Why is Udawalawe famous among wildlife photographers?

Udawalawe is legendary among photographers because the sparse vegetation, plus those wide sweeping landscapes, give clear sightlines, and they stay well lit in a way you rarely get inside tropical jungles.

The absence of a dense dark canopy means golden hour light spills beautifully across the plains, so you can get ideal lighting for photographing herds of elephants, with the far mountains sitting in the background. Also, the high density of larger and comparatively settled subjects, like Water Buffaloes and Peafowl, and even perched raptors, makes it a forgiving environment, where crisp professional wildlife portraits come easier.