Go on Safari at the Udawalawe Nationalpark while travelling Sri Lanka!
If you are in Sri Lanka, you simply have to do a safari!
And since we are in Sri Lanka for some time, a safari was also on the plan for us. We decided on a tour to the Udawalawe National Park, as this is the easiest to reach from Galle. Another option would have been a safari in Yala National Park, as it is only a little further away than Udawalawe. Of course, there are several other national parks in Sri Lanka, but these two are the closest for us.
Last weekend we were already with our guide Sammy on a boat tour on Koggala Lake on the road. There we also learned from him that you can simply make a day trip from Galle to Udawalawe or Yala, just to make a safari. And he also offered us immediately that he can organize the whole thing for us and also accompany us. We accepted this offer.
Because of Sammy’s planning we didn’t have to worry about anything. We are picked up directly at our accommodation — which is now the Fairway Galle — brought by him with a car to the Udawalawe National Park where it then goes with a jeep on safari.
Since Sammy also accompanies us on safari, we have a great guide who can explain everything to us and answer almost every question. Because of his good English skills the communication is also very good and he is a real help when it comes to talk to locals who do not speak English so well. After the safari we have the option to visit an underground temple and are also brought back home by Sammy. So for us everything is very relaxed!
The entrance fee to the Udawalawe National Park is 40€ per person, a 3-hour safari is available for 30€ and then the round trip transport. So we paid just under 150€ for the whole tour for the two of us. Cheaper we would not have gotten it even on sites like Groupon, getyourguide or similar. And in Sammy we also have a great, friendly and very sympathetic guide who will accompany us throughout the day. It does not get better than that!
A successful safari depends on the weather
The main purpose of a safari is to see and observe animals in their natural habitat. Therefore, it is of course even more important that you get to see animals. Otherwise you just drive with a jeep over gravelly, muddy roads and see trees, bushes and undergrowth. So a safari is only a success if you can also observe the animals.
The weather plays a big role so that the animals can be seen. The national park is laid out in such a way that there are always water holes along the paths, which are actually always filled, so that the elephants, water buffalo, etc. come there to drink something. However, if it rains a lot — or has rained a lot in the days before the tour — there is enough water for the animals even in the jungle and they have no reason to come out of the jungle.
Crocodiles also do not leave their lakes when it rains. They only come out when the sun is shining to bathe in it and thus increase their body temperature. And in general, when it rains, the animals would much rather hide in the dense jungle instead of just presenting themselves to the rain. After all, we humans would not stand in the rain for hours without protecting ourselves from the wetness.
Since it rained in the last days with us again and again — sometimes more violently, sometimes less — we had actually canceled the tour on the evening before the planned safari, since for the following day also rain was announced. And we didn’t want to go on a safari when the animals were all hiding. The next morning Sammy wrote me a message that the weather looked good after all and that we could theoretically still go on the tour. A little later than planned but hey. Spontaneously we decided to go on the safari after all and were picked up by Sammy a little later. He had previously helped out on a construction site and then also spontaneously left there to be able to go with us on a discovery tour.
On the way to Udawalawe National Park
At 12 noon we were spontaneously picked up by Sammy and a driver at our accommodation. With two backpacks packed — in it two cameras, the GoPro, enough to drink, a few toasts and small snacks as well as a change of clothes for me, in case we also visit the temple — we started. After a short time we were on the highway. Now there was just a long car ride ahead.
I must say, however, that the time in the car (just under 3 hours) went by relatively quickly, because you can look at the impressive nature of Sri Lanka left and right the whole way. We have seen on the way even a few weasels, which romped on the roadside. In between Sammy has phoned again and again with people from the national park to check the weather.
He also told us that we have two options. Either we go to Udawalawe National Park and hope that it does not rain there so that we can go on safari. However, if it rains there, we could continue to Yala National Park and try our luck with the weather again. Since Yala National Park is a bit behind Udawalawe, we decide to go there first.
During the drive there are more and more dark clouds in the sky and it is raining in between. It seems in between as if the safari would not be possible but I stick to my opinion that we are not there yet and that the weather will be better in Udawalawe. And indeed I am right. When we arrive in Udawalawe it is still slightly cloudy but it doesn’t look like rain anymore.
The Udawalawe National Park
Arrived at the national park we change from the car into a jeep. This jeep is open at the sides and offers place for 6 persons. Luckily we have the jeep all to ourselves. An advantage of Corona! :-D
You really have to climb into the Jeep because it is so high. However, the open design of the rear seat, the height and the thick tires make it the perfect choice for a safari! You can get up close and personal with the animals without leaving the vehicle. In addition, it is no problem to drive through water holes, stony as well as muddy roads or even roads with holes. But already on the first meters from the parking lot to the entrance we realize that it will certainly be a bumpy ride.
While Sammy fetches our tickets with the jeep driver, we go once again quickly to the toilet. The safari is supposed to last three hours and during that time it is not allowed to leave the jeep. When we are back in the jeep, the sun is shining and all rain clouds have disappeared. So we are really lucky and have the ideal weather for a safari.
When we pass the barriers at the entrance of the national park, we also directly discover an elephant. As if he was trained for it, he stands perfectly under the sign, which shows the entrance of the national park. So we stop after a few meters to have a closer look at the elephant. It is almost as if he wants to greet us and welcome us to his home. Only a few meters away from the jeep he stands there and eats quite relaxed some leaves.
Sammy explains to us that this is a male elephant. In contrast to the female elephants, these are always alone on the road and probably have a different back shape. However, I still can’t see the exact difference in the shape of the back. When a dog runs around our jeep we have to drive on. Elephants don’t like dogs and like to throw them away when they come near them. And since the elephant is a male, we would run the risk that he not only wants to drive away the dog but also us, and we don’t want that after all.
