Traveling on an Empty Stomachs

Not all those who wander are lost. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka

December 30, 2014

Elephant spotting at Uda Walawe National Park

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a love for animals, especially large animals in the wild. From the time we booked our flights to arriving in Sri Lanka, I could not contain my excitement about experiencing my first safari. I looked forward to this moment more than any other in the trip.

Did the safari end up being the highlight of my Sri Lankan travel?  No, even though I expected it to be. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become exceedingly aware of the impact we (humans) have on our environment and how our actions can have a tremendous impact (negative and positive) on the lives and habitats of some of the world’s most amazing creatures. The safari left me with such mixed feelings; I was elated at having seen so many animals in the open wild yet troubled by the ‘footprint’ we were leaving behind.

About Uda Walawe National Park

With over 500 elephants estimated to live in the park, Uda Walawe rivals the most popular East African national parks. Other than elephants, you can see wild buffalo, samba deer, leopards, crocodiles and masses of birds.

We visited the park in the late afternoon. I highly recommend this time as we were able to see at least 50 elephants or more. Although the park was busy with many other jeeps on the paths, I heard it is much more crowded in the early morning. We saw plenty of other animals although we were never able to spot any leopards. One thing to note, the jeeps at UWNP seat about 8 people. A guide for your jeep is included in the entrance fee.

Deciding between a safari at Uda Walawe or Yala?

Question yourself no further. Jonathan and I went on both safaris (look for my post on Yala next week). Between the two parks, we by far preferred Uda Walawe over Yala. We saw many more animals at UWNP and it was not nearly as crowded. Had we just done Yala, I would have been disappointed with my first safari experience.

Want to read more about our Sri Lankan itinerary? Find more in this post, A Winter Escape. Prior to arriving at Uda Walawe National Park we spent the morning hiking in Ella. Next up, we head to Yala for another safari and a wonderful evening provided by our driver and his sister at her guesthouse.