Stay past the usual morning exit. After the first rush of jeeps leaves, the reservoir edge is often the better place to be: buffalo in the shallows, deer on the short grass, and elephants that have stopped moving and started feeding. The extra hours are unhurried.
You are back in time for a late lunch at the hotel. Water is included. Bring a snack if you like to eat mid-morning.
This is a wild-park drive. Elephants are the reason most people come to Udawalawe, and they are still not a promise. Buffalo, deer, crocodile, and birds are part of an ordinary morning.
Itinerary
- Pickup from your hotel, or meet us at the park gate
- Tickets and entry
- Morning drive, with time to wait at the reservoir
- Leave the park
- Drop-off
Included
- Private open jeep for your group only, up to 6 guests
- English-speaking driver-guide
- Udawalawe National Park entrance tickets
- Jeep charges and taxes
- Bottled water
- Pickup from hotels in Udawalawe and along Thanamalwila Road
Highlights
- Elephant herds on the reservoir grasslands
- Water buffalo, spotted deer, and peafowl
- Mugger crocodiles and waders along the tank
- An open jeep, so you are looking across the grass, not through a window
- A driver who will wait when a herd is moving
Price for your group
| Paying guests | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per adult | $125 | $78 | $69 | $64 | $61 | $60 |
Children aged 5–11 add $24 each. Under-fives ride free and still use one of the six seats.
