Ella to Udawalawe Safari Transfer: How I Turned a Travel Day into a Wildlife Experience

Ella to Udawalawe wasn’t part of my original Sri Lanka plan. I was simply trying to figure out the best way to get from Ella’s misty hill country down to Ahangama on the south coast.

After hours of research, I found the best option: a safari through Udawalawe National Park, with a private transfer straight to Ahangama afterwards.

For me, this Ella to Udawalawe safari transfer turned what could have been a boring travel day into one of my favourite experiences in Sri Lanka.

P.S. Get to know more about me and my blog here.

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Why I Chose an Ella to Udawalawe Safari Transfer

I’d already spent a few days exploring Ella, so if you’re still planning that part of your trip, read my guide to the best things to do in Ella or my 2 days in Ella itinerary before you work out your onward route.

When I first started looking at how to get from Ella to Ahangama, I realised it wasn’t so straightforward. I assumed I’d probably have to take a bus.

The bus would have certainly been the cheapest option, and for most of my Sri Lanka trip, I was trying to keep things fairly budget-friendly.

But the more I looked into it, the more it felt like one of those travel days that would take up far more time and energy than I wanted it to. 

Getting from Ella to the south coast on public trasnport usually means a long journey, often with a change around Matara, and I knew I didn’t really want to spend one of my limited days in Sri Lanka sitting on buses.

Then I found the safari transfer option, and something just went, yes, this is what I need to do!

Instead of travelling directly from Ella to Ahangama, I could leave Ella early, visit a National Park for safari, and then continue down to the coast afterwards. 

I also liked that Udawalawe felt like a slightly calmer choice than Yala – which was also an option.

Yala National Park is far more popular, especially for leopard sightings, but I’d read a lot about it being busier and more touristy. 

Udawalawe National Park, on the other hand, sounded more relaxed, more elephant-focused and, honestly, a little more my style.

I talk more about planning this part of the route in my things to know before visiting Ella guide, but one of my biggest tips is to think carefully about where you’re heading next.

🏨 Accommodation // Where To Stay In Ella // 9.3+ ratings
Budget-friendly: Ella Ceylonka | Mid-Range: Secret View Homestay | Boho-Escape: Arawe Retreat

Further reading: If you’re travelling on a shoestring budget, the safari transfer might not be for you. For the full breakdown of buses, taxis and transfer options, read my guide on how to get from Ella to Ahangama.

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My Safari Transfer Experience

The day started painfully early with a 4 am pick-up from Ella, which is never a glamorous sentence to write, but it did mean we reached Udawalawe before the park opened. 

Read next: If you’re arriving in Ella by train first, my Kandy to Ella train guide covers booking, seats and what to expect before you continue towards Udawalawe or the coast.

I was picked up with another traveller, and because it was ridiculously early, I’m pretty sure most of the drive passed in that half-asleep travel haze where you’re technically awake, but your soul is still somewhere under the duvet.

We arrived at the Udawalawe National Park entrance around half five. Here, we waited for the jeep to take us in.

The national park fee wasn’t included in my tour, so we made a stop once inside to pay.

It was around $36, so that’s worth factoring into your budget before you book.

The safari itself ran from 6 am to 10 am, which felt like the perfect amount of time.

It was long enough to properly explore the park, but not so long that I was desperate to escape the jeep and find breakfast. 

After the safari, I changed vehicles and continued down towards the south coast. My first driver waited with me until the new driver arrived, which I really appreciated.

The onward journey to Ahangama was smooth, and one of my favourite little moments was when my driver stopped for a selection of roadside snacks and shared them with me in the car. 

I reached Ahangama around 1 pm, which is what really sold the whole experience for me. 

If Ahangama is your next stop too, my things to do in Ahangama guide is a good place to start, especially if you want surf, cafés, beaches and easy south coast day trips after the hill country.

By early afternoon, I’d already been on safari, crossed half the country and arrived by the coast with the rest of the day still ahead of me, and I explored.

I found a really lovely cafe called Thelini’s to have lunch overlooking the ocean.

👉BOOK: If this sounds good and you want to turn your travel day into a wildlife experience like I did, I booked my trip through Get Your Guide: Ella to South Coast with Udawalawe National Park stop.

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What the Udawalawe Safari Was Actually Like

The first thing that surprised me about Udawalawe National Park was the landscape.

I don’t know why, but I think I’d imagined something more jungle-like, when actually it felt much more open and dry, with thorny scrub, grasslands, pockets of forest and wide wetlands around a reservoir.

I visited at the start of October, just as the dry season was shifting into the wetter months, so the whole park had that sun-baked, semi-arid feel.

