(3 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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| Size | 58,849 hectares hectares |
| Main attraction | Large herds of Elephants, Deer, Wild boar, Bear, Birds and Fish |
Maduru Oya National Park is located in the Dry zone and is 314 km away from Colombo It is situated by Kuda Sigiriya a great eco location yet to be explored by travelers to Sri Lanka.
The park was established as a catchment area for the five reservoirs under the Mahaweli project and provides habitats for wildlife, inclusive of elephants. It was declared a national park in 1983 under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance.
Maduruoya is well known for its elephant habitat. Other than elephants, leopards, sloth bears, sambur, spotted and barking deer, wild boar and wild buffalo are also found here. Torque Macaque, Purple face leaf monkey and nocturnal slender Loris are also found in the park. Lesser Adjutant, Wooly necked stork, open bill, painted stork, Racket tailed Drongo, Yellow fronted barbet, Sri Lanka Junglefowl & Spurfowl are among the over 100 species of birds found within the park.
All dry zone vegetation is found in abundance at Maduru Oya Park. Weera, palu, buruta, kaluwara welang, beli, ehela, kumbuk, milla, kone and woodapple are some of them. However, it is sad to see the sections of the jungle that were raped by chena cultivators who destroyed all the big trees and turned them into open plains, now filled with illuk, grass and various kinds of shrubs and cactus groves.
Ruins at Henanigala, Kudawila, Gurukumbura, Uluketangoda, Werapokuna and several other places include ancient Buddhist shrines, temples, dagobas, statues, devales and hermitages from different eras in Sri Lankan history. An ancient sluice dating before the 1st century BC was discovered recently on the old breached earthen bund of the Maduru Oya. Early Brahmin inscriptions dating from the 3rd century BC are found at Kandegamakanda. Vestiges of the Veddhas, an aboriginal tribe believed to be descended from King Vijaya and the Yaksha (demon) princess Kuveni, are to be traced to the traditional lifestyles of a few families in Dambana.
How to get there
Maduruoya can be reached through Matale and Hettipola or from Dehiattakandiya coming from Polonnaruwa or Mahiyangana. Maduruoya is closer to Wasgamuwa National Park.
Another route from Colombo (165 miles/265 km) is via Kurunegala, Dambulla, Habarana, Polonnaruwa and Manampitiya. Main access from the north is from Manampitiya (16 miles/25 Km) located on the Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa highway.
There are two circuit bungalows and one dormitory at the park office in front of Maduru Oya reservoir. Ulhitiya campsite is available for nature lovers. There is a well-arranged wildlife museum at the park entrance.
Maduru Oya National Park Ticket Prices
| Description (Fees Applicable for Category 2 Parks) | Price |
|---|---|
| Local – Adults | LKR 60 |
| Local – Children (6-12 years) | LKR 30 |
| Local – Student | LKR 20 |
| Local – Children (below 6 years) | FOC |
| Local – Group Fee (per vehicle) | LKR 400 |
| Foreign – Adults | USD 12 |
| Foreign – Children (6-12 years) | USD 6 |
| Foreign SAARC Countries – Adults | USD 10 |
| Foreign SAARC Countries – Children (6-12 years) | USD 5 |
| Foreign – Children (below 6 years) | FOC |
| Foreign – Group Fee (per vehicle) | USD 10 |
| Taxes on total cost | 15% |
| Entrance Fee per vehicle | LKR 300 |
For example, for 2 foreigners with 1 child between 6 and 12 will have the cost of
| Description | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2 adults | USD 24.00 |
| 1 child | USD 6.00 |
| Group Fee | USD 10.00 |
| Total | USD 40.00 |
| Tax (15%) | USD 6.00 |
| Total | USD 46.00 |
Payments can be made in USD or equivalent LKR by foreigners. You can call 1919 (government information center) for the latest ticket prices. If you are hiring a private safari Jeep, the prices vary from LKR 11,000 to LKR 15,000 for half a day (4 hours) based on the park. For a full day, it’s double the cost of a half day.
Also See
Map of Maduru Oya National Park
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.
Driving Directions to Maduru Oya National Park
| Route from Colombo to Udawalawe National Park |
| Through : Kurunegala – Dambulla – Habarana – Polonnaruwa – Aralaganwila distance :280 km Travel time : 6 hours. Driving directions : see on google map |
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