Lying within the Cultural Triangle, off the Habarana-Polonnaruwa road, the Minneriya National Park makes for an exciting distraction from the historical and heritage sites in the area. A relatively small park of scrubland and dry zone forest, its focal point is the ancient Minneriya Tank, which becomes the site for one of the greatest natural spectacles in the world.

Lying along an elephant corridor, during the dry season from May to September, hundreds of elephants migrate to the park which provides grazing and water aplenty. Every evening the elephants move out of the forested areas to the shores of the tank to feed and bathe and it is not uncommon to witness up to three hundred of the majestic beasts in loose family groups. The spectacle has become known as the gathering and is a one-of-a-kind event in the natural world. Minneriya National Park is also designated an Important Bird Area and large flocks of spot-billed pelicans, painted storks, and cormorants feed in the waters of the tank.

Written by Jonathan Roelofsz for Travel Lanka Compass