Bundala National Park

Bundala National Park is man and biosphere reserve as declared by UNESCO. This Sri Lankan national park is located 251km southeast of the capital city Colombo. It is very close to Hambantota and the fantastic travel hotspots in the area such as Tissamaharamaya, Kataragama and Yala.

Bundala is a birdwatcher’s paradise, and one of Sri Lanka’s most attractive places for migratory waterbirds in particular. There are nearly 200 species of birds in Bundala national park, the highlight of them all is the beautiful greater flamingo. Bundala is a perfect place for a birdwatching safari with the entire family, friend group or work outing!

Bundala mainly boasts a low country dry zone climate with an average relative humidity of 80%. There are five shallow, brackish lagoons in Bundala and at least two of them are totally devoted to salt production. Dry thorny shrubs are the most abundant plant life and they give you a sense of exotoc excitement far removed from fantastical visions of tropical jungle as you traipse through the park, this is what real Sri Lankan wilderness looks like.

In addition to birds, Bundala also boasts more than 300 species of vertebrates, including over 30 species of fish, 15 amphibious species, nearly 50 species of reptiles, 32 species of mammals and an amazing 52 species of butterflies. The richness of Bundala is easily hidden by its seemingly low key foliage it is a natural wonder that is worth visiting.

Dry season in Bundala national park in Sri Lanka falls between May and September, and the best time to visit is between September and March when many of the colorful and exciting migratory birds come to Bundala. Make sure you bring your camera and ultra-long lens with you!

This area of Sri Lanka offers some top notch places to stay such as Flame Back Eco Lodge, Turtle Bay, Cey Ceylon and Nature Lanka Health Resort.