FAQ about Udawalawe National Park by best of ceylon - Udawalawe National Park Visitor Information - Udawalawe National Park

Yala and Udawalawe are two of the most important and two of the most popular national parks in Sri Lanka.Both have uniqueness in their own way. When you compare Udawalawe and Yala National Parks Yala is in every year closed for around six to eight weeks but Udawalawe is never closed and comparing to Yala, Udawalawe is less crowded. Yala National Park is most visited national park in Sri Lanka and one of the most touristic place. There are lots and lots of Safari goers in Yala national park compared to Udawalawe. In Udawalawe you can witness the wild elephants without much crowd.

Compared to Yala National Park the Udawalawe national park is cheaper in prices. In terms of wildlife Udawalawe is a better place to see elephants and has the highest concentration of wild elephants. Udawalawe national park is about 1/3 of the size of Yala national park. Yala national park is more famous for the high density of leopards. If you want to see Leopards you must visit Yala National Park. If you are a wild elephant lover you must visit Udawalawe National Park.

You can visit Udawalawe national park from the south coast of Sri Lanka and it can be accessed as a day trip. The easiest way to visit Udawalawe national park is by hiring a private hired vehicle and of course you can take local buses to the town of Udawalawe.
From Weligama : It takes around two hours to get to Udawalawe national park from Weligama via route E01
From Colombo: it takes around 3hrs and 55minutes to get to Udawalawe National park from Colombo via route E01
From Ella: it takes around 2hrs to get to Udawalawe National Park from Ella via Thanamalvila road.

Udawalawe National Park is open daily from 6am – 6pm for the public and the best time to visit the park is early in the morning or the late afternoon as during the day animals are hiding inside the forest to avoid harsh sunrays. If you are staying in an accommodation near the park you will be able to visit the park for the early safari ride which increase chances of seeing more wildlife. The safari timing in Udawalawe national park is usually from 6:00 am to 9:00 am and from 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

Udawalawe National Park is open all through the year and either you visit it in dry climate or wet climate you will surely have a wonderful time. The dry season runs from May-September in this part of Sri Lanka. The dry season is a good time for safari because the lack of water means elephants will gather at the reservoirs, making them easy to spot. During the wet season, From October- April, the vegetation will be much lusher, and the chances to see baby elephants are significantly higher.

The jeep ride in Udawalawe national park is bumpy and rough so you shouldn’t expect a comfy ride. The safari jeeps used in Udawalawe national park for safaris are big in size so regardless where you sit you will have a good view of surrounding scenery and wild. Because the jeeps are big in size you will have enough room to take the pictures of wildlife. During the safari ride in Udawalawe you aren’t supposed to get out of the Jeep for your own safety. Once you get inside the park your safari jeep ride provider will drive to the ticket office so you can pay the park entrance fee. A Half day safari ride in Udawalawe national park spans for about three hours long during this time you can witness lots of wildlife including elephants, birds, water buffalo, crocodiles, lizards, monkeys and many other wildlife.

Elephant transit home in Udawalawe is based inside the park and is famous as one of the best wildlife rehabilitation centers in the world. This elephant transit home take care of orphaned elephant calves with the goal to return them back to the wild. This elephant transit home was established by the department of wildlife conservation in Sri Lanka.

• Wear lightweight and neutral colored clothes. Khaki color clothes will be very good to wear.
• A good camera with zooming lenses, extra batteries and SD Card.
• Cash for park entrance and jeep and guide price.
• Water bottles
• Sunscreen, Sunglass and Sunhat to prevent from getting caught to the harsh sunrays.
• Some snacks to munch while in the park.
• Pair of binoculars for spotting wildlife.