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Bu ses leave regularly for most destina-
tions from, or near, the bus station; destina-
ti ons include Tangalla (Rs 50), Matara (Rs
100) and Ratnapura (Rs 100).
If you’re staying at Embilipitiya and wish
to organise a tour of Uda Walawe park, catch
a bus to Tanamalwila (Rs 75) and ask to be
dropped at the gate to the park.
4 Sleeping
Centauria Tourist Hotel HOTEl $$
(%223 0514; http://www.centauriahotel.com; s Rs 8350-
96 20, d Rs 9700-11,050 incl breakfast; aWs)
Around 1.5km south of the town centre, this
ho tel combines a languid ambience with,
fr om the standard rooms, front-row views
over a lake. These standard rooms are actu-
ally better value and more spacious than the
deluxe rooms in the main building.
8 Getting There & Away
Buses leave from the bus station (which is right
in the town centre) frequently to the following:DESTINATION FARE TIME
matara Rs 125 3hr
Ratnapura Rs 129 3-4hr
Tangalla Rs 80 2hr
Uda Walawe Rs 46 ½hrUd a Wa l aw e
National Park
This is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to
se e elephants. According to the 2011 census
there are about 600 in the park in herds of up
to 50. There’s an elephant-proof fence around
th e perimeter of the park, (supposedly) pre-
ve nting elephants from getting out and cat-
tle from getting in. The best time to observe
elephant herds is from 6.30am to 10am and
again from 4pm to 6.30pm.1 Sights
Uda Walawe National Park PARK
(admission Rs 1945, service charge per group Rs 1038,
ve hicle charge per group Rs 250, plus overall tax vAT
12 %; h6am-6pm) With herds of elephants,
wi ld buffalo, sambar deer and leopards, this
Sr i Lankan national park rivals the savan-
na h reserves of Africa. In fact, for elephant-
watching, Uda Walawe often surpasses many
of the most famous East African national
parks. The park, which centres on the 308.2-sq-
km Uda Walawe Reservoir, is lightly vegetated
but it has a stark beauty and the lack of densevegetation makes game-watching easy. It’s the
one park in Sri Lanka not to miss.
The entrance to the park is 12km from the
Ratnapura–Hambantota road turn-off and
21km from Embilipitiya. Visitors buy tickets
in a building a further 2km on. Most people
take a tour organised by their guesthouse or
hotel, but a trip with one of the 4WDs waiting
outside the gate should be around Rs 3500
for a half-day for up to eight people with
driver. Last tickets are usually sold at 5pm.
A park guide is included in the cost of ad-
mission and these guys, who all seem to have
hawk-like wildlife-spotting eyes, are normally
very knowledgeable about the park and its
animals. A tip is expected.
Besides elephants, sambar deer and wild
buffalo (although most buffalo you’ll see in
the park are domesticated), there are also
mongooses, jackals, water monitor lizards,
lots of crocodiles, sloth bears and the oc-
casional leopard. There are 30 varieties of
snakes and a wealth of birdlife – 210 species
at last count; northern migrants join the resi-
dents between November and April.Elephant Transit Home ZOO
(adult/child Rs 500/250; hfeedings 9am, noon,
3pm & 6pm) This home, helping to care for the
area’s injured elephants, is on the main road
about 5km west of the Uda Walawe National
Park entrance. Supported by the Born Free
Foundation (www.bornfree.org.uk), the complex
is a halfway house for orphaned elephants. Af-
ter rehabilitation, the elephants are released
back into the wild, many into the Uda Walawe
National Park. Although you can’t get up close
and personal with the elephants, a visit at
feeding time is still a lot of fun.
At the time of research 98 elephants had
been rehabilitated at the Elephant Transit
Home and subsequently released. A boister-
ous group of around 40 juvenile and teenage
pachyderms are currently there. Most 4WD
operators include a visit here on their trips.4 leeping & EatingS
Options for staying in and around Uda
Walawe have mushroomed in the last couple
of years and although much of it is more ex-
pensive than you might pay for similar else-
where, there are still some good places to stay.Superson Family Guest g UESTHOUSE $
(%047-347 5172; 90B CDE Place, Uda Walawe; s
Rs 1200, d with/without air-con Rs 3000/1700; a)
This guesthouse has simple accommodation,
a nice garden and good home-cooked food.
Prices seem to be very flexible.