Camping in Udalwalawe National Park on Tai Pongal Day

A request came from Eshan, the operation’s manager at Eco Team to participate and the play the role of the naturalist of that camping tour organized on 14th and 15th January 2009. Reaching the Udawalawe park entrance by 10.30 AM in the morning met the clients, a British couple in their 60’s and came through Pan Lanka around 2.30 in the evening. The campsite was organized in “PRANSADARA” which is about 17 kilometers away from the park entrance (excuse me if I have mentioned this name of the campsite incorrectly), so we started traveling to the campsite and from the beginning itself we were able to spot so many bird species like Crested serpent eagle, Indian Roller, Changeable hawk eagle, Common hoopoe etc. including few spotted deers, land monitors etc. We had to tolerate the giant bull elephant that was blocking the road and walking along the road by taking his own time with the understanding of that we are roaming within their territory and I am sure this was a memory repeating experience for our clients.

Having a late lunch around 3.30 started our first game drive inside the park around 4.00, With the privilege of staying inside park for the night we took a quite undisturbed routes since our clients are careful observers of the animals and this rewarded us so many memory refreshing events. We were lucky enough to spot Malabar pied hornbills and Sri Lanka Grey hornbill in the same canopy. For the first time in my life we spotted a python that has taken it’s life long meal, imagine a python that swallowed a well-grown spotted deer, few yards away from the THIMBIRIYAGASMANKADA circuit bungalow. In the same time I was so unlucky at that moment not to have my camera with me unfortunately. We returned to the campsite with this unforgettable safari experience in the dusk and were treated us with a glass of coriander that usually takes at the end of tiresome exercise to get a relief for the aching body.

Dining in a thick jungle under the star studded sky with a light of a kerosene oil lamp is always going to be one of the most remarkable experience whoever who enjoys it. As usual the dinner was followed by B.B.Q. dishes, brown onion soup the most demanding soup in the camping sites followed by an array of Sri Lankan dishes as well.

Getting up to the rhythm of the bird vocalization in the morning started our second game drive in the park around 7.30, which ended up with adding sweet memories who enjoys the beauty of an untamed forest as a wildlife enthusiast.