中文 (香港)
The Hurulu Eco Park in Sri Lanka is one of the best places to spot wild elephants. A bonus for the park is that it is only 10 minutes away from the town of Habarana and a little more from Sigiriya, making it a great safari option since you won’t have to leave the hotel too early or get back too late.
Besides that, it’s very affordable and sighting of wild elephants are almost guaranteed since the population is large. The only drawback would be the lack of other animals you’d spot.
> More on Sri Lanka tips here
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions for Hurulu Eco Park
The Hurulu Eco Park, more properly known as Hurulu Forest Reserve, is located in the northern province of Sri Lanka. The vegetation there is that of a dry-zone dry evergreen forest.
How big is Hurulu Eco Park?
The Hurulu Eco Park covers 25.5km2 and was established in 1977.
Which park is best for elephants in Sri Lanka?
Hurulu Eco Park is one of the best parks to spot wild elephants, but the best national park to visit is Udawalawe. But since Hurulu Eco Park is close to Sigiriya, Dambulla, and Polonnaruwa, it’s an ideal one to visit for those who are on a tight schedule.
What is the entry fee for Eco Park?
Almost all tours includes entrance fee to the Hurulu Eco Park, and it’s best to book your Jeep in advance to avoid missing the golden hour. In general, it costs around 50-65 USD depending on the number of people in your group.
Hotel pickup is often offered as well for around 2-15 USD surcharge per person depending on location.
What is the best time to visit Eco Park?
Around sunrise and sunset are the best times to visit the Hurulu Eco Park, as the cooler temperature means the elephants are more active.
Dos and Don’ts at Hurulu Eco Park
Do:
- Wear light coloured long sleeves tops and long trousers
- Bring a hat and sunglasses and wear sunscreen
- Spray insect repellent beforehand
- Bring your camera!
Don’t:
- Get out of the Jeep unless your guide gives you the okay
- Try to touch the elephant in any way
- Do not pressure your driver/guide to get closer to the elephants – they are professional and they know what the safe distance is
Hurulu Eco Park Safari
Joining a tour to visit Hurulu Eco Park
The best way to see the Hurulu Eco Park is to join a safari tour, and they will organise the Jeep, entrance fee, and hotel pick up.
Most will offer pick up in the following locations:
- Minneriya
- Habarana
- Sigiriya
- Polonnaruwa
- Dambulla
- Kandalama
The general price would be around 50-65 USD for the safari alone, but there are also day trips that would include other attractions in combination like Sigiriya and Dambulla Cave Temple.
Independent visit to Hurulu Eco Park
It’s technically not possible to visit independently, as you have to visit the park in a Jeep even if you are driving there yourself. In that case, you should just book a tour ahead and meet by the entrance or a meeting point nearby.
However, if you are spontaneous and did not book a tour, it’s possible to just turn up. There are many Jeeps by the side of the road near the entrance or even in Habarana. Although it’s better to go near the entrance.
I asked our guide, and he advised that the cost would be around 10,000 rupiahs per ordinary jeep, which can fit up to 6 people, although it’s most comfortable for 4 people per Jeep.
Note: national park tickets are charged individual/separately
Hurulu Eco Park Safari Experience
We opted for the evening safari as we visited the Pidurangala Rock in the early morning. But even though it’s the evening safari, we left our hotel at 3:30pm and was in our jeep and waiting at the Hurulu National Park entrance by 3:47pm.
Hurulu Eco Park is quite big, so we milled around for the first 45 minutes with some glimpses of elephants but mostly of other safari jeeps. But once we started spotting them, we saw anything from a small mother(or father) child duo to a big group of 14.
Time really flew by and we started to make our way out of the park at 5:45pm, which meant we had a good 1 hour 15 minutes spotting elephants.
The sunset was a treat and we spotted a ridge where people can get off to hike to the top, but we didn’t have time to do that.
We were treated to a spectacular sunset as we exit though!
