When you can see wild elephants from the bus as you arrive in the township nestled alongside the Udawalawe NP, you know that you're in for something special. For a few hours we cruised around the NP in our new favourite method of transport - the safari Jeep - and had seriously up close and personal experiences with one of nature's most splendid creatures.
And if you haven't seen enough yet, here's a video.
When we weren't spotting elephants we were weaving our way through the park, pulling up at watering holes and taking in a staggeringly diverse range of other creatures (our camera apologises for not taking better photos).
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| Sri Lankan Jackal |
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| Yes, that's a tortoise on his back |
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| Changeable Hawk-Eagle |
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| Feasting on a lizard |
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| I promise you that's a pair of Hornbills |
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| Painted Storks down below and a Grey Headed Fish Eagle up top |
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| Blue Eared Kingfisher |
A leopard had been seen that afternoon but we weren't lucky enough to see it so all our hopes were pinned on seeing one in a few days time at Yala NP.
Udawalawe NP was stunning enough that even if it wasn't crawling with wildlife you would still make the trip there to take in its supremely beautiful landscapes.
As we left the park at closing time it began to rain lightly and that unmistakable smell of rain on a hot summer's afternoon left us with the sweetest taste in our mouths and finished off a really classy safari in the most glorious of ways.
There is one guesthouse and one Jeep driver that you should consider when visiting Udawalawe NP - Silent Bungalows (www.booking.com/hotel/lk/silent-bungalow.html) run by Sudath and his lovely wife. Their guesthouse only has a few rooms that are set in a heavily forested area, they cook up amazing Sri Lankan food and Sudath's safaris are informative and interesting and whilst you get within touching distance of some animals you never feel like you're being intrusive and you know he has a genuine interest in and love for the environment.
The Bird Nerd Notes
Alexandrine Parakeet
Barred Button-Quail
Black Winged Stilt
Blue Eared Kingfisher
Blue Tailed Bee-Eater
Brahminy Kite
Brown Fish Owl
Cattle Egret
Changeable Hawk-Eagle
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Spoonbill
Grey Headed Fish-Eagle
Indian Peafowl
Indian Pond Heron
Little Green Bee-Eater
Malabar Pied Hornbill
Painted Stork
Pied Kingfisher
Red-Wattled Lapwing
Spot-Billed Pelican
Stork-Billed Kingfisher
White-Bellied Fish-Eagle
Yellow-Wattled Lapwing
