Ampara and Gal Oya: Boat Safaris and Swimming Elephants
Ampara is a spread-out town in the eastern dry zone, surrounded by paddy fields, irrigation tanks and a patchwork of communities. Most travellers come for Gal Oya National Park, one of the few places in Sri Lanka where you can take a boat safari and, with luck, watch wild elephants swim between islands.
Gal Oya boat safaris
Gal Oya is built around the Senanayake Samudraya, the island’s largest reservoir. Boat safaris glide past forested islands and, in the dry months, sometimes catch elephants crossing the water. It is a calmer, greener alternative to the jeep parks of the south.
Around town
The Deegavapi stupa, an ancient and revered Buddhist site, lies in the district, and the tanks around Ampara are good for early-morning birdwatching. The town itself is a friendly, low-key place to stock up and rest.
Getting there
Ampara is reached by road from the east-coast towns of Batticaloa and Arugam Bay, or across the hills from the south. It makes a natural stop between the east-coast beaches and the deep south.
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