We are not what you would call ‘animal people’. We have both never had pets, are mildly allergic to cats, and still think it’s a little weird that you can bring your dog onto the tube in London. Animal-related activities do not usually feature on our travel itineraries which is why we almost didn’t make it to Udawalawe National Park. Driving around in a bumpy jeep for several hours, attempting to spot wild animals didn’t seem like our cup of tea at all but somehow, I managed to convinced myself and a certain someone that it was a good idea, and it ended up being one of the best days of our whole trip! Maybe I do have an inner David Attenborough after all…
Udawalawe National Park is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular safari destinations as it’s less crowded than Yala National Park, and is known as the best place to spot elephants in the wild. For us, it was also the most logical choice due to its location, handily between Ella in the Hill Country and our next destination, Tangalle on the Southern Coast. The safaris are the bread and butter of this town and as such, tours run in the morning and afternoon, and there are definitely no shortage of tour operators and jeep drivers. You can literally turn up at the gates and hire your jeep and driver then and there, but as it was our first ever safari experience we decided to also hire a guide to get the most out of our visit.