It wasn’t lush in the way Ella is lush, but it was still beautiful – open, peaceful and full of space.

Quite early on, we saw a small family of elephants moving through the trees before eventually crossing the track in front of us.

This was one of my favourite moments of the whole safari. 

There were only a couple of other jeeps nearby, so it didn’t feel crowded, and we could just sit quietly and watch them move through the park with their baby.

I’ll be honest, I expected to see more elephants, as Udawalawe is so well known for them. 

But apart from that family and one lone elephant towards the end, most of our sightings were birds, monkeys and smaller animals.

But that’s wildlife for you, it doesn’t arrive on command.

So, what did I see?

Still, we saw so much. Peacocks, Sri Lankan junglefowl, bee-eaters, spotted deer, crocodiles, grey langurs, macaques, golden jackals, mongoose, eagles and even a tiny baby tortoise on the road. 

Our guide was brilliant at spotting things I never would have noticed, including a common garden lizard tucked into a tree right beside us.

One of the loveliest parts of the safari was how calm it felt.

We didn’t see many other vehicles, and there were no moments where lots of jeeps were crowding around the animals. 

A lot of the time, it felt like we were just quietly bumping along through the park, moving between dry forest and wetlands.

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Was the Ella to Udawalawe Safari Transfer Worth the Price?

This wasn’t the cheapest way to get from Ella to Ahangama, and I don’t want to pretend it was. 

I paid just over £70 for the safari transfer, and the Udawalawe National Park entrance fee was paid separately when we arrived at the park.

This was $36, so the total cost was definitely higher than I first expected when I started comparing travel options.

There was also the option to visit the Elephant Transit Home after the safari, which cost $7 extra, but I decided not to add this on. 

I was happy with the safari itself and ready to continue down to Ahangama afterwards.

👉BOOK: Check prices for the Ella to Udawalawe safari transfer here.
It’s not the cheapest way to travel, but if you’re short on time and want to avoid losing a full day to buses, this safari transfer is such a clever option.

What about Yala National Park?

I did also compare this with a Yala safari transfer, which was around £50, so slightly cheaper.

So, yes, Udawalawe was the more expensive option. 

The tiny budget backpacker sitting on my shoulder was absolutely questioning my life choices for a moment.

But I still chose Udawalawe because it sounded calmer, more elephant-focused and less hectic than Yala.

The reviews for this particular tour were also better, and I liked the idea of a quieter safari experience rather than going somewhere mainly because it was cheaper.

For me, the value wasn’t just in the safari. It was in the fact that I didn’t lose a whole day travelling from Ella to the south coast.

So, although it was absolutely more expensive compared with taking the bus, it was worth it for the experience, comfort and time saved!

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Who I’d Recommend This Tour For

I’d recommend this Ella to Udawalawe safari transfer if you’re short on time in Sri Lanka and want to make the most of your route between the hill country and the south coast. 

It worked really well for my 10-day trip because I didn’t have loads of spare days to add in extra overnight stops, but I still wanted to fit in a proper safari experience.

It’s especially good if you’re travelling from Ella to places like Ahangama, Mirissa, Weligama, Tangalle or Hiriketiya beach, as Udawalawe sits nicely between the hill country and the coast. 

If you’re using Ahangama as your south coast base, my 4 days in Ahangama itinerary shows how I’d structure the coast after this route, including café time, surf, Galle, Hiriketiya and Dickwella.

I also think it’s a really good option if you prefer quieter wildlife experiences.

I can’t promise the park will always be peaceful –  this is probably not the case during the busier season – but when I visited at the start of October, it felt calm and uncrowded. 

We often had sightings to ourselves, and there were no moments where lots of jeeps were surrounding one animal.

That said, I probably wouldn’t recommend this if you’re on a very tight backpacker budget. 

The bus will be much cheaper, and once you add the national park fee on top of the tour price, this becomes more of a splurge. 

But if your budget allows, and you’d rather turn a long travel day into something memorable, I think it’s a brilliant way to do it.

👉BOOK: I loved this tour because it let me see Udawalawe National Park, enjoy a morning safari and still reach Ahangama by lunchtime. For me, it was absolutely worth the splurge.

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Ella to Udawalawe: What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Even though I loved this safari transfer, there are a few small things I’d do differently if I booked it again.

First, I’d pack a proper breakfast or at least some snacks I actually wanted to eat.

There were snacks and drinks available at the park entrance, but they were mostly packaged or sweet bits, and there was no fruit. 

By the time the safari finished, I was very ready for food – grateful to my driver for making a stop for food on the way to Ahangama.

For the safari itself, make sure everything’s fully charged, with plenty of storage space – I took so many photos.

