For over four decades since its inception, the Udawalawe National Park has successfully attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors, including both local and foreign tourists, while prolifically contributing to the development of the entire tourism sector of Sri Lanka. The number one and predominant factor that has attached a high degree of prestige to the National Park of Udawalawe is the high probability of sighting Sri Lankan elephants. Tourists will most certainly catch a glimpse or even get within several metres of one or multiple elephants at Udawalawe during each safari tour. Furthermore, other exotic creatures, such as the Sri Lankan leopard and endemic species of birds, can also be witnessed at Udawalawe.


The Udawalawe National Park was designated and established as the fifth national park of Sri Lanka on the 30th of June, 1972. This officially designated the Udawalawe region as a national park in addition to a wildlife sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection ordinance of Sri Lanka.The water reservoir of Udawalawe National Park, encompassing a total surface area of nearly 3,500 hectares, is the largest reservoir in the vicinity and it is referred to as the “Walawe reservoir”.


The total area of Udawalawe National Park is almost 31,000 hectares and this makes the park one of the most expansive parks in the island. The most common type of environment witnessed in Udawalawe is the dry grassland and scrubland. Extensive regions of tall grass, scrubs, as well as trees are common sights at Udawalawe. These are the most favourite environment conditions of the elephants at Udawalawe for a substantial portion of the year. Even though grasslands, scrublands, and similar types of plains are predominantly witnessed in the park, mountainous and rocky areas are also not uncommon.