Last Updated on March 25, 2024 by admin
Minneriya National Park safari offers one of the best wildlife safaris in Sri Lanka. Read on to know why.
Planning a trip to Sri Lanka and not visiting a national park is impossible. With national parks present in close proximity to most tourist destinations in Sri Lanka, Minneriya is worth exploring.
Sri Lanka has many elephant safari parks and visitors can choose the one nearest to the city they are visiting.
While Yala National Park is the most popular one because of the possibility of sightings of leopards, the Habarana area is equally interesting because of its proximity to 3 national parks – Minneriya National Park Safari, Kaudulla National Park Safari, and Hurulu Eco Park.
However, out of the three, Minneriya is the most popular because of the largest congregation of Asian elephants in one place.
Minneriya is close to Colombo and Kandy and a day trip is possible for wildlife enthusiasts from both these cities.
Table of Contents
WHERE IS MINNERIYA?
Minneriya National Park is a national park in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Situated in the heart of the popular cultural triangle of Sri Lanka that covers Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, and Anuradhapura, this elephant safari park in Sri Lanka is refreshing.
The topography of the park is comprised of scrub plains and mixed evergreen forests alongside rocky outcrops and wetlands, providing a range of habitats to suit a variety of animals.
Set against the breathtaking Minneriya Reservoir, the national park paints a spectacular picture. It is a wildlife photographer’s dream come true with ample opportunities of seeing elephants up close and personal.
HISTORY OF MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK SRI LANKA
The reason for declaring the area as protected was to protect the catchment of the Minneriya reservoir and the wildlife of the surrounding area.
The reservoir is of historical importance, as it was built by King Mahasen in the 3rd century.
Minneriya was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1938 and then was designated as a national park in 1997.
WILDLIFE OF MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK
The wildlife in Minneriya National Park includes 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. While Asian Elephants are the hero and are easily seen, other animals seen are Sloth bears, Spotted Deer, Mongoose, River crocodiles, Grey Langurs, and Purple-faced Leaf monkeys.
The bird diversity in Minneriya is varied with many terrestrial and wetland birds making the national park their home. Painted stork, Brahminy Kite, Fish Eagle, Serpent Eagle, and different types of owls reside here.
ALL ABOUT MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK SAFARI
Why is Minneriya National Park, Sri Lanka famous?
Elephants are loved by one and all. And getting a chance to see them up close and personal is probably on the list of every wildlife enthusiast. I have had the opportunity to see elephants in India in Manas National Park, Assam, Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, and Periyar National Park, Kerala.
But what I saw in Minneriya was a different experience altogether!
A huge herd of elephants against the Minneriya Reservoir paints a spectacular landscape.
The elephants are quite comfortable with jeeps full of humans photographing them, unlike the ones in India who may charge on vehicles when they are with their young ones. So much so that they come pretty close to the vehicles while grazing.
Best time to visit Minneriya Elephant Gathering
Minneriya is popular for the elephant gathering and if you want to see that then the best time to visit the elephants in Minneriya National Park is between May and September with its peak in August and September.
Safari Timings
Minneriya offers two types of safaris. 3 hours and 6 hours (or half day). Visitors can choose the time: 6 am or 3 pm as per their suitability for the 3 hour safari.
The ideal duration of Minneriya Safari is 3 hours.
This duration is counted from the entrance of the national park entry gate to the exit. Visitors can exit early but late exit is not allowed.
Safari vehicle
The vehicles used for the safaris are open jeeps.
These jeeps have a capacity of seven pax and a reserved seat for the driver cum guide. Unlike the safari jeeps in India, these jeeps are bigger, bulkier, and sturdier, because of the elephant safari.
Visitors are allowed to stand up and hold on to the bars on the roof of the jeep. The holding bars are a lifesaver because the road inside the national park is extremely bumpy.
The jeep has a rain cover in case it rains, so the photography gear is always safe.
Minneriya National Park Safari cost and Inclusions
The safari cost in Minneriya is 65 USD per person. The half-day safari costs 95€ per person. Children under the age of 5 do not have to pay, while children under 11 pay a special rate.
This price includes a private jeep, park entry fees, a certified driver cum guide, the driver’s entry fee, the jeep entry fee, the national park VAT tax, the national park service fee, and free pickup from hotels in Minneriya and Habarana. The price for a pickup from hotels near Sigiriya or Anuradhapura starts at 8 USD.
During the tour, the driver cum guide drives along set paths in the park sighting the wildlife and birds. The drivers will get you as close to the elephants as possible without endangering the visitors or the elephants.
Minneriya National Park Accommodation Options
Since Minneriya is situated in the Sri Lankan heritage trail, it is best to stay at Habarana and commute to the park. The commute is approximately 30-40 km depending upon which property you choose.
