Elephants Cross My Path in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is situated at the southernmost tip of  India; a tiny island with diverse cultures and practices and home to an abundance of flora and fauna. Tropical sandy beaches, lush green rice fields or paddy fields as they are commonly known, give way to mountains and cooler climes.

Though there are several wild life sanctuaries in Sri Lanka, one of the lesser known is perhaps Wasgamuwa National Park which has an abundance of elephants and other wildlife. You can hire a safari jeep through a well known travel agent. It is also best to check the weather as seasonal monsoon rains can put a dampener on viewing animals in their natural habitat.

I was lucky to go with a group of relatives whilst I was on my break, which was good as they knew how to get there without resorting to a travel agent and sharing costs was easy.

We arrived at the park around 3 p.m. which was a good time to view the animals as they usually hide from the mid day sun and since its in the tropics it can get very hot. A bottle of water,  a high-factor sun cream, an insect repellent and a sun hat is a must so don't leave home without it.

An amiable guide ushered us to our jeep which was to be our mode of transport. Within about 20 minutes of winding our way through the dusty jungle roads, the magic began and we caught what was to be forever etched in our memories -- a herd of wild elephants in the water splashing and playing around with each other just having fun. Never have I clearly seen how elephants can mimic human behaviour as I did that day.

After we finished our tour of the wildlife park  we decided to head back to Kandy, a town in the central province.
It's famous for:

• Esala Perehera - lots of elephants!
• Temple of the Tooth
• Peradeniya Botanical Gardens   

Accommodation during the festival seasons can get booked up quite quickly.  We stayed at a place called the Mango Grove Cottage near the Kandy lake.  There were a few monkeys in the trees who liked to be playful. It was funny watching them.

If you like my post about Sri Lanka, I also recommend another blog which I like called Flashpackers which has useful information about travelling in this beautiful island.

Temple of the Tooth Kandy