Udawalawe Safari In Sri Lanka – Visitor’s Guide

An Udawalawe Safari Tour is a perfect way to get up close and personal with some of Sri Lanka’s most exotic wildlife.

Udawalawe National Park is a sanctuary that covers 31,000 hectares and it’s an important habitat for many species of birds, water buffalo, crocodiles, and elephants.

I have put together this complete guide to Udawalawe including how to get there, where to book an Udawalawe Safari, and what to expect on the tour!

WHERE IS UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK?

Udawalawe National Park is located 165 km from Colombo and 95 km from Matara.

Click here to see the location on Google maps.

WHERE TO BOOK AN UDAWALAWE SAFARI

You can book your Udawalawe Safari Tour online in advance with Klook which has great reviews and hundreds of bookings!

Alternatively, you can book the Udawalawe Jeep Safari through your accommodation when you arrive.

The cheapest option is to share a Jeep with some other people staying at the same accommodation as you.

The approximate cost of a Jeep that seats 6-8 people is 6,000 Rupees and the entrance fee to Udawalawe National Park is 3,500 Rupees.

I personally booked my safari through Makulu Safari Camping which was really affordable and a great experience.

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE TOUR

My morning started at 5:30 am when I had breakfast and tea at the Makulu Safari Camp before jumping in the back of the Jeep to make my way to the entrance of Udawalawe National Park.

There were quite a number of Jeeps already in line to enter the park and straight away I thought that we would be in line for ages and then once entering that we would be behind a conga line of other Jeeps. This wasn’t the case luckily.

We waited in line for around 20 minutes and then once our Udawalawe Safari began our driver took us off the beaten track away from the other Jeeps.

The dirt roads on the tour are quite bumpy though our driver was considerate of this and drove appropriately over the bumpy sections.

The fog was very thick at the beginning but then eased off as the sun began to rise.

Whenever I spotted some wildlife, I would yell out to the driver and he would stop the Jeep and turn the ignition off so I was able to take some photos and videos.

The Uawalawe Safari Tour takes around 3 to 4 hours and as I said earlier, the best time to do the safari is early morning.

This is the first safari I have been on and it definitely did not disappoint.

Book Now → Udawalawe Jeep Safari

There were hundreds of peacocks either perched high on the branches of a dead tree or scurrying around in the bushes below.

There are many different bird species that call this place home and a passionate bird watcher would be in heaven.

I also spotted several crocodiles as we approached the reservoir inside the park and not too far away was a herd of water buffaloes drinking from the lake.

But of course, the main attraction is the Sri Lankan elephants. There are approximately 600 male and female elephants roaming around so your chances are very high that you will come across these magnificent creatures.

Our driver was communicating on the phone with the other drivers inside the park to seek out the elephants.

I was fortunate enough to encounter around 15 elephants and even though stepping out of the vehicle is prohibited, we still managed to get as close as we possibly could to the elephants.

Of course, one item that I couldn’t recommend bringing enough is your camera, but taking your best travel lenses along is also essential.

BEST TOURS IN SRI LANKA

WHAT TO PACK FOR SRI LANKA

When visiting Sri Lanka, here are a few items I highly recommend taking with you:

FINAL THOUGHTS – UDAWALAWE JEEP SAFARI

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions about the Udawalawe Safari, please leave me a comment below!

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TRAVEL RESOURCES FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or it’s your first trip overseas, here are some useful travel resources to help you kick-start your next adventure!

THANKS FOR READING

Hey friend, thanks for reading this guide!

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