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Bundala National Park
Much less visited than nearby Yala National
Park, Bundala National Park (entrance west
of 251 Km marker; adult/child US$10/5, plus per ve-
hicle Rs 250, service charge per group US$8, vAT 12%;
h6am-6pm, last entrance 4.30pm) is a fantastic
maze of waterways, lagoons and dunes that
glitter like gold in the dying evening sun. This
wonderland provides a home to thousands of
colourful birds ranging from diminutive lit-
tle bee-eaters to memorably ugly open-billed
storks. It shelters almost 200 species of birds
within its 62-sq-km area, with many journey-
ing from Siberia and the Rann of Kutch in
India to winter here, arriving between August
and April (December to March is the peak
time). It’s also a winter home to the greater
flamingo, and up to 2000 have been recorded
here at one time.
The park also has a small but very visible
population of elephants (between 15 and 60
depending on the season, December is the
best month), as well as civets, giant squirrels
and lots of crocodiles. Between October and
January, four of Sri Lanka’s five species of
marine turtles (olive ridley, green, leatherback
and loggerhead) lay their eggs on the coast.
Bundala stretches nearly 20km along a
coastal strip between Kirinda and Hamban-
tota. Most people access the park (and hire
4WDs) from Tissamaharama and Kirinda;
Hire rates and details are the same as for Yala,
but unlike Yala, Bundala is open year-round,
allowing wildlife junkies to get a wet-season
fix. There’s a breezy visitors centre at the main
gate which has views over the marshes; check
out the skeleton of a fearsome, huge crocodile.
There’s no accommodation in the park it-
self and most people stay in Tissamaharama.
The Lagoon Inn (%071 631 0173; lagooninn@
yahoo.com; off Tissa Rd; r from Rs 2600) is a
friendly homestay on the edge of the village
of Weligathta (halfway between Tissamahar-
ama and Hambantota) and an excellent alter-
native base for the park as it’s only 2km from
the park’s northern entrance gate. The up-
stairs rooms overlook the marshes, allowing
you to birdwatch without leaving your seat.
The owner is an experienced birdwatcher
who organises park tours.Tissamaharama
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In Tissamaharama (usually shortened to Tis-
sa), eyes are automatically drawn upwards
and outwards. Upwards to the tip of its huge,snowy-white dagoba and outwards, beyond
the town’s confines, to a wilderness crawling
with creatures large and small, Yala National
Park. With its pretty lakeside location, Tissa is
a mellow and ideal base for the nearby Yala
and Bundala National Parks.1 Sights
Tissa is surrounded by rice fields backed by
misty mountains in the distance. It’s a good
place to get a bike and go exploring, peddling
past lotus-filled ponds and prowling peacocks.oTissa Wewa lAKe
The centrepiece of the town and its sur-
rounds is the lovely Tissa Wewa (Tissa Tank),
a huge man-made lake about 1.5km from the
town centre. In the evening, check out the
huge flocks of egrets that descend onto the
trees around the lake to roost. The road along
the southern edge has a wide new Lakeside
Walkway for strolling.oYatala Wehera BUDDhiST
Lotus ponds surround this site, which has
a wealth of elephant details in the carvings.
There’s a small museum (h8am-5pm) F
next to the dagoba. Amidst the dusty artefacts
dug up from around the site, look for an or-
nate, ancient bidet sitting outside. Note the
carved footpads. It’s an easy walk from town.
It was built 2300 years ago by King Maha-
naaga in thanks both for the birth of his son,
Yatala Tissa, and for his safe escape from an
assassination attempt in Anuradhapura.oTissa Dagoba BUDDhiST
This large much-restored dagoba looming
between Tissa town centre and the wewa is
believed to have been originally built around
200 BC by Kavantissa, a king of Ruhunu,
which was centred on Tissamaharama. The
white dagoba has a circumference of 165m
and stands 55.8m high. It is thought to have
held a sacred tooth relic and forehead bone
relic. It’s attractively lit up at night.
Next to the dagoba is a statue of Queen
Viharamahadevi. According to legend, Vi-
haramahadevi was sent to sea by her father,
King Devanampiya Tissa, as penance after he
killed a monk. Unharmed, the daughter land-
ed at Kirinda, about 10km south of Tissa, and
subsequently married Kavantissa. Their son,
Dutugemunu, was the Sinhalese hero who lib-
erated Anuradhapura from Indian invaders in
the 2nd century BC.
Within the site is the much smaller Sand-
agiri Wehera dagoba and the remains of