Excursion A day at the udawalawe national park with lunch tour at Hambantota

Explore the pachyderms of Udawalawe and rehabilitation of baby elephants during this panoramic, full-day safari excursion with lunch.

Hambantota, Udawalawe National Park, Elephants, Buffaloes, Monitor Lizards, Monkeys, Leopards

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 1.75-hour drive north and inland to Udawalawe National Park. Upon arrival at the park, leave your coach, board an open-air, 4X4 Jeep, and begin your approximately three-hour morning game drive. Centered around a large reservoir, the open parkland of Udawalawe is especially ideal for viewing a plethora of wildlife and elephants. You may even see an entire herd of adult elephants with their young bathing or frolicking in the water. The park is also home to water buffaloes, monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys, leopards, and abundant bird species.

Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort, Lunch, Elephant Transit Home, Baby Elephant Rehabilitation

Following your game drive, proceed for lunch at the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort. After lunch, re-board your coach and continue on to the Elephant Transit Home. The Sri Lankan elephant is an endangered species. Up to three elephants per week are killed due to conflict with humans, often leaving behind orphan calves with no means of survival. The Elephant Transit Home, the only facility of its kind in all of Asia, rehabilitates orphaned baby elephants to ultimately release them back into the wilderness when they are approximately five years old.

Guided Tour, Baby Elephant Feeding

The Elephant Transit Home is located within the Udawalawe National Park so that the calves don't lose their natural habitat; it also provides them access to food and medical care. Special care is taken to limit their interaction with humans to prepare them for their return to the wild. Your guided visit takes place at feeding time so you can observe the baby elephants being given milk. After the feeding, the calves return to the park. Following your morning with the pachyderms and wildlife of Sri Lanka, re-board your coach and commence the approximately two-hour drive back to the pier.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion include: Hambantota, Udawalawe National Park, Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort, Lunch, Elephant Transit Home & Feeding

Note

Please note: This tour involves an extensive amount of off-road driving and a moderate amount of walking for approximately 247 yards (about 225 metres), at times over uneven, dusty, bumpy, gravel, sandy, and natural surfaces and inclines, with a few steps to negotiate to get on/off the coach and four steps to get on/off the Jeep, 5 steps at Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort and 5 steps at Elephant Transit Home. Each 4X4 Jeep utilised on this tour is basic, open-air, opens from the sides, and seats five-six guests. This tour is recommended for active guests in good physical condition. The ride may be rough at times, and guests will experience bumpy, jerking motions. This tour is not suitable for pregnant guests, guests with neck/back problems, guests with heart/respiratory conditions, guests prone to motion sickness, guests with limited mobility, and guests who utilise a wheelchair. Guests are advised to wear lightweight, comfortable clothing with flat, sturdy, and closed-toe walking shoes, and bring sun protection, insect repellent, raingear, bottled water, a sweater or light jacket, a face mask to protect from dust and US Dollars, Euros, local currency, or credit cards for purchases from the ship. Guests must be at least seven years old to participate on this tour. Serving alcohol is prohibited in Sri Lanka on full moon days and certain religious holidays; alcohol will not be served on excursions on those days.

Guests must remain inside the Jeep at all times during the game drives. Due to very few trackers being available in Udawalawe National Park, they will be subject to availability. One guide is assigned to six jeeps. Rangers are locals who speak very basic English and won't be able to ride in each Jeep, but your guide provides commentary during your transfer to Udawalawe National Park and in case possible during the safari. Matches, lighters, cigarettes, and flash photography are all strictly prohibited inside the park. For personal consumption, it is recommended to avoid carrying any food items with a strong smell. Feeding the animals is strictly forbidden. Guests are not permitted to use cellular phones during the game drives. Guests are not permitted to speak loudly or stand up on the game drive vehicles, as this disturbs the animals. The open-air, 4WD safari vehicles utilised on this tour are not covered, and guests are therefore exposed to the elements. Although frequently encountered on this type of tour, wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. The elephants at the Elephant Transit Home are not tamed; therefore, avoid proximity. Since the animals are being rehabilitated to return to the wild, feeding, touching, or posing with them for pictures is strictly prohibited. The 4-star dining venue is open-air, and the best-available in the area. Expect hot conditions during the game drive. The driving time between the pier and sites visited is approximately 1.5-2 hours in each direction. A signed waiver is required to participate on this tour. Due to the prevailing weather conditions and movement of dangerous wildlife on the Game Reserve, the programme's sequence, contents, and itinerary are subject to change by the management without prior notice. Due to security checks some waiting time is expected at entrance of the National parks.

Infrastructure in Hambantota is basic, and local conditions may be challenging; therefore, we urge flexibility and understanding as we visit unique and somewhat remote destinations. The cost of providing a tour programme in Sri Lanka is proportionately more expensive than in neighbouring nations. Unfortunately, this is reflected in the prices of the tours, and we thank you for your understanding. Vehicles, guides, hotels, restaurants, equipment, and services are the best-available in the area, but may not be up to the standards of those found on other excursions. Leave all valuables on board.