Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe National Park is a National Park in Udawalawa, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful island with a diverse range of animals and plants. Also, Sri Lanka is one of the countries with the highest natural beauty in the world. Various wildlife areas in Sri Lanka have been designated as National Parks to enhance the protection of these animals and trees. Yala, Wilpattu, Wasgamuwa, Minneriya, Udawalawe, and Horton Plains can be identified as the main national parks in Sri Lanka. 

Udawalawe National Park is the 6th largest animal sanctuary in Sri Lanka, and it was converted into a national park in 1972. Currently, Udawalawe National Park has become one of the most tourist attraction places, and it is a popular place for a safari in Sri Lanka. It is located in the Ratnapura District of Sabaragamuwa Province and the Monaragala District of Uva Province. This is a great place to see elephants. The park covers an area of 32,315 hectares, including the Udawalawe Reservoir. It is surrounded by meadows, shrubs, and rivers. Additionally, this park is home to a diverse array of animals.

This park, which is fed by monsoon, is considered part of the Dry Zone. Also, February to March is a short dry season in this area. Sometimes, this extends from mid-March to late September. But the dry season will be avoided by the September monsoon. Further, it is fostered by the northeast monsoon from November to mid-January. The annual rainfall of this area is about 1531 mm. Also, the average annual temperature is about 31 degrees Celsius.

There are a variety of plants that can be seen in this area due to the being a dry zone as well as a wet ecosystem around the reservoir. In addition to the aquatic vegetative plants such as Kumbuk, there are large plants, like Burutha, Wood-apple (Divul), Ketakeela, Kunumella, and Kirikon. There are many grasslands in the park. Lantana invasive plants can also be found in the park.

Elephants and buffalo are mainly found in the Udawalawe National Park. In addition to that, there can be seen various animals, including Wild Boar, Spotted deer, Sow Deer, Fox, Mongoose, Pig Rat, Heron, Leopard, Pheasant, and Jungle Cat. The elephant is the most frequently seen animal in the Udawalawe National Park. There are about 500 elephants in the Park. Elephants are more visible in the morning and evening. Also, many different bird species live in the Udawalawe National Park. Dry cock, Cormorant, Haban cock, Sea Looser, and types of eagles are examples. Further, this Park is home to many butterfly species and various reptiles.

Normally, Udawalawe National Park is open to all tourists from 6.30 am to 5.30 pm. Jeeps can be found near the main entrance for traveling in the Park. In addition, travelers can get a camping area located in the Udawalawe National Park for a few days' tour. For that, permission must be obtained from the Department of Wildlife. If you get a tourist home or camping area, as mentioned earlier, there are several bungalows available for this purpose. These bungalows are Sinuggala, Thibirigasmankada, Weheragolla, and Gonawidwadagala. Pranshadara and Veheramankada are several campsites in the park.  

Travelers can reach Udawalawe National Park(උඩවලවේ ජාතික වනෝද්‍යානය) from Colombo via Athurugiriya - Godagama - Padukka - Ingiriya - Rathnapura - Pelmadulla - Godakawela - Udawalawa Junction - Thanamalwila Rd. The distance of this route is approximately 157km. Traveling from Colombo to Udawalawe National Park is approximately 4 hours and 35 minutes using this route. Also, travelers can reach Rathnapura from Colombo via Avissawella - Eheliyagoda - Kuruwita. Additionally, travelers can reach Embilipitiya from Colombo via the Southern Highway using the Barawakumbuka Interchange and access Udawalawe National Park. 

The GPS coordinates of Udawalawe National Park are latitude 6° 26' 18.4020" N and longitude 80° 53' 19.72" E.