Lying within the south-central plains, with a spectacular backdrop of the mountain ranges of the hill country, Udawalawe National Park is by far the best park in the country to see elephants in the wild. The landscape of the park is dominated by open grassland mixed with pockets of scrub, which provides plentiful grazing for a floating population of up to 600 elephants that reside in the park. With such a dense population of elephants here, it is common to see small herds dotted around the park quietly grazing on the undulating plains, and gathering at the shores of the Udawalawe reservoir in the early evening. Wild buffaloes spotted deer, toque macaques, and grey langurs are also common sightings. The Udawalawe National Park also makes for good bird watching and is home to numerous species of raptors and waterfowl.

A few kilometers away from the park entrance, the Elephant Transit Home cares for orphaned baby elephants, and although it does not have the numbers of Pinnawala, makes for an interesting visit during feeding times.

Written by Jonathan Roelofsz for Travel Lanka Compass