Udawalawe National Park is a wildlife sanctuary that was established in 1972 to protect animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir. It covers an area of 30,821 hectares and is known for sightings of Sri Lankan elephants, monkeys, jackles, birds, and reptiles.

You can either stay overnight in the park or stay at a guesthouse nearby and hop on a jeep in the morning to start the safari. I opted for the ladder since it was cheaper and I thought it was great! Most guesthouses will offer a safari deal since everybody staying in this area is here for the national park. I recommend leaving on the early morning safari as there is more wildlife and less people.

We saw tons of wild elephants, it was incredible and felt ethical!