Elephant Safari in Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka 2025
One of the three most popular national parks of Sri Lanka is famous for its elephants
Best time: May–September
With vast grasslands and a large water reservoir, Udawalawe National Park is a perfect habitat for elephants. There are a few hundreds of them living in the park along with other representatives of rare fauna. The scenery of the park is indeed stunning, the dark hills of Horton Plains change into the open parkland. Flowering trees and lush vegetation is everywhere. Serpent eagles can be spotted in the sky flying over the tall grassland looking for a catch.
The park also has the Udawalawe Elephant Transfer Home, established in 1995 by the Sri Lanka government. Its goal is to rehabilitate orphaned elephant calves and release them back into the wild. Visitors can see how orphan elephants are being cared for and learn a lot about Sri Lanka elephants and their habitat.
The dry season in this area lasts from May through September. During the dry season, chances to spot elephants increase as they gather near bodies of water. October and November are the wettest months.