R. Doug Wicker — Author

Celebrity Millennium departed Phuket, Thailand at about 19:00 on 16 November 2025. Three days later, after transiting the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean, we found ourselves some 1,200 miles/1,900 kilometers to the west. So, after receiving clearance to disembark on the morning of 19 November, Ursula and I set foot into Hambantota on the island nation of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon. For this excursion Ursula had something special planned. She had previously contracted with Sam’s Tours, which in turn subcontracted with Shehan Safari Jeep Tours, for an excursion into Udawalawe National Park for an elephant safari. This would be the first of two safaris we would take on this extended journey that would later include a comprehensive tour of India, but we’ll get to that later in the series. For now, and over the next three weeks we’ll be concentrating on this safari.

Udawalawe National Park, established in 1972, covers 119 miles²/308.3 kilometers². The park was conceived as a protective habitat for wildlife displaced by the Udawalawe Dam and the resulting Udawalawe Reservoir. Today, the park is home to many species of reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals, most notably the premier park resident — the Sri Lankan elephant. We’ll take a look at one of those residents in a moment, but first let’s take time to enjoy the stunning terrain and beautiful cerulean skies:

You’ll also find here a familiar sight. The chap below is an Indian peafowl, otherwise known as a peacock. By the way, little known factoid: while most people refer to both sexes of this bird as peacocks, technically only the males are peacocks; the females are more correctly referred to as peahens.

Back now to the star of the show here. This is a Srk Lankan elephant:

The Sri Lankan elephant is a subspecies of the Asian elephant, one of only three subspecies for these behemoths. The other two would be the Indian and the Sumatran. The largest of the three is the Sri Lankan.

Another interesting factoid: Genetically, Sri Lankan elephants are more closely related to the extinct wooly mammoth than they are to the African elephant. And while the Asian elephant is considered far less aggressive than the much larger African elephant, these are not to be trifled with. They will kill you, even if unprovoked.

Whatever you do, stay in the vehicle and don’t reach out toward one. The images above depict females. You can tell because the forehead is blocky and very angular and the backs are straight. The males have a more rounded head, and sloping back, and the hindquarters are tapered. For example:

We’ll continue looking at these wonders over the next three weeks, which will include two Fun Photo Fridays and in the third week will conclude with a Fun Food Friday.

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