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Udawalawe: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Udawalawe exists because of a dam: the reservoir built on the Walawe River in the 1960s brought farmers, and the national park was drawn around its catchment to keep the forest. The elephants stayed, and today they are the reason anyone stops here. This day joins the orphanage, the lake and the parks to the east and south. Jeep safaris are best at dawn or after 3 pm; bring a hat, water and binoculars.

A short history of Udawalawe

Udawalawe National Park was declared in 1972 to protect the animals that lost their habitat when a dam was built on the Walawe River, creating the reservoir at the edge of the park. Several hundred elephants live in the park, and they are easy to see on almost every visit. In 1995 a centre for raising orphaned elephants was set up next to the park, and once they have grown up they are released into the park.

The ten best sights in Udawalawe

  1. Elephant Transit Home
    1
    Elephant Transit Home

    Orphaned baby elephants come in to be fed several times a day; you watch from a platform, no touching

  2. Udawalawe National Park
    2
    Udawalawe National Park

    Open grassland with herds of elephants almost guaranteed; jeeps leave at dawn and in the afternoon

  3. Udawalawe Reservoir
    3
    Udawalawe Reservoir

    The big lake on the park's edge; the dam road gives a view with elephants often below

  4. Lunugamvehera National Park
    4
    Lunugamvehera National Park

    Quieter park to the east, with few jeeps and the same elephants

  5. 5
    Ridiyagama Safari Park

    Drive-through safari park with lions and other imported animals; easy with children

  6. Bambarakanda Falls
    6
    Bambarakanda Falls

    The tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka, an hour north in the hills

  7. Sinharaja Forest Reserve
    7
    Sinharaja Forest Reserve

    The island's last big rainforest; leeches in the wet season, go with a guide

  8. 8
    Belihuloya

    Cool hill village with streams and rock pools on the road north

  9. 9
    Kalametiya Lagoon Bird Sanctuary

    Coastal lagoon for waterbirds, 50 minutes south; boats with local guides

  10. Maduwanwela Walawwa
    10
    Maduwanwela Walawwa

    The manor house of a local chief's family, now kept as a museum

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Udawalawe →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Udawalawe:

Elephant country

Free walking tours in Udawalawe

Elephant country

Udawalawe exists because of a dam: the reservoir built on the Walawe River in the 1960s brought farmers, and the national park was drawn around its catchment to keep the forest. The elephants stayed, and today they are the reason anyone stops here. This day joins the orphanage, the lake and the parks to the east and south. Jeep safaris are best at dawn or after 3 pm; bring a hat, water and binoculars.

  1. Udawalawe National Park · The park was declared in 1972 to protect the catchment of the new reservoir. Its open grassland, much of it former farmland, makes elephants easier to see here than almost anywhere in Asia.
  2. Elephant Transit Home · The Department of Wildlife Conservation opened the home in 1995 for calves found alone. Unlike an orphanage, it raises them with little human contact and releases them into the park when they are about five.
  3. Udawalawe Reservoir · The dam was one of independent Ceylon's first big irrigation schemes, and it turned the dry Walawe basin into rice and sugar country downstream.
  4. Udawalawe · Most families in the village came as settlers with the irrigation project, given land in exchange for clearing and farming it; tourism came only much later.
  5. Lunugamvehera National Park · Declared in 1995, the park links Udawalawe with Yala, so elephants can move between the two along a corridor of forest.
  6. Ridiyagama Safari Park · Opened in 2016, it was Sri Lanka's first drive-through safari park, where lions and other animals from abroad are seen from a closed bus.

Kings of Ruhuna

The dry south was once the kingdom of Ruhuna, the refuge of Sinhala kings when the north fell to invaders, and its temples are among the oldest on the island. This long drive goes south to a cave temple on a rock and east to Kataragama, where three religions pray at the same shrine. A full day by car, about 60 km at the far end. Wear white or light clothes that cover shoulders and knees, and be at Kataragama for the evening puja.

  1. Kawantissa Raja Maha Viharaya · The temple takes its name from Kavan Tissa, king of Ruhuna in the 2nd century BC and father of Dutugemunu, the hero-king who later united the island.
  2. Maduwanwela Walawwa · A walawwa is the manor of a Kandyan-era chief, and this one belonged to the Maduwanwela family, the most powerful landowners of the area under the British.
  3. Mulkirigala · Palm-leaf manuscripts kept in the temple helped George Turnour make the first English translation of the Mahavamsa, the island's great chronicle, in the 1830s.
  4. Tissamaharama · Under the name Magama this was the capital of Ruhuna, and its great white dagoba is attributed to King Kavan Tissa. The old tank beside it, Tissa Wewa, still waters the rice fields.
  5. Kiri Vehera · The white dagoba above Kataragama marks, by tradition, a place where the Buddha sat on his visit to the island.
  6. Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya · The god Kataragama is honoured here by Buddhists, by Hindus as Murugan, and by Muslims, who have a mosque within the sacred grounds; the Vedda people also claim him as their own.

