Safari in Uda Walawe National Park

Having grown up in places where you are used to seeing wild animals in Zoo, going on a safari is always special for me. The excitement of not knowing when to see an animal coupled with the beautiful landscape make it a very special experience.

One of Sri Lanka’s prime national park for wildlife is probably Uda Walawe National Park. It was on our way from the Hill Country to the southern coast, so were happy to spend a night. Initially we opted for a sunrise safari and eventually added an afternoon safari as well. Park entrance fees are around LKR3’000 (€20) per person and on top we paid around LKR3’500 for our vehicle including driver. Somehow a “guide” made his way into our vehicle and while we at first thought he was included, it turned out he wasn’t. He said he was a volunteer and did indeed help us to spot a bird here and there. But overall his presence didn’t help so much. But of course we tipped him.

Without further ado, here are some of my photos. Please not that I am not a bird enthusiast, so all the photos showing birds will just have the caption “bird”.

Birds near the lake

Elephant tribe making its way to the lake in the evening

A mother with three babies/teenagers

Closeup

And since I like elephants so much, here’s another photo of one eating

Bird(s)

Birds

Bird

Bird

Bird

Small bird

Birds

Buffalos

Bird

Giant lizard

Birds at the lake

Crocodile with a bird circling above it

Sunset on the way back

If you recognize any of the bird species, feel free to leave a comment.

We loved the tour and had a great driver that managed to get away from the crowds. We thought it couldn’t get any better so didn’t end up going again in the morning. If you can, build this into your Sri Lanka itinerary – highly recommended!