Udawalawe National Park

If elephants are top of your list, Udawalawe is the place. Built around a large reservoir, its open grassland gives near-guaranteed elephant sightings year-round, often in large herds and at close range. The park is also home to water buffalo, deer, crocodiles, eagles and the occasional leopard. The neighbouring Elephant Transit Home, which rehabilitates and releases orphaned calves back into the wild, makes Udawalawe a rewarding, ethical wildlife choice for families.