Best of Volunteering - Detailed Itinerary

We aim to build sustainable local livelihoods through Tourism. While wildlife conservation protects the elephants, empowering local villagers is what makes peaceful coexistence permanent. Volunteers help to achieve this aim during a 14-day tour; you will explore and support two primary project areas in the Udawalawe region: Udawalawe and Pokunuthanna.

Udawalawe - located approximately 150 km from Colombo, is a warm, tranquil sanctuary in the heart of rural Sri Lanka. Framed by picturesque lakes, distant mountain vistas, and sweeping landscapes of sugarcane plantations, emerald paddy fields, and banana groves, the village offers a rare glimpse into a way of life deeply intertwined with nature. Here, you will experience genuine Sri Lankan hospitality, savour home-cooked meals prepared from local farm harvests, and learn how local families navigate daily life alongside the wild herds of Udawalawe National Park. The Udawalawe National Park (UWNP) boasts more than 1000 wild elephants.

Pokunuthanna is nestled directly on the northern border of Udawalawe National Park and the Dahaiyagala Sanctuary. Pokunuthanna is an unspoiled rural haven with incredible potential for eco-tourism. Positioned between two protected reserves, it exists as a tranquil basin where village life and raw wilderness seamlessly blur. Dotted with historic water tanks, tree huts, and private electric fencing built by villagers to protect home gardens, Pokunuthanna is a prime destination for travellers seeking authentic "off-the-beaten-path" experiences.

Because both Udawalawe and Pokunuthanna act as natural extensions of the surrounding national park, the region’s biodiversity is extraordinary: a haven for birdwatchers, with over 100 native and migratory species recorded. Beyond the famous wild elephants, the area is home to many wildlife species, including leopards, spotted deer, wild boars, jungle cats, palm civets, and pangolins.

Why Your Contribution Matters

Local families facing daily Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) currently lack the exposure, digital tools, and hospitality training needed to build alternative livelihoods outside of traditional farming. Through this volunteering program, you provide the encouragement, language practice, and skill-sharing necessary to launch community eco-homestays and guided nature activities. By helping families generate income through tourism, you directly reduce crop dependency and foster long-term tolerance and protection for Sri Lanka's wild elephants and other wildlife.

Day 1: Welcome to Sri Lanka & Journey to Udawalawe

Upon arrival, you will be met by our representative at the Bandaranayake International Airport and accompanied to Udawalawe base (approx. 4–5 hours). You will be introduced to the local conservation project - the Elephant and People International Centre (EPIC) to brief EPIC’s conservation mission and plan your designated project activities for the week.

Day 2: Full-Day Elephant Safari adventure in the Udawalawe National Park (UWNP)

On your second day, embark on an exciting full-day safari in the famous UWNP with the EPIC team to observe wild elephants and learn about their behaviour and ecology to support human-elephant coexistence in the villages bordering the park. You will have a picnic breakfast and lunch inside the national park.

Day 3, 4 & 5: Designing Ecotourism & Coexistence Trails in Udawalawe

During days 3- 5, you will help the EPIC team and the villagers map out and design scenic, low-impact nature trails for birdwatching, wildlife watching, scenic landscapes, and photography trails that can be offered to future travellers to support local community income. You will do this by walking along the potential routes with the EPIC team and villagers during the day. During your walks, you will evaluate and refine the best trail routes, assessing their safety, wildlife viewing potential, and overall travellers' experience.

At night (between 17:00-22:00 hrs), you will support EPIC's Night Safari Route Development project. Elephants and other wildlife roam in the vast areas of sugarcane farmland at night. You can join an exciting night safari through the sugarcane fields to track nocturnal wildlife and wild elephant movement. Your participation directly helps trial and design optimal night safari routes that showcase how these agricultural lands can generate sustainable ecotourism value and promote coexistence.

Days 6 & 7: Weekend Leisure or Local Excursions

On days 6 & 7, you will enjoy two free days to explore local attractions. There are many tourist attractions located in proximity to Udawalawe (within a 2-3 hour drive), including the Southern coast (Tangalle, Mirissa beach), Galle Dutch Fort, Ella and Horten plans national park.

From day 1 to day 7 - Accommodation at a local homestay or guest house on a full-board basis, with vegetarian meals at Udawalawe.

Days 8, 9 & 10: Designing Ecotourism & Coexistence Trails at Pokunuthanna

On day nine, after breakfast, you will leave Udawalawe for Pokunuthanna, which is about a 1-hour drive, with the EPIC team. Similar to Udawalawe, you will support the team and the villagers to map and design the best nature walks, birdwatching trails, scenery and landscape walks, and spotting other wildlife.

At night (between 17:00-22:00 hrs), you will support EPIC's Night Safari Route Development project at Pokunuthanna. Elephants and other wildlife roam in the village forest, paddy fields and even on roads at night. You can join an exciting night safari through the crop lands to track nocturnal wildlife and crop-raiding elephants. Your participation directly helps trial and design optimal night safari routes that showcase how these agricultural lands can generate sustainable ecotourism value and promote coexistence.

While you stay at Pokunuthanna, you support Community Empowerment & Skill Sharing by working directly with Pokunuthanna residents and homestay hosts to bridge language gaps and digital skills in promoting their homestays. By helping local families run successful eco-homestays, community members gain a direct financial benefit from elephants, which helps change their negative attitude toward elephants and other wildlife in the area.

You will also help set up and check night vision camera traps set at Pokunuthanna to monitor elephant and other wildlife moments.

Optional activity: stay at a tree house with farmers to protect crops from elephants at night.

From day 8 to day 10 - Accommodation at a local homestay or guest house on a full-board basis, with vegetarian meals at Pokunuthanna.

Days 11 & 12: Project Showcase & Final Output Delivery:

On day 11, leave Pokunuthanna after breakfast for Udawalawe. Together with the EPIC conservation team, you will critically analyse/discuss field notes, evaluate the trail routes tested throughout the week, and refine the core ecotourism model to maximise both travellers' experience and local village income.

You are also requested to translate your personal experience into powerful awareness tools to support the co-existing project. Together with the EPIC team and the villagers, you’ll curate high-impact photography, edit video reels, and co-write authentic blog features, photo essays, and social media campaigns designed to showcase peaceful human-elephant coexistence to a global audience.

Day 13: Leisure or Local Excursions

On day 13, you will have a leisure day to relax or explore local attractions including the Elephant transit home, Sankhapala ancient temple, Maduwanwela Walawwa, Tissa and Kataragama ancient Hindu temple, Yala, Lunugamwehera, Bundala, Sinharaja rain forest, which can be reached within one hour's drive from Udawalawe.

Day 14: Departure or Extension

After breakfast, you will be transferred back to Colombo Airport for your flight home, or extend your holiday with Gotrex Tours to explore the rest of the country.

You can also join our other signature tours (e.g. Essence of Sri Lanka, Best of Sri Lanka, Best of East Coast, Best of Wildlife tour) with this volunteering tour.

Price from £ 1146* per person

(*Minimum 2 persons required for this price).

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