Ridiyagama Safari Park : The Kingdom of Animals

Ridiyagama Safari Park is a 500-acre safari park, a zoo in the Ridiyagama area of Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. It is the 1st of its kind in Sri Lanka because you can see most of the animals in the animal kingdom on the planet earth here including the lion king, Bengal tiger, Ostrich, Camel, Kangaroo, and various animals from the other part of the world. Due to its classification of Animals, it is possible to see almost all of the animals in one day.

It’s an open zoo and a new concept for Sri Lanka. Basically, humans are the ones who are caged and animals roam free. Humans have to travel in covered buses or safari jeeps to sight the animals. This park consisting of tigers, lions, zebras, and elephants has still scope for improvement. And they’re working on adding new varieties of animals and extending the park.

Reaching Ridiyagama Safari Park

The Ridiyagama Safari Park is in the Southern Province of Sri Lankan in the Ridiyagama area of the Hambantota district. The park is 65 KM away from Yala (1 hr 20 min drive), 110 KM away from Galle & Unawatuna (1 hr 30 min drive), and 220 KM away from Colombo city (3 hr 20 min drive). The park is located in close proximity to Sri Lanka’s E01 expressway, which makes the park easily accessible even by long-distance travel. However, public transport is not possible and privately arranged transport is recommended to reach the park.

The lifestyle of Animals in the Park

A new experience in Sri Lanka where the animals are in the open environment (not caged) and the travelers can go and visit the animals is fully protected bus or in a safari jeep (Optional with an additional Payment), I recommend Safari by Jeep for a pleasant experience. we can see many animals in this open zoo and the tour guides are providing excellent service by providing a descriptive introduction.

We have to go on a bus around the zoo or in a jeep. There were animals roaming around and they were imported from other countries. It is a must-visit place if you come near Ridiyagama. They will later include leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, and kangaroos. We saw many scary animals like African lions and Bengal tigers.

It is still developing to come to 500 acres when fully completed. There were 4 zones, namely Lion, Tiger, general and Elephants are presently underway. The first zone we saw was the Lion zone. They are from Africa. We saw 4 lions closer to the road lying down in the shade of the trees. The next zone is a common animal where you see Zebras, Horses. Donkeys, Camels, Ostrich, Hippos, etc. Another zone we saw was Bengal Tigers from India. The other zone is the elephant zone and one we saw was from India other Sri Lankan ones are very tame and even came near the Jeep.

Most of the animals looked well-nourished except for the elephants. They seemed to look starved and wrinkled skinned surrounded by a dusty forest area. The climate was really hot so if you are planning to visit this area be prepared for it. This place also consists of, washrooms, a spacious car park, and small shops with a variety of food and drinks.

Additional Info

• The safari park consists of two separate zones for carnivores and herbivores respectively
• It is safe for families and those who are not too passionate about wildlife
• Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Most travelers can participate
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Special Warning

• Always keep your distance from Animals.
• Do not enter the restricted areas.
• So do not make noise (playing a musical instrument, radio, tape recorder & singing, etc.)
• Pets are not allowed into the Safari / Zoo premises.
• Keep your ticket with you.
• Please quote your ticket number & the date of the visit for future correspondence.

I recommend this place because you can experience many things. Overall, we were satisfied with the tour and it’s an ideal place to visit for both kids and adults. No doubt this will add one more landmark destination to the tourist map of Sri Lanka