Falls, forest and lagoon

Udawalawe sits on the line where the wet hills meet the dry lowlands, so within an hour you can stand under a waterfall, walk in a rainforest or watch birds on a coastal lagoon. Pick a direction: north for the falls and Belihuloya, west for Sinharaja, south for the coast. Each is half a day or more by car. In the wet hills carry a rain jacket and leech socks.

  1. Belihuloya · The village sits where the main road from the south starts climbing into the hill country, and its cool rocky river is where people from the plains come to swim.
  2. Bambarakanda Falls · At 263 metres, it is the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka, falling in a thin ribbon through pine forest.
  3. Sinharaja Forest Reserve · UNESCO listed it in 1988 as the island's last large tract of lowland rainforest, and most of its trees grow nowhere else on earth.
  4. Kalametiya Lagoon Bird Sanctuary · The lagoon was badly hit by the 2004 tsunami, and its mangroves and birdlife have grown back since.
  5. Ussangoda National Park · A bare plateau of red earth on a sea cliff; legend says it was scorched when Hanuman set fire to Lanka in the Ramayana.
  6. Rekawa · Five species of sea turtle come ashore on this beach to lay eggs, and a village conservation project runs night watches to see them.
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Getting to Udawalawe and getting around

  • Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport · The country's second international airport, 40 minutes away, but with very few flights; most visitors arrive by road
  • Udawalawe Bus Stop · Buses toward Ella and Monaragala stop on the main road in the village
  • Embilipitiya Bus Station · The nearest real town, 20 minutes south; buses to the coast and to Colombo

Cheap eats in Udawalawe

Udawalawe is a village of safari lodges, not a food town, and most meals are rice and curry at your guesthouse. On the road, look for buffalo curd sold in clay pots with kithul treacle poured over it, the classic sweet of the south. For a cheap, honest lunch the government-backed Hela Bojun outlets sell village food cooked by local women. Embilipitiya, 20 minutes away, has more choice.

  • Hela Bojun Hala · Village food by local women: hoppers, kurakkan rotis and herbal porridge, about Rs 100-400 a piece
  • Athgira · Simple restaurant in the village centre, rice and curry about Rs 700-1,200
  • The Garlic · Small restaurant on the main road, a meal about Rs 800-1,500
  • Ice Burge Restaurant · Roadside stop at the junction for a quick plate, about Rs 600-1,200
  • vibeX · Casual place on the Thanamalwila road, about Rs 800-1,500
  • Sanara Cafe · In Embilipitiya, short eats and tea about Rs 100-400

Museums in Udawalawe

  • Maduwanwela Walawwa · Old manor with courtyards and period furniture; ask for the caretaker
  • Mulkirigala · Cave temples with murals and reclining Buddhas; hundreds of steps
  • Kawantissa Raja Maha Viharaya · Town temple in Embilipitiya; shoes off
  • Tissamaharama · The old Ruhuna capital, with its white dagoba and tank
  • Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya · Evening puja with drums and fruit offerings

Nature and day trips near Udawalawe

  • Udawalawe Reservoir · Sunset from the dam road; elephants often come down to drink
  • Sinharaja Forest Reserve · Rainforest walks with a guide; birds in mixed flocks
  • Bambarakanda Falls · Short walk from the road; strongest from November to April
  • Kalametiya Lagoon Bird Sanctuary · Early boat trip for herons, storks and kingfishers
  • Belihuloya · Cool river pools for a swim on the way north

Things to do in Udawalawe with kids

  • Elephant Transit Home · Feeding time: calves run in for their milk; arrive a little early
  • Udawalawe National Park · Half-day jeep safari; elephants, crocodiles and peacocks
  • Ridiyagama Safari Park · Lions and zebras from a closed bus
  • Rekawa · Night turtle watch on the beach; quiet and no flash
  • Lunugamvehera National Park · A safari with almost no other jeeps

Where to eat in Udawalawe

  • Athgira River Camp · Riverside lodge; dinner for non-guests if you call ahead
  • Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort · Hotel restaurant with a buffet, about Rs 3,000-5,000
  • Kottawatte Village · Lodge dinner in a garden setting
  • The Garlic · Fried rice and curries in the evening, about Rs 900-1,800
  • Athgira · Rice and curry or kottu in the village
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Frequently asked questions about Udawalawe

What is there to see in Udawalawe?

The top sights in Udawalawe are Elephant Transit Home, Udawalawe National Park and Udawalawe Reservoir. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Udawalawe?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Udawalawe without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Udawalawe?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Udawalawe, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Elephant country.

How do you get to Udawalawe and get around?

The main ways are Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, Udawalawe Bus Stop and Embilipitiya Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Udawalawe, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Udawalawe that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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