I stayed at the beautiful Jetwing Lake Dambulla. A sustainable property, they offer birdwatching trails and have amazing bird diversity in their resort. The infinity pool overlooking their private lake is their best feature. The resort can help you book the tickets for the Minneriya national park or arrange another safari such as Wasgamuwa Safari. It can be booked here.
Other accommodation options here include:
How to reach Minneriya?
Colombo to Minneriya is 160 km and takes 4-5 hours to reach. Most visitors prefer to combine Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Dambulla and Sigiriya with Minneriya. So it is ideal to start from Colombo and do a road trip to all these places.
By Flight
If you are only covering the national park then the nearest domestic airport to the national park is Sigiriya Airport which is 24 km away. It takes around half an hour to reach the national park from the airport via a private cab.
By Rail
Sri Lanka has a really good network of railways across the country. Galoya Junction Railway Station is the nearest railway station which is at a distance of 23 km and one will take around half an hour to reach the national park from here.
By Road
One can take buses or hire a private taxi from any major city in Sri Lanka to reach the Minneriya National Park.
Minneriya National Park Experience
After a half-day tour of Polonarruwa, we reached Minneriya around 3 pm.
As we waited for the guide to get our documents vetted, I heard a rustle over my head. I craned my neck to check if it is a bird. A half-eaten fruit fell on me and I saw face almost as if with humiliation. It was a Giant Squirrel nibbling on something.
We entered the national park and crossed a small dam over a river, into a dense forest. A lot of jeeps were queued up, looking in one direction. They were all looking at a Serpent eagle. But it flew away with all the commotion.
A few meters ahead, a trumpet made the jeeps hit the brake. A tusker was happily tucked in the bushes and was playfully tugging at the shrubs.
The driver drove further and we gasped out a breath as we saw many elephants against the reservoir. As we went close it was hard to believe that I was actually looking at over 70 elephants together.
The elephants were playing, grazing, and meandering in the grasslands of Minneriya.
I couldn’t make up my mind. Should I click the mother-baby duo or the big herd against the landscape, or should it be the tusker or the 3 adolescent female elephants crossing the road? Should I click with my telephoto lens or capture videos from my phone to quickly share on my social media?
As these thoughts gripped me and left me overwhelmed, a few elephants started walking in our direction. They stopped around 10 feet from our jeep and kept on grazing.
My heart skipped a beat as I tried my level best to keep a steady camera for videos.
We spent over 40 minutes taking in all the beauty of elephants and capturing the many ‘awww’ moments.
Our driver drove further on the bank of the reservoir and we could finally see some birds. A flock of Painted Storks, many Brahminy Kites, and a Grey-headed Fish Eagle. It was perfect!
Just as the sun started setting, it started to drizzle. All I could think about was the incredible safari we had. Words cannot describe how much I loved it. And just then a Black-backed Jackal crossed the road. We turned around and gave some nice solo shots!
FAQs FOR MINNERIYA SAFARI
Is the Minneriya Safari ethical?
Yes, I felt Minneriya National Park Safari was extremely ethical. At no point did the driver of any jeep get too close to the elephants. The animals always had the space they need to move freely and undisturbed.
How many National Parks are in Sri Lanka?
There are 26 National parks in Sri Lanka. Minneriya is one of them which conserves Asiatic Elephants.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL TIPS
- Do not get down from the jeep ride in the national park as it is against the rules.
- Avoid wearing perfume or body spray with a strong scent. It distracts wild animals.
- Wear camouflage colours that will easily blend with the jungle – shades of green, brown and grey.
- It is totally understandable to get excited when you spot a wild animal in the jungle. But do not make noises – whisper if necessary.
- You may carry water and snacks in the care but do not dispose of plastic or leftover food in the jungle. Keep it in your bag or gypsy and dispose of it safely once you return to the hotel.
- Do not feed anything to wild animals.
Disclosure: I was invited by Destination Sri Lanka to explore Minneriya National Park Safari. However, all opinions in this post are unbiased and my own. Special thanks to the team for taking take of everything during this trip.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. It means it adds no extra cost to you if you book through the link but I get a referral bonus which helps me earn a little to keep this website up and running.
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4 comments
What a beautiful read! I was reliving everyone those moments. Very good camera work too.
[…] is famous for thousands of Asian elephants, the gigantic and beautiful creatures, please visit Minneriya National Park near the city of […]
A beautiful written piece and I would love to go to Sri Lanka, just to see the wildlife in the wild. I never done a safari before and its on the top of my list. Those elephants look so cute!!!
Thank you Danik. Yes Sri Lanka is a treasure trove of wildlife. Yala National park is also another great option as they have a good leopard population too!