Udawalawe National Park Sri Lanka, Uva Province

Udawalawe National Park lies comfortably on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Province in Sri Lanka. The park boasts a mixture of wet and dry lands unlike Yala National Park, which has mostly dry land. The park’s marshes and wetlands provide important habitats for waterbirds, elephants, lizards, game, snakes, and many more.

Although the park isn’t as big as Yala National Park, it remains a popular attraction for tourists all over the world and is the third most visited national park in Sri Lanka. This is mainly due to the high density of Sri Lankan elephants that live here. Udawalawe National Park is considered to be one of the best national parks in the world for seeing wild elephants and spotting wild game. With the large number of elephants roaming the park, you’re guaranteed to see at least one whilst on your tour. The best time to see the elephants is in the morning from 6:30 am to 10:30 am and in the afternoon from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm.

As well as witnessing majestic elephants grazing on the luscious grasslands, the park offers so much more to see and explore. Hire a safari jeep and take a tour of the park to see if you can spot peacocks, wild buffaloes, crocodiles, the many species of birds and butterflies, spotted deer, and wild boars. Tours typically last from four hours to half a day, whichever suits your needs. You’ll be pleased to know that taking a tour of this park is a lot cheaper than taking a tour of Yala National Park and the flat grasslands make it easier for spotting wild animals.