The boat trip
Small islands and mountains on the horizon.
AntanO — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AntanO — CC BY-SA 4.0 · G.Kiruthikan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · SandaniWijerathne — CC BY-SA 4.0 · G.Kiruthikan — CC BY-SA 4.0
Gal Oya National Park is a reserve in eastern Sri Lanka, established in 1954 as the main catchment for Senanayake Samudraya, the country's largest reservoir. It draws visitors with elephant herds seen throughout the year and mountains ringing the water. The reservoir came from the Gal Oya development project, damming the river at Inginiyagala in 1950. The Gal Oya Development Board ran the park from 1954 to 1965, before the Department of Wildlife Conservation took over. The board set up four protected areas including the park, together covering 63,000 hectares, which helped curb soil erosion from the burning of Thalawa grassland. Three important herbs of Ayurvedic medicine grow in the forest. The highlight is a boat trip on the reservoir, among small rocky islands with blue mountains on the horizon, and elephants are reported to swim between the islands at times. Safari jeeps also run along dirt tracks through tall grass, and a long straight road on the dam opens onto the water. Dead trees standing in the water gather birds. The park lies about 59 km from Arugam Bay in a straight line and 314 km from Colombo according to sources. Boat trips depend on the season and water level, so book through a local operator. Wear a life jacket, keep away from elephants in the water or on land, and start in the morning.
Small islands and mountains on the horizon.
Herds seen throughout the year.
A straight road open to the water.
Inginiyagala, Ampara District, Sri Lanka
It depends on the season and water level, so book locally and check ahead.
They are seen all year, though a sighting is never guaranteed on any one day.