Situated approximately 200km south of Colombo, Udawalawe is one of the major eco tourism destinations spreading 30,821 hectares in the dry zone. Udawalawe National Park is very well known for its outstanding scenic beauty and wealth of fauna species, particularly mammals and birds. One of the main attractions of this park is the opportunity to view elephants at a really close range. During a visit, it is not unusual to see whole herds of adults and young elephants– feeding or bathing and playing in the water. In addition to this main attraction, the park is home to many water buffalo, water monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard, as well as being an exciting location for bird enthusiasts.