it's a 90-minute boat ride in the mangroves of the Madu River with stops at a cinnamon farm (very interesting) a Buddhist shrine and a fish spa. if you are lucky you might spot some Water Monitors

We had the best time with Chamara. He is a really down-to-earth dude who was funny and knowledgeable about the reserve's wildlife (his English was perfect too). He pointed out animals we would have never seen otherwise. At one point, we had 2 families of elephants all to ourselves bathing in the mud and drinking water (one baby fake charged us & did the trumpet noise). Be sure to ask him about male elephants during mating season- he has some stories! He brought sandwiches for our mid-day lunch that were surprisingly delicious. Near the end of the tour, he saw what was likely a leopard in the distance walking along the road before it turned away into the bush. They're a very rare sight, so we spent a good amount of time trying to track it to no avail (it was still very exciting and fun). Overall, the experience alone was 100% worth flying across the planet for, but Chamara made it even better. If you can choose your guide, choose Chamara.

Great experience a lot of elephant families! Lahiru helped us also to arrang the cheaper and good transportation to the Safari Park and found lot of elephants and other animals too. The safari trip took 4 hours so we had enough time to admire the animals. No rush. You can observe animals as long as you want. Thank you Lahiru Prasad for the the great memories you gave us.

One of the must do activity in Srilanka is to undertake a Scenic Train ride. We undertook the train ride early in the morning from Peradeniya Junction to Ela Station near Nuwara Eliya. Advance booking is recommended as this tends to fill up in tourist season. The train compartment is air conditioned and light snacks are sold by vendors who come to sell in your compartment.

We want in the afternoon and saw maybe 4 elephants, some deer and some monkeys. The park is mostly filled with birds and peacocks which isn't that interesting for us. The price was pretty expensive for not seeing much over 3hrs. A lot of aimless driving. 8000lkr to hire a Jeep and 23000lkr 2ppl entrance fee. We also did Kaudulla NP (in the north), which we enjoyed a lot more.

Never chose this company They left me stranded at the airport I was forced to organize the 3 hours trip at the airport So frustrating

Seen a lot of elephants! Nice driver, really did his best to get us close as possible and he wasn’t in a rush which was really nice.

We chose to go with Lahiru after all his great reviews and we’re not disappointed. Great guide sorted is out short notice an also arranged transform Colombo the safari was informative of all of the species in the park along with the elephants. You have the whole afternoon we were one of the last to leave the park! We arranged very easily on his what’s app +94 76 272 6799

Experience was great start to finish! We were in mirissa and so we were planning on taking a taxi to the park. Mewan, the safari operator was super helpful and arranged a package for us that included transport to/from mirissa along with the park tickets, jeep, and guide. We had a beautiful afternoon driving through and saw lots of stunning birds (I didn’t think I’d be so amazed by them!), elephants, iguanas, and other cool animals. All round good time, recommend this tour :)

This was such a magical experience for our whole family! To see elephants at sunset was one of the highlights of our entire trip. The guide and driver were both really experienced and answered all the questions we had about birds, wildlife and of course, elephants! My daughter kept a tally and we saw 30 elephants in 6 or 8 distinct groups. In addition to elephants, we saw numerous green bee eaters, kingfishers, storks, egrets, hawks and eagles. We watched as a crocodile caught fish and an eagle ate lizards from a tree. There were mongoose, hares and tons of adorable monkeys. We learned a lot about how old the elephants are and about their lives, as well as understanding more about how climate change is affecting their water supply and population.

A wonderful exsperience of seeing the elephants, buffaloes, salamanders, crocodiles , deer and various birds, in a natural habitats. Highly recommend no touching or feeding.

We went to the safari in the afternoon (2:45 - 6pm) in a jeep organised by our driver. Entrance fee was 22,500 rupees + the cost of our jeep and guide which was 9000 (about £75 in total). We saw so many elephants and they came very very close! The elephants seemed happy and calm, even when jeeps were near. They are obviously used to them and do not see us as a threat. We also saw a number of different birds, our favourite being the peacocks, a toucan and the little green bee-eater. As we went in August, which is their dry season, the lakes were almost all dried up but we were still lucky enough to see two small crocodiles. We would definitely recommend a safari at Udawalawe.

We went on a morning Safari in August, starting at 6am - 9am. Our hotel booked a safari visit for us which cost $150 - which we later found out was very steep! In the park we saw lots of animals including deer, buffalo, wild boar, crocodiles, stalks and a few elephants (though only from quite far away). Our favourite moment was sitting at the lake watching the birds and crocodiles searching for and eating fish. Unfortunately we did not see a leopard and it was difficult to understand our guide as he didn’t speak clear English. We did three safaris in Sri Lanka (Kaudulla and Udawalawe too) and this was our least favourite though we may have just been unlucky! If you’re deciding between morning or afternoon, go in the afternoon!

1 / 1 It was a unique experience during your visit to Yala last week. The drought conditions might have indeed influenced the behavior of the animals and the overall environment. Drought can impact the availability of water sources, which in turn affects the movement and behavior of wildlife. Animals often congregate around limited water sources during such times, so it's possible that you observed fewer animals than usual due to the water scarcity. The presence of a lot of dust could also be attributed to the dry conditions caused by the drought. Reduced vegetation and lack of rainfall can lead to dry and dusty environments, especially in areas like Yala that are prone to seasonal droughts. Despite the challenges posed by the drought, experiences like these offer a unique perspective on how ecosystems and wildlife adapt to changing conditions. It's a reminder of the delicate balance in nature and how various factors, including climate patterns, can impact the lives of animals and the environment as a whole.

I booked a private safari for 12 people as part of a company gathering with a team of different nationalities and ages. Ashan was very responsive throughout the easy booking process and made my life much easier! The team really enjoyed the tour and loved seeing the elephants but all of the different animals they wouldn't have spotted on their own. Great experience all round