Udawalawe National Park in southwest Sri Lanka is one of the island’s best places to see elephants in the wild.
Spanning both the Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces just south of the tea-covered hills, the park was declared Sri Lanka’s fifth national park in 1972. It now covers nearly 31,000 hectares, including the Udawalawe Reservoir and its catchment area. Landscapes shift between thorny scrubland, forest and open plains, with part of the park reclaimed from an old tea estate. Its resident herds of Asian elephants are the headline attraction, but sightings also include wild buffalo, sambar, deer and the elusive leopard.
Udawalawe also offers rich birdlife: raptors soar above while waterbirds cluster around the reservoir. A standout feature is the Elephant Transit Home, a conservation project backed by the Born Free Foundation. Four times daily, visitors can watch young elephants being bottle-fed before they are released back into the wild at five years old. Whether staying in a lodge or camping within the park, this is a year-round destination for wildlife lovers who want a meaningful and memorable safari experience.
