<p class=”intro”>For an island roughly the size of Portugal, Sri Lanka boasts an impressive 22 national parks. Uda Walawe is to the south of Horton Plains, whose great rock escarpment provides a backdrop to the park’s open plains, scrubland and wetlands. With its large, central reservoir, the park has become known for its herd of about 250 elephants, which are relatively easy to spot as they graze on the surrounding grasslands.</p>
The park was established in 1972, after the damming of the Walawe River to create a reservoir. The surrounding marsh and wetlands attract endemic and migratory birds, from wading ibis and egrets to dainty green bee-eaters and an occasional kingfisher, which attracts your eye in a neon flash. You’ll often see serpent eagles hovering overhead, swooping into the tall grass to catch their quarry.