be booked online start from around US$100 for a half-day tour (6 hours) including vehicle, driver and entrance fee for two people.

Guesthouses can arrange a half-day safari (6 hours) including English-speaking driver, six-seat vehicle and breakfast in the park for around Rs 8500 (Jan 2020). Entrance fees are paid separately.

Getting around the park can only be done by vehicle. You can either hire or bring in a permitted vehicle. The tours take several hours and you have a choice to take a guide along with you. You can stop the vehicle at any time during the ride and can also get out under the guidance of the driver or your tour guide (if safe to do so). Drivers radio each other with news on animal sightings. Unfortunately, as this is a busy national park, there can be crowds of safari trucks blocking the view of the animals the driver has taken you to see.

As a national park, there are no specific places to see other than the Udawalawe reservoir.

Besides visiting the national park, there are no other attractions in the area.

A small store is at the entrance. You can buy souvenirs and snacks.

It is essential to bring along food for this trip. You may only bring food items wrapped in biodegradable material (such as paper, or degradable polythene) or in a reusable storage (lunch box, plastic container). (In Jan 2020, this was not enforced.)

Bring water. You can buy bottled water at the entrance if needed.

It's best to spend a night in Udawalawa town so that you can start your safari early next morning (usually leaving around 05:30). Don't arrive in Udawalawa too early though, as there are no other attractions in the area.

There are many accommodation options in Udawalawe Town (at the southwestern edge of the reservoir), ranging from cheap to luxurious with swimming pool and cabanas. They can either be booked online, or when arriving (local touts will approach you as soon as you get off the bus).

Sleeping within the national park is not permitted.

You will be viewing wild animals in their habitat. One obvious rule when going safari tours is that you stay in your vehicle at all times. If you get out of your vehicle, you will be exposed to risk. Do not feed the animals.