Ridiyagama Safari Park in Hambantota

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Ridiyagama Safari Park in Hambantota - හම්බන්තොට රිදියගම සෆාරි උද්‍යානය

Ridiyagama Safari Park is Sri Lanka’s first 500-acre open-air zoo, where visitors are “caged” in buses or jeeps while animals roam freely. This African-style safari features distinct zones for lions, tigers, and herbivores like zebras and giraffes. It offers a safe, thrilling wildlife encounter perfect for families.

Ridiyagama Safari Park in Hambantota Entrance Fees/Ticket Prices (2025)

Description (18% VAT will be added to the ticket price)
Foreign Adults	USD 15.00
Foreign Children (3 – 12 years of age)	USD 7.50
Foreign (SAARC Countries) Adults	USD 10.00
Foreign (SAARC Countries) Children (3 – 12 years of age)	USD 5.00
Local—Adults	LKR 500
Local – Children (3 – 12 years of age)	LKR 200
Local—Children in School Uniform	LKR 100
Private Jeep with Guide (seats six) – including taxes	LKR 5,000
Non Air-Conditioned Shuttle Bus (per person)	LKR 100
Air-Conditioned Shuttle Bus (per person)	LKR 200

Opening Hours

Description
Open Days	all 365 days
Opening Hours	8.30 AM – 4.30 PM

Ridiyagama Safari Park is a 500-acre safari park and zoo in the Ridiyagama area of Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. The park was opened to the public on 28 May 2016. Although the park reservation is 500 acres in size, only about 200 acres are currently being developed and being gradually enlarged. The plan has envisaged nine zones for separate wildlife, and at present four zones are operational.

The park was developed to give the freedom of movement to animals as much as possible and the visitors to be caged. The 80-acre mammal zone comprises a large variety of grazers and some flightless birds from the Americas, Africa, and Asian countries. These include rare mammals such as Cape buffaloes, zebras, camels, antelopes, guanacos, and ostriches.

The elephant zone is 54 acres in size. There are a number of small elephant groups as well as an African elephant with a pair of majestic tusks roaming the ground. This African elephant has been moved to this park from the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens.

There are six Bengali tigers in the 5-acre Bengal Tiger Zone. All are quite used to humans and walk up to vehicles without fear. Next is the Lion Zone. There are 14 lions in this zone. Seven lions were initially brought from various countries at the start of the park. The remaining seven have been born in the park itself, and another male lion born at the site has been donated to the Ambepussa Sinha Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army as their mascot.

One major disadvantage at this site is that personal vehicles are not allowed to enter the safari grounds. Therefore, a visitor has only 2 options: use some of the few buses with meshed windows or hire one of the few jeeps available. Unfortunately, busloads of visitors come here on weekends and on holidays; thus, you may spend a good half a day under the dry sun waiting for your bus ride or waiting for a jeep to be vacant.

With the highway developed up to Hambantota, this is one of the latest attractions of Hambantota, which has been a popular destination for those who travel to Kataragama.

To reach this site from the highway, you need to exit from the Sooriyawewa Exit. From Sooriyawewa, you need to take the gravel road for 6 km along the Madunagala Sanctuary to reach the Safari Park.

Alternatively, you can exit from the Barawakumbura Exit (one before the Sooriyawewa Exit) and travel through Padalangala Road, which is a much better road. The total distance from the exit to the site on this route is 15 km.

Also See

Bird Park Hambantota (official site)

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