My first experience of Wilpaththu NP

Year and Month	2017 January 21st
Number of Days	One day
Crew	6-Dimal, Kasun, Prabath, Nirosh, Thilina and My self
Accommodation	Caravan at Wilpaththu Nature Resort
Transport	Bus and Safari Jeep
Activities	Safari and photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Colombo->Puttalama->Eluwankulama (එළුවන්කුලම)->Wilpaththu NP->Back to same route to Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Wilpaththu NP-Eluwuankulama Entrance Ideal time to visit Wilpaththu NP is during dry season- July, August, September and Octomber till rain begins. It costs about Rs 5000 for half day safari tour and Rs 9000 for full day safari. You can get a safari jeep from the entrance. Better pre arrange as there are less number of jeeps operating from this entrance. The jeep we arranged from Wilpaththu Nature Resort. Number: 0772381215, 0773758533. I can’t tell the driver is excellent. But he did a fair job. The distance from Puttalama to Eluwankulama is 30km. Again there is 3km from Eluwankulama to the park entrance. If you use public transport form Colombo there are two ways to reach park entrance. You can heir a three-wheeler or can ask the safari jeep to collect you from Puttalama. There are buses from Puttalama to Eluwankulama / Mannar. But you can’t reach the park entrance by 6am. Puttalama-Mannar road through Eluwankulama opens at 6 am and close at 3.30pm. Chances of seeing big three animals: Elephant, Leopard and Bear are lesser than Yala NP. We were lucky enough to see Elephants (What I always watch during travel to Polonnaruwa) but not others. If Kala Oya has more water Eluwankulama entrance would be closed temporarily. Kumbukvila (කුඹුක්විල) and one other place (where we had breakfast) are only places you are allow to get down. I was heard travelers have dumped polythene and garbage at other places and Safari Jeep drivers have cleaned them with “shramadana.” Caravan as an accommodation option in Wilpaththu trip There are two caravans parked at Wilpaththu Nature Resort, can be booked via online. It belongs to a company called Yoho Bed. The one we booked accommodate four people and cost 11000. It has two permanent beds with two adjustable beds, attached bathroom, small kitchen with stove. You can cook but need cooking pots. They will provide an electric kettle, plates and cups. If you need you can arrange meals from Wilpaththu Nature Resort. We bought dinner from Eluwankulama town. Eluwankulama is a dry town with limited choices of food.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread My first experience of Wilpaththu NP Related articles :Trip reports on Wilpaththu NP

Wilpaththu NP (විල්පත්තු ජාතික වන උද‍යානය) is the largest (131, 693ha) and oldest national park in Sri Lanka. It is famous for visiting Leopards and wild bears. Special feature of Wilpaththu NP is having water filled natural lakes-Willus. There are nearly sixty Willus and tanks found through the park.
It has two entrances: Hunugamwila-හුනුගම්විල (main entrance) and Puttalama-Eluwankulama. Puttalama-Mannar road goes through Wilpaththu NP and Eluwankulama park entrance is situated where road goes into the park.
We have reached Puttalama town around 5am and two over night hotels at Puttalama town were awake at that time. We bought our food stuff for breakfast as well as lunch. Our safari jeep was waiting at Puttalama to collect us.
It was freezing cold with wind when we travelled from Puttalama to Eluwankulama by safari jeep. Kala oya was flowing over the road at the park entrance.
Wilpaththu Park was fresh following recent rain and Willus had enough water. We have visited Pallekandal church, Kuweni Palace and Kudiramale point as archeological sites. Safari tracks in Wilpaththu NP have a lot shades compared to Yala NP, though both situated in extreme dry zone in SL. It was not the day to visit Leopards and Bears and we had to satisfy with water birds, Deers and a couple of jackals. We could view few Elephants were feeding at Pomparippu (පොම්පරිප්පු) grassland. The jeep was stopped at two places for breakfast and lunch. Our last place was visit was Kudiramale point (කුදිරමලේ තුඩුව).

Kala Oya is flowing over the road

At Eluwankulama entrance

Good morning Wilpaththu NP

Destroyed with rain

Travelling to Mannar

The Peacock

Directions

Shrine at Pomparippu junction

Getting the aim

Elephants at Pomparippu grassy land. According to our jeep driver this is the common place to visit Elephants in Wilpaththu NP.

Across the road

Pallekandal Church

Roman Catholic shrine for St. Anthony situated at Wilpaththu NP. Though there was a temporary shrine this permanent one was built illegally during past few years. (2013)

Pallekandal Church

Pallekandal Church. Reason for the name Pallekandal is due to nearby grass land of this church.

Back to wild

Jeep tracks have enough shades compared Yala NP.

Filtering of sunrays into the road.

A herd

Lesser Whistling-duck

Going to be a Giraffe??

Lesser Whistling-duck.

තලගොයා

Cautious….

Lesser Whistling-duck

Painted stroke

Crested Serpent-Eagle

Tree canopy

Breakfast time

Little Cormorant (left) and Darter (right)

Willus was captured with internal frame.

Willus is filled with water

Flowers

Painted stroke

Couple of Black-winged Stilt

Willus is filled with water

Peacock

Near wildlife bungalow

Openbill shows colours

Don’t know the name

Couple of Jackals

Close-up

Greenish with blue background

Where we had our lunch-Kumbukvila.

Palace of Kuweni

Fresh after rain.

Wild Bores

Having grass

A herd

Kudiramale point (කුදිරමලේ තුඩුව) / Thambapanni (තම්බපණ්ණි)
The place where King Vijaya (විජය රජතුමා) has reached called Thambapanni due to it’s copper colored beaches. It’s old name is Kudiramale (Horse Mountain). It has a great historical value.

Entry point of Kudiramale/ Thambapanni from Puttalama-Mannar road.

Information about Kudiramale Point. Click image to enlarge.

Stepped on copper colored beach.

Baththalangunduwa (බත්තලoගුන්ඩුව) is seen far away.

March on Thambapanni

Thambapanni / Kudiramale point.

Lonely man on Thambapanni.

Team at Kudiramale Point.

Kudiramale point was an important place in ancient Naval maps.

Sea eagle is showing it’s colours

Ruins of a Hindu temple.

A tomb might be belongs to Muslim saint.

We found this Turtle was floating on the water. For an unknown reason he looks ill.

Team at Kudiramale point.

Kudiramale point.

Bushes at Kudiramale point.

Kudiramale point.

Rock formation is bit unusual here.

Copper coloured beach.

Crossing the road.

A Crocodile is awaiting….

A Couple of White Bellied Sea Eagle

Caravan experience for accommodation
This trip was special for me not only because of the first experience of Wilpaththu NP. We have selected a caravan as our accommodation option here. Caravan concept is fairly new to Sri Lanka but widely used among travelers in western countries.
There different words called Caravan, Motor home and Campervan.

• Motor home: Large berthed vehicle built on a long-wheel base. It usually includes kitchen and bathroom facilities as well as other features typically found in home.
• Caravan: It is generally an unpowered vehicle, pulled/ towed by a powered vehicle. Basically you tow a mobile home or trailer, fully equipped with household accessories and towed behind a vehicle.
• Campervan: A van equipped as a self-contained travelling home, they are normally small than a motor home.
I booked the Caravan through Yoho bed. Later I knew it is parked about 10km away from Eluwankulama town closer to Gange Wadiya (ගගේ වාඩිය). Actually this made our Wilpaththu entering through Eluwankulama entrance. This Caravan is parked at Wilpaththu Nature Resort premises and they are the caretakers of this. The one we booked facilitates for four people.