Elephant safari

Minneriya National Park is in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka.

Understand

Tourists visit Minneriya largely because of elephants, especially in dry season. Around 150-350 elephants live there. Best time to spot elephants is from 15:00 to 18:00 when they are most active.

History

The area was designated as a national park in 1997, and had been declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.

Flora and fauna

Park is inhabited by 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies. Large numbers of Sri Lankan elephants are attracted to grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season. The park is an important habitat for the two endemic monkeys of Sri Lanka: purple-faced langur and toque macaque.

Climate

The wet season lasts during the north eastern monsoon from October to January, while dry season lasts from May to September.

Get in

The park is 182 km from Colombo, about 20 km from Sigiriya and 25 km from Polonnaruwa.

1 Minneriya Visitors Entrance, Maradankadawala-Habarana-Thirukkondaiadimadu Highway, ☏ +94776487757. 6:00 - 18:00. (updated Dec 2016)

Fees and permits

Entrance ticket for foreigners costs US$15 + Tax (as of Aug 2017).

See

Minneriya national park safari

Go next

• Kaudulla National Park — less known place to see elephants in about 20 km away from Minneriya
• Polonnaruwa
• Sigiriya