Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bundala National Park
Much less visited than nearby Yala National Park,
Bundala National Park
(entrance west
of 251km marker;adult/child US$10/5, plus per vehicle Rs 250, service charge per group US$8, VAT
12%; 6am-6pm, last entrance 4.30pm)
is a fantastic maze of waterways, lagoons and dunes
that glitter like gold in the dying evening sun. This wonderland provides a home to thou-
sands of colourful birds ranging from diminutive little bee-eaters to memorably ugly open-
billed storks. It shelters almost 200 species of birds within its 62-sq-km area, with many
journeying from Siberia and the Rann of Kutch in India to winter here, arriving between
August and April (December to March is the peak time). It's also a winter home to the
greater flamingo, and up to 2000 have been recorded here at one time.
Bundala National Park also has a small but very visible population of elephants
(between 15 and 60 depending on the season, December is the best month), as well as civ-
ets, giant squirrels and lots of crocodiles. Between October and January, four of Sri
Lanka's five species of marine turtles (olive ridley, green, leatherback and loggerhead) lay
their eggs on the coast.
Bundala stretches nearly 20km along a coastal strip between Kirinda and Hambantota.
Most people access the park (and hire jeeps) from Tissamaharama and Kirinda; jeep hire
rates and details are the same as for Yala. Unlike Yala, Bundala is open year-round, allow-
ing wildlife junkies to get a wet-season fix. There's a breezy visitors centre at the main
gate which has views over the marshes; check out the skeleton of a fearsomely huge cro-
codile.
There's no accommodation in the park itself and most people stay in Tissamaharama.
friendly homestay on the edge of the village of Weligathta (halfway between Tissamaha-
rama and Hambantota) and an excellent alternative base for the park as it's only 2km from
the park's northern entrance gate. The upstairs rooms overlook the marshes, allowing you
to birdwatch without leaving your seat. The owner is an experienced birdwatcher who or-
ganises park tours.