The safari
We continue along the path and stop again after a short time, because Sammy has discovered a mother elephant with her baby. These also stand quite relaxed directly next to the path and do not let us and the jeep disturb them in the slightest. They even walk quietly in front of the jeep along to the other side, where the mother organizes a mud bath for herself and her baby.
It is simply ingenious and totally impressing to be able to observe the wild animals from such a proximity in their natural habitat. Unlike in zoos, elephant shows or elephant camps, these animals are really free and wild here. They live in the national park but have basically no contact with humans. And yet they are so peaceful and relaxed that you don’t have to worry.
When the small family finally disappears in the bushes, we also continue our way. It would take too long to describe every single time we spotted animals again so I’ll shorten it a bit. Sammy and also the driver have a very good eye for spotting the animals. It happens very often that we drive along the road while Marc and I always keep our eyes open to see if we spot an elephant, buffalo or even a leopard.
Suddenly we stop again and again, without one of us having seen an animal, and drive back a few meters, where Sammy then presents us with another elephant, a peacock or even water buffalo. As good as always we have completely overlooked the animals before, because they stand behind a tree or also simply before a bush. It is quite strange how close one can be to the animals without knowing that they are there at all.
We also notice that there are always deep holes filled with water at the edge of the path. Our assumption that these were created especially for the animals is confirmed. Through the water holes the animals are lured out of the jungle, up to the paths, so that the visitors of the national park can marvel at them. And it works. Every few meters we discover new animals. Mostly it is elephants or peacocks but also water buffalos, eagles and many other bird species.
It is really hard to describe how you feel when the elephants walk so close to you. And we are really lucky to see so many. I can’t get enough of the elephants and would love to just watch them for hours. But since we wanted to do a safari — and Marc also really wants to see crocodiles — I have to force myself again and again that we continue our trip. To my delight it never takes long until we see the next elephants to observe them again for a while.
In search of crocodiles
When we reach the first lake we also see directly that quite far away in the water something is swimming. Sammy confirms that it is a crocodile. The first free living crocodile that we have ever seen. Even though you can actually only make out part of its back and the moving water. Still, a crocodile. Sammy assures us that there is another lake where we will surely see more crocodiles so we continue.
As we drive around a bend, Marc and I spot the lake in the background and Sammy tells us that he can already see a crocodile with its snout open. No matter how hard we try, we can’t see anything in the distance except water. As we get closer, the crocodile slowly becomes visible. With opened snout it lies on a small island in the middle of the lake and suns itself. Even if we can recognize it now at least, it is still very far away and for a photo it is not enough unfortunately yet.
The lake and the landscape around it are like something out of a movie. You feel as if you were driving through a nature documentary, so idyllic and fascinating is this sight. On the one hand this large, calm lake with its small islands, then a large flat landscape on which elephants and water buffaloes romp and on the edge then the beginning jungle with its own fascination. This sight really can’t be described, you just have to experience it yourself.
As we continue around the lake, we discover more crocodiles lying on the edge of the water, letting the sun shine on their backs. It seems we have discovered a spot where there are a lot of crocodiles. The further we drive, the more crocodiles are to be seen and more than once these scurry directly before our jeep still fast into the water. Often we have not even noticed them before. In the undergrowth and on the ground, the crocodiles are really very well camouflaged and as long as they do not move, they are really hard to recognize.
Some of the crocodiles are not impressed by us and just stay, only a few centimeters away from the jeep. You can see every detail of the crocodiles and they make no effort to run away or attack you. Nevertheless, it would be life weary to leave the jeep. This is proven, among other things, by the head of a dead buffalo that we discovered in the grass just a few meters away. Sammy tells us that this one was probably attacked and killed by a crocodile.
Already before we had discovered bone remains, bony skulls and the like from time to time. This skull, however, is still covered with skin and fur, which suggests that the buffalo has not been dead for too long. As fascinating and actually relaxed as the crocodiles seem, one should not risk getting too close to them.
A unique experience comes to an end …
Unfortunately, we are now already approaching the end of our safari. At the beginning we were the only people in the national park and no other jeep was on the way. Since it is afternoon by now, we now also meet two other jeeps that are fully occupied. At first we are the first vehicle but the other jeeps quickly overtake us as we watch a family of elephants on the side of the road for longer than just two minutes.
This is another advantage of doing a safari with a private guide. You have full freedom to decide how long you want to stay where. And besides, you can always adjust the seating position in the jeep to the animals. If the animals are on the left, you sit to the left, if they are on the right, you sit to the right. So you always have the best conditions to see the animals on such a unique tour.
On the way back we pass some elephants and countless peacocks. These are here in Sri Lanka probably a real plague. We also learn that only the male peacocks have the colorful plumage and the female ones have a rather inconspicuous plumage. In general, we learned a lot again on the safari with Sammy and experienced a lot more. It is a pity that it is already over, although we were on the road for almost 4 hours instead of the planned 3.
Back in the car on the way back to Galle we stop at a small, local restaurant on the roadside. There we eat rice with vegetables, the typical Sri Lankan hoppers made of rice flour and of course chili. After we all have strengthened ourselves it goes then again back home. In the meantime it is dark. On the way we stop again at a small store because Sammy wants to show us another Sri Lankan dish. It is called “Kurt” and is probably a kind of yogurt made from buffalo milk. He tells us that it is best to buy this yogurt here, because the buffalo milk is often no longer good when it arrives in Galle and here the Kurt is made fresh directly.
After almost 3 hours of driving — which seems much longer this time because we are tired and you can see only darkness outside — we arrive at our apartment. It was a really great day, a brilliant trip and an experience we will never forget! A big thanks for this goes to our guide Sammy! :-)
