Minneriya National Park is situated in the north-central plains of Sri Lanka, 20 kilometers from Polonnaruwa. The park encompasses the beautiful Minneriya tank, built by King Mahasena (in 3rd century AD). This tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants that come to bathe and graze on the grasses as well as the huge flocks of birds (cormorants, painted storks, open-bills, Pelicans and many other species of waders) that come to fish in the shallow waters.Main entrance of Minneriya National park is located facing Habarana – Polonnaruwa road (A11). From Colombo reach Habarana junction via Kurunegala, Dambulla (A1, A6), and take the right turn from Habarana towards Polonnaruwa. Drive 10 km towards Polonnaruwa to reach Minneriya National Park. Distance from Colombo is around 182km and total driving time will be around 4-5 hours.
- Elephants, elephants and a lot of them !. You can witness how dominant female guide and protect the family, young calves playing and exploring the surrounding under the close supervision of adults, young males fighting for dominance and if you are lucky, you may be able to see one or more majestic tuskers
- Birds watching – A large number of birds gather in the park to feed on the fish that get trapped in drying water holes in the lake bed. Huge flocks of birds like cormorants, painted storks, open-bills, Pelicans can be seen.
- Beautiful Landscape – The lake, lush green lake bed and the surrounding mountains create memorable landscapes enhanced by warm light during the late afternoons
