Things to do in  Southern Province

Located in southern Sri Lanka, Udawalawe National Park is the island’s 6th-largest reserve, created in 1972 to house wildlife displaced by the building of the Udawalawe Reservoir. Spot animals such as elephant, buffalo, deer, crocodiles, leopards, and exotic birdlife among the park’s 119 square miles (308 square kilometers).

Situated in Kosgoda on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast, the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project works to protect endangered sea turtles by conserving nesting sites and providing a hatchery for rescued eggs. Visitors can tour the small, beachside facility to see the turtles, learn about their lifecycle, and discover the project’s work.

A cluster of ancient Buddhist cave shrines on a natural rock that rises 673 feet (205 meters from the jungle floor, the Mulkirigala Rock Monastery is one of south Sri Lanka’s must-sees. While temples have existed here for 2,000 years, the caves are brim with colorful Buddha statues and frescoes dating from the 1700s.