Wild elephants by the dozen, on wide open plains

What a safari here feels like

Udawalawe looks more like the African savannah than the jungle you might expect: open grassland, scattered trees and a big reservoir with bleached tree trunks standing in the water, the hills hazy in the distance.

The stars are the elephants. Around 250 live here, and on most drives you'll meet family herds of aunts, mothers and wobbly calves, grazing, dust-bathing and ambling across the track a few metres away. Because the country is open, you watch them properly instead of glimpsing grey shapes in the bush, and you'll see how a herd works, with the big females quietly keeping the little ones in the middle.

There's plenty more. Water buffalo wallow in the shallows, crocodiles bask on the banks, and the birdlife is superb, from peacocks and bee-eaters to eagles watching from dead trees. Leopards and sloth bears live here too but are rarely seen, so come for the elephants and treat anything else as a bonus.

When to go

Any time. Udawalawe is open all year with no annual closure, and its elephants live here year-round. The drier spells, roughly January to April and June to September, are slightly better, as herds gather near the water and the grass is shorter. After rain the park turns a vivid green, which photographers love.

Morning, afternoon or full day?

• Morning brings cool air and fresh light. From Ella or Mirissa it means a very early start, but you're done by mid-morning with the rest of the day free for the drive onwards.
• Afternoon works brilliantly here too and is the easier choice on a travel day. Leave around midday after a lazy morning, see the herds in warm late light, and reach your next stop in time for a late dinner.
• Longer drives are possible, but at Udawalawe a half-day usually shows you plenty.

Add the Elephant Transit Home, a few minutes from the gate, where orphaned calves are bottle-fed until they're ready to return to the wild. A visit takes about half an hour, so time it for one of the feeding sessions.

A better, kinder safari

• Give elephants space. A good driver stops well back, turns the engine off and lets the herd decide how close to come. Nobody should ever drive between a mother and her calf.
• Don't feed the elephants at the fence. Along the main road beside the reservoir you'll see elephants waiting at the park's electric fence for handouts. Feeding wild elephants is illegal in Sri Lanka and teaches them to linger by roads, which ends badly for them. Watch, take a photo and drive on.
• Choose the Transit Home over elephant rides. It's the ethical way to see young elephants up close. Skip anywhere offering rides, bathing sessions or shows.
• Stay in the jeep and keep it quiet, and take your rubbish home.