Udawalawe

Rivaling the great savannah reserves of East Africa, Udawalawe National Park spans 30,821 hectares of open grasslands, riverine forests, and the shimmering Udawalawe Reservoir. Sheltering a permanent population of over 600 to 700 wild Asian elephants, it is widely regarded as the most reliable place in all of Asia to photograph multi-generational elephant herds—including playful calves—in the wild.

Just outside the park gate lies the acclaimed Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home (ETH), supported by the Born Free Foundation, where orphaned baby elephants are bottle-fed and rehabilitated with minimal human contact before being released back into the wild national park.