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Kalawewa National Park is where Sri Lanka's tuskers gather in greater numbers than anywhere else on the island. This shared safari puts you in a 4x4 jeep with a driver who also works as your tracker, heading out across dry-zone forest, scrub and grassland that surrounds the twin reservoirs of Kala Wewa and Balalu Wewa. The park covers more than 6,000 hectares and was only formally declared a national park in 2015, which has kept its herds relatively undisturbed.
Tuskers, male elephants that grow visible tusks, are naturally rare, occurring in only around seven percent of Sri Lanka's male elephant population. Kalawewa has the highest concentration of them anywhere in the country, and sightings here carry a different weight for it. Alongside the resident tuskers, migratory herds move in from the surrounding jungle, and as the dry season draws down the water in the tanks, the exposed beds turn to grassland that can draw herds of considerable size. Massive kumbuk trees line the park, and elephants are often seen foraging beneath them, wading at the water's edge among lotus and other aquatic plants, or moving in family groups with calves close to the adults.
The reservoirs themselves are a feat of ancient engineering, built in the 5th century by King Dhatusena, who ruled the Anuradhapura Kingdom, and together they hold an enormous volume of water that still irrigates the surrounding region today. Nearby stands the Avukana Buddha, a standing granite statue from the same era, carved facing the Kala Wewa it was built to overlook. Neither site is a formal stop on this safari, but their presence explains the shape of the landscape you are driving through.
This is a shared safari, run in a 4x4 jeep that takes up to six passengers, lasting three hours with an experienced driver who doubles as your wildlife tracker. Pickup and drop-off are included free of charge from any location within five kilometres of the park gate; beyond that radius, transport is not covered. Park entrance tickets are included only when you book the jeep with tickets option, and food, drinks and gratuities are not part of the package. The minimum age for guests joining this safari is five.
