Habarana in Sri Lanka

General information

Habarana is a city in central Sri Lanka 170 kilometers from Colombo, 25 kilometers from Dambulla, and 15 from Sigiriya (see Habarana on the map of Sri Lanka).

The city is very tiny and there is almost nothing tourist in it, but for tourists Habarana is important because it is a convenient transport hub and starting point for a visit to Dambulla, Sigiriya. In general, the city is located almost in the very center of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, and therefore it is convenient to stop here when moving between Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and other Triangle cities. It is also the starting point for visits to Minneriya National Park and Kaudulla National Park, and in the off-season (September, October, March, April) it is possible to observe the migration of elephant herds between the parks for free.

There is little entertainment for tourists here. It is possible to go elephant walking / safari in the surrounding jungle. The cost of an elephant ride starts at $ 20 per hour, but since a standard walk lasts about 3 hours, you need to be prepared to pay from $ 60 per tour. You can find such tours through hotels and hostels. You can also offer fishing in the lake, but do not count on a serious catch and adrenaline.

There are quite a few hotels in Habaran and the surrounding area where you can stay to go from here to explore Sigiriya and Dambulla. Oddly enough, the hotels in Habaran are considered some of the best in Sri Lanka, and there are indeed several luxury hotels at an affordable price.

You can find and book accommodation in Habaran on these sites or through the search form. All sites have a Russian interface and Russian-language customer support, a lot of reviews from real guests.

Habarana hotels on the map

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How to get to Habarana

Habarana is located at the intersection of many bus routes, there is a railway here, so there will be no problems getting here.

The most convenient way to get there is by train. Twice a day there are trains from Colombo to Trincomalee (day) and Colombo to Bangalore (night). The journey is 5 hours, the cost is from 240 rupees. Also twice a day there are trains from Polonnaruwa: a little more than an hour on the way, the cost starts from 50 rupees. You can see the schedule here https://eservices.railway.gov.lk

By bus it is more convenient to travel short distances between the cities of the Cultural Triangle:

Anuradhapura-bus every 30 minutes, 2 and a half hours, cost from 100 rupees.
Dambulla-every 30 minutes, on the road 30 minutes, from 30 rupees.
Polonnaruwa-every 30 minutes, one hour on the road, from 50 rupees.

There are also buses from Colombo, Kandy, Matara, Hatton (Adam's peak) and Trincomalee.

Habarana sights, what to see

Lake Habarana

Habarane Lake is near the town and there is a walking walking trail around its perimeter. It is on it that tourists most often ride during short elephant safaris through the jungle, but you can also walk this route. The road will take about an hour and a half. During the walk you will have a chance to see exotic animals, insects, and tropical plants. If you are lucky, you will be able to see elephants swimming, but if you buy an elephant ride, then elephants can be bought right with you, if you, of course, want.

🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: walking around the lake for free, elephant ride from $ 30.

🚶 How to get there: the lake is near the city (Lake on the map).
Minneria National Park

Minneriya National Park is not as popular as the hyped Yala or Udawalawe, but they are almost as diverse as them in terms of flora and fauna. The park covers an area of 88.9 square kilometers, and includes the huge lake Minneria. If you are lucky, during a trip through the park you will be able to see herds of elephants, including their bathing, as well as leopards, wild boars, deer, monkeys, bears. Around the lake there are many colorful exotic birds. The chances of seeing more inhabitants depend on the professionalism of the guide and driver, the time spent in the park, the mode of transport, and your luck. Try to pick up a driver with a real all-wheel drive SUV, and not an Indian Mahindra car, on which you can't go far into the park and see much.

The visit is only possible accompanied by a guide ("issued" at the entrance) and by SUV or truck. A driver with an SUV can be found at the entrance to the park, but they are not always there, so it is better to take care of this in advance, which is easy to do in hotels in Habaran or Polonnaruwa.

As for the question of whether it is worth going here purposefully instead of Yala or Udawalawe park, we would not recommend this particular park. It is well worth a visit if you happen to be in this part of the country and combine your visit with a visit to Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Dambulla.

🕐 Working hours: 06:00-18: 00 seven days a week. The best season to visit is from May to September

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: the cost of the visit consists of the entrance fee (15 dollars adult, 8 – children 6-12 years); service fee from the group/Jeep 8 dollars; fee for the entry of vehicles – 250 rupees (see currency of Sri Lanka, exchange rate). Plus, you need to add the cost of renting a Jeep, which can be found from 3500 to 5000 for 3 hours. As a result, you can count on the cost of $ 30 per person in a group of 6 people, and up to $ 65 for a single visit.

🚶 How to get there: the National Park is a few kilometers from Habarana and 30 kilometers from Polonnaruwa (Minneria on the map). It is most convenient to visit the park from these cities, and to get here from the beach resorts in one day without an overnight stay is almost impossible. Therefore, it is best to come to Habarana or Polonnaruwa, arrange a safari there at the hotel, and go to the park early in the morning.
Caudulla National Park

Kaudulla National Park is another Sri Lankan national park where you can see herds of elephants in the wild. As in Minneria park, there is nothing holding them back, there are no fences and fences, and elephants move quietly throughout the territory and beyond, migrating throughout the year from one park to another. The diversity of animal life here is somewhat inferior to Minneria, but from October to March, when there are few elephants in Minneria, there are a lot of them. If you come to Polonnaruwa or Habarana in these months, it is better to choose to visit the Caudulla National Park.

🕐 Working hours: 06:00-18: 00 seven days a week. The best season to visit is from October to March.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: the cost of the visit consists of the entrance fee (10 dollars adult, 5 – children 6-12 years); service fee from the group/Jeep 8 dollars; fee for the entry of transport – 250 rupees. Plus, you need to add the cost of renting a Jeep, which can be found from 3500 to 5000 for 3 hours. As a result, you can count on the cost of $ 30 per person in a group of 6 people, and up to $ 60 for a single visit.

🚶 How to get there: the National Park is a few kilometers from Habarana and 35 kilometers from Polonnaruwa (Caudulla on the map). It is most convenient to visit the park from these cities, and to get here from the beach resorts in one day without an overnight stay is almost impossible. Therefore, it is best to come to Habarana or Polonnaruwa, arrange a safari there at the hotel, and go to the park early in the morning.
Ritigala nature reserve and ruins

The Ritigala ruins are the ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery dating from the first century BC. The temple is hidden in the dense forests of the Ritigala Nature Reserve on Mount Ritigala. There are many legends associated with this place. One of the most famous tells that it was from here that the monkey god Hanuman jumped across the Strait to India to tell the god Rama that his beloved Sita was being held by the king of Lanka.

For tourists, it is much more interesting to see what today remains of a once majestic and sacred place. It can be said that this is one of the most underrated attractions in Sri Lanka. While visiting, pay attention to the carved stone urinals, which are believed to have reflected the excesses opposed by the monks of the monastery. In addition to the ruins, the nature of the Reserve is very interesting: here you can see rare animals and birds, and unlike national parks, the visit is free.

🕐 Working hours: from 07:00 to 18:00.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: 500 rupees.

🚶 How to get there: Ritigala is 40 kilometers from Anuradhapura and 14 from Habarana (Ritigala on the map). You can get here by tuk-tuk for 2500 rupees (in both directions with waiting), and then walk about 2 and a half kilometers through the jungle along the paved road up. The Ascent is simple, everyone can do it. A guide for a walk through the Jungle is not required, the road is very well marked.