We saw so much wildlife, especially birds and smaller animals, and sometimes you only have a few seconds to grab the shot.

Things I did do that I was grateful for

I packed a light jumper for the early morning drive from Ella.

It wasn’t freezing, but leaving at 4 am from the hill country is a bit different from wandering around the south coast in flip-flops.

It’s also worth having cash ready for the park entrance fee, tips and any extras.

I’d paid for the tour online, but the park fee was separate, so this isn’t one of those trips where you can just book it and forget about extra costs.

I also tipped my safari guide, as he did such a splendid job.

Pro tip: Check the exact drop-off details before booking. My transfer to Ahangama worked smoothly, but it’s worth confirming your final destination in advance as there are multiple drop zones.

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Why I Chose Udawalawe Instead of Yala

When I was looking at safari transfer options from Ella, I did consider Yala as well.

It was actually the cheaper option at the time, and because Yala is so well known for leopards, I can see why it’s such a tempting choice.

But for this trip, Udawalawe felt like the better fit for me.

I wasn’t desperate to tick off a leopard sighting, especially as wildlife is never guaranteed anyway.

What appealed to me more was the idea of a quieter, more relaxed safari with a better chance of seeing elephants. 

Udawalawe is especially known for its elephant population.

I also liked that Udawalawe felt slightly more low-key.

I don’t mind visiting popular places, but when it comes to wildlife, I’d always rather choose the option that feels less crowded and more respectful. 

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End Note: Would I Book This Ella to Udawalawe Safari Transfer Again?

Yes, I would absolutely book this Ella to Udawalawe safari transfer again.

It wasn’t the cheapest way to travel from Ella to Ahangama, and once I added the national park entrance fee on top, it definitely became more of a treat than a budget backpacker move. 

But for me, it was one of those travel decisions that just made sense.

The safari itself was calm, well organised and not overcrowded when I visited.

I loved the mix of open dry landscapes, wetlands, birds, monkeys, jackals and elephants, and I felt looked after from the pick-up in Ella to the final drop-off in Ahangama.

If you’re travelling on a very tight budget, the bus will be much cheaper.

But if you’re short on time, heading from Ella to the south coast and want to fit in a safari without adding an extra overnight stop, I think this is such a clever way to do it.

👉BOOK: If you’re leaving Ella and heading towards Ahangama, Mirissa, Tangalle or the south coast, this is such a brilliant way to make the journey feel like part of the adventure.

Thank you for reading my post. You can find my latest stories and articles on my blog homepage here. Follow me on Instagram (@abigailcarolina.dalton) and Facebook to see what I’m getting up to and where my upcoming trips are.

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FAQs About the Ella to Udawalawe Safari Transfer

Which budget-friendly safari is best from Ella: Udawalawe or Yala?

Yala was the cheaper safari transfer option when I compared tours from Ella, but I chose Udawalawe because it felt calmer, more elephant-focused and better suited to my travel style. 

Can you visit Udawalawe National Park from Ella?

Yes, you can visit Udawalawe National Park from Ella. It’s possible as a day trip (returning back to Ella), or as part of a transfer towards the south coast. I chose the transfer option because I was travelling south and want to loose a whole day to travel.

How long does the Ella to Udawalawe safari transfer take?

From Elal it’s 2 hours to the Udawalawe National Park, the safari ran from 6 am to 10 am for 4 hours, and I reached Ahangama at around 1 pm, so the whole journey took roughly 9 hours from start to finish.

Is the Udawalawe National Park entrance fee included?

For the GetYourGuide tour I booked, the park entrance fee was not included. I paid the tour price online, then paid the national park fee separately when we arrived at Udawalawe. It was around $36 when I visited, so make sure you factor that into your budget.

Can you do an Udawalawe safari on the way to Ahangama?

Yes, and this is exactly what I did. I travelled from Ella to Udawalawe for a morning safari, then continued straight on to Ahangama afterwards. It worked really well and saved me from spending a whole day just getting from Ella to the south coast.

Is Udawalawe or Yala better from Ella?

It depends what you want from the safari. Yala is more famous and known for leopard sightings, while Udawalawe is better known for elephants and felt like the calmer, more relaxed option to me. I chose Udawalawe because I wanted a quieter safari experience and it fitted my route to Ahangama really well.

Is the Ella to Udawalawe safari transfer worth it?

For me, yes. It was more expensive than taking the bus, especially once I added the park entrance fee, but it saved time and turned a boring travel day into one of my favourite mornings in Sri Lanka. If you’re on a very tight budget, it might not be worth it, but if you’re short on time, I think it’s a brilliant option.