This park can be reached from Colombo on the following route.

Colombo – Ratnapura – Pelmadulla – Kahawatta – Madampe – Kolambage ara – Udawalwa Junction – turn left to Udawalawa.
(4 hours)

Udawalawa was declared as the fifth National Park of the country in June 1972 and is very famous worldwide for its large population Asian Elephants. This is one of the National Parks which is closest to Colombo and provides diverse habitat for many species of birds. It lies both in the Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces and includes the Udawalawa reservoir and most of its catchment area as well. The altitude ranges from 100m to 373m and the park covers an area of 30,821 hectares and is supported by not only the large reservoir but one of the country’s major rivers which flows through the same. The ecosystem of the park is predominantly forest with large scattered areas of grasslands and thorny-shrubs while tall forests exist mostly close to the river. There are bungalows for overnight stay inside the park as well as camping sites which have to be pre booked through the Colombo office of the Department of Wild Life Conservation (DWLC). There are also many privately owned bungalows as well as guest houses around the park.

Birds to look for

Large prinia, White-browed Prinia, Ashy Prinia, Franklins Prinia, Yellow-eyed Babbler, White-throated Babbler, White-rumped Shama, Brown-capped Babbler, Black-fronted Babbler, Common & Marshall’s Iora, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Blue-faced Malkoha, White-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Blyth’s Pipit, Crested Honey Buzzard, Crested Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black-winged Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Sirkeer, Hoopoe, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Pied Flycatcher Shrike, Black-capped Bulbul, Barred Bustard Quail, Indian Pea Fowl,  Alpine Swift, House Swift, Great Stone Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Orange-headed Ground Thrush, Forest Eagle Owl, Brown Wood Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Barn Owl, Little Scops Owl, Stork-billed Kingfisher,  Indian Pitta, Common Kingfisher, Openbill, Painted Stork, Spoonbill, Rosy Starling, Ceylon Jungle Fowl and many more.