DESTINATION · HIKKADUWA SAFARIS
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 8 hikkaduwa safaris worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to sort out before you commit.
Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Hikkaduwa, Galle, Mirissa, or Tangalle to Yala National Park, then spend about three hours in a safari Jeep. Guides such as Dilan, Sasanka, Tikiri, and Chathura focus on spotting leopards, elephants, crocodiles, buffalo, deer, and birds before returning you to your hotel.
“Dilan was a great guide! Definetly recommend the tour!”
Travel from Galle, Mirissa, Weligama, Matara, Hiriketiya, or Tangalle to Ella with a three-hour Yala safari on the way. You’ll switch from an air-conditioned transfer vehicle to an open-sided jeep, guided in English by drivers such as Dilan, Sasanka, Ishan, or Tikiri. The park fee is extra, and wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
“The tour was amazingly organised. Our guide Jagen was superb and kept us engaged throughout. Showed us some amazing wonders of ella and overall a great company. Cherry on top was the whole ride being on tuk tuk”
Travel by air-conditioned car from Hikkaduwa, Galle, Weligama, Mirissa, Matara, Hiriketiya, or Tangalle to Udawalawe. Guide Pathum, Mahesh, Koshala, and others are praised for spotting elephants and birds. The day includes a 4x4 safari and Elephant Transit Home visit, but park fees cost extra.
“Such an amazing safari. We had a prompt pick up by our taxi driver Janaka who was very pleasant and informative throughout our long journey to Udawalawe Park. On arrival we were greeted by Pathum and jumped into a safari jeep. We did have to pay an additional fee for park entry which we were aware of which was approx 11,000LKR. Pathum was a brilliant tour guide. We drove for 3-4 hours around the park which was incredible. We got to touching distance to the elephants and saw so many animals and wildlife. Pathum couldn't do enough for us and was great at capturing photos of us and allowing us…”
Set out from your hotel in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver-guide such as Dinesh or Ravin. At Udawalawe, switch to a private jeep for 3 to 3.5 hours of elephant and bird watching, then see milk feeding at the Elephant Transit Home before lunch. Pickup times and locations are flexible across southern Sri Lanka.
“Perfect organisation from the start. Comfortable transfer, nice safari with helpful people, food & water. Everything included and no hidden costs! Am very happy with the whole experience”
Leave Ella for a 4x4 safari in Udawalawe National Park, where elephants, buffalo, leopards, and birds may appear. Visit the Elephant Transit Home feeding session, then continue by air-conditioned vehicle to Mirissa, Galle, Hikkaduwa, or Tangalle. Guide Baeus has earned praise for his wildlife skills and care.
“Baeus, our tour guide, was so informative, very professional and took great care of us! The transport pick up was reliable and on time, we had an incredible safari experience. There was a que to get into the national park but once we were inside, Baeus took us away from the crowds and other jeeps where we got so up close to the elephants. Brillant experience! Would definitely recommend :)) thanks Baeus”
Travel from Hikkaduwa, Galle, Mirissa, or Tangalle to Udawalawe National Park for a three-hour 4x4 safari, then see feeding time at the Elephant Transit Home before continuing to Ella. An English-speaking driver-guide handles the journey, but park and transit-home fees are extra, and the day can run longer than eight hours.
“We’re very lucky to find such a good deal - trip from Mirissa to Ella with a lovely stop at the Udawaluwe National Park. We left Mirissa at 12:00 and our driver was excellent and always on time. The car was a comfortable hybrid. In about 2 hours we reached Udawaluwe, had a nice lunch in a nearby cafe. Then the safari guide picked us up in the special safari car. The safari guide was also excellent and knew a lot about the animals. We really appreciate that not only we saw the magnificent elephants but also our guide pointed to some smaller animals like a chameleon and an eagle…”
Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Ella to Tangalle, Mirissa, Galle, or another southern stop, with a safari in Yala National Park along the way. You will switch to an open-topped jeep for about three hours. Guides including Sasanka, Chathura, Ishan, and Tikiri help spot leopards, elephants, crocodiles, sloth bears, monkeys, and birds.
“it was great! we set off into the park and our driver/guide Chathura was very dedicated to helping us spot all kinds of animals. We were even lucky enough to see a leopard! amazing morning”
Travel from Hikkaduwa, Galle, Weligama, Mirissa, or nearby towns to Yala National Park by air-conditioned vehicle, then spend three hours in a safari Jeep. Guides such as Sasanka and Vishwa help spot leopards, elephants, crocodiles, buffalo, deer, and birds. The park fee costs about US$40 to $43 extra per person.
“Our guide, vishwa, was absolutely amazing. Awesome day and we even saw a leopard. Couldn’t recommend this more”
Sand, bush, park or water.
