Driving Sri Lanka’s B35 Elephant Road: Everything You Need to Know

Our tuktuk screeched into second gear just as a massive trunk reached into the fragile metal frame. It was a split second of terror and awe; the kind of wild encounter you’ll only experience on Sri Lanka’s famous B35 Elephant Road.

Along the western edge of Yala National Park you can find the Buttala - Kataragama Road, featured in BBC wildlife documentaries and known to locals and tourists as Elephant Road, due to frequent visits from ‘wild elephants’. In quotation marks due to the controversial feeding that i’ll share more detail on below.  

Seeing wild elephants has been scribbled at the top of our bucket list, but no documentary or video could have prepared us for the heart dropping moment when we were in fact faced with the gigantic beast, and it didn’t help that I’d found out before that the top speed of an elephant was equal to our tuktuks 40km/hr. 

Below I share the story of driving one of Sri Lanka’s most famous roads, one of wildlife encounters, heart-racing moments and controversial ethical complications. 

Here’s what you need to know before driving Elephant Road, from where to start, how to do it, if you should and our experience of a close up encounter with a four tonne beast! 

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Where Is The B35 Elephant Road?

Arguably the most famous road in Sri Lanka can be found in the south-eastern part of the country cutting through Yala National Park. Joining the towns of Buttala and Kataragama, this b-road takes you straight through elephant territory, making it one of the most extraordinary drives in the country.

How To Get To Elephant Road?

We had decided to drive the road from North to South. We started the day early, leaving our homestay in Ella and made the long drive in our tuktuk to Buttala. 

The entrance to the b35 has one police checkpoint, we actually drove the road twice and this was only manned once. The police are friendly and warn you about the dangers of wild elephants, they may also check your driving license. 

Once past the checkpoint you’re on the road! 

Our Experience Of Driving Elephant Road 

We made sure to top up our tuktuk’s tank at a nearby petrol station and while we were there, we also crafted a very questionable DIY selfie stick. Our GoPro was tied to a branch using a pair of socks, this is definitely not something we’d recommend and we’ll explain why later!

On our first attempt, we were a bit naive. Expecting nothing, we set off assuming we’d be lucky to catch a glimpse of any wildlife. Fifteen minutes into the 30-minute drive, we’d only spotted a few wild boars. Still cool… but definitely not the elephant encounter we were hoping for.

Preparing ourselves for disappointment, we continued on slowly. A car crested the hill in-front and started flashing their headlights. Butterflies emerged in our stomachs. Then there it was, a giant filled the road, an elephant standing perpendicular took up the whole two lanes of what now felt like an increasingly narrow road. 

We stopped 100m back, giving the elephant space and realised what was planned as a fun tuktuk self-safari had now turned into a slightly terrifying game of don’t get trampled. 

We watched as a bus paid their way through, exchanging fruit and slowly nudging the elephant to the side. These interactions are creating ethical complications, the elephants expecting food and gathering where they know it will be supplied (one reason these wild elephants are perhaps not so wild.)

We waited for a truck to follow, and set off, GoPro at the ready! We wanted to capture the moment, but here’s where our handmade selfie stick didn’t go to plan. The elephant seemed to mistake the branch for food and stuck its trunk into the side opening while swatting the go pro away. To this day, we don’t know how the sock held but we had experienced the strength of the elephant and that was a humbling experience. One that reminded us these animals were wild and could be dangerous.

Our first passing had been butt-clenching but the Elephant Road wasn’t done with us yet and not long after we saw our second elephant. This one was smaller and over to one side (thank god!). We passed this one with no drama, taking in the beautiful, wrinkly eyes and muscular trunk. 

On both drives, we saw two elephants, although we’ve read accounts of people spotting five or more! It’s undeniably thrilling but also a scary experience that is hard to recommend due to the potential dangers and ethical questions. 

That said, here on the blog we share what we learnt from our experience to help you to make your own informed choices on whether to drive the B35. 

Elephants In Sri Lanka 

According to the Department of Wildlife there are 7000 wild elephants in Sri Lanka, pretty crazy if you think about the size of the island! We were lucky to spot some wild elephants in Arugam Bay from a distance and of course along the B35 Elephant Road. 

Unfortunately, we also saw elephant riding tours in Sigiriya, something that was honestly quite shocking to see. 

Sri Lanka Protect Areas 

One of the reasons we fell in love with Sri Lanka was the wildlife, it had a feeling of raw, wild nature. Peacocks were spotted in trees, monitor lizards crossed the road, toque macaques tried to steal our belongings and grey langurs were frequent sightings as we drove our tuktuk around.

Sri Lanka has 660 protected areas (WDPA), from nature reserves to national parks. Often these are intertwined with villages, roads and everyday life. Amazing but perhaps not always as harmonious as we would wish. 

Some roads that cut through national parks, like the B35, have become a tourist destination, encouraging the feeding of wild animals as well as putting both the animals and humans in danger. 

There are now rules in place such as it being illegal to stop. We however were unaware of this rule even though we had researched the b35 beforehand. This shows more awareness is still needed around these issues.

Human-Elephant Conflict 

Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is one issue that the locals often spoke to us about. In Arugam Bay our homestay host described how elephants sometimes walk into the town destroying vital infrastructure, or how near Peanut Farm Beach they get tangled with surfers looking for a wave but instead come face to face with an elephant blocking their way. 

We also were warned at the B35 checkpoint by the police that elephants often tip tuktuks or scooters. 

The HEC is a larger, complex issue that has been going on for years. Elephants' natural habitat has been overtaken by humans and now they have to coexist. This is exacerbated by deforestation and a growing population, and a solution is hard to come by.

 As tourists, do we have a responsibility to avoid elephant interactions? It’s one reason we were so excited to visit after trying to avoid the unethical sanctuaries in Thailand, to see a wild elephant was high up on our bucket list. Reflection on our travels sparks deeper thoughts on ethics, but in the moment we were excited to experience something we’d seen online. 

Ethical Complications With Elephant Road In Sri Lanka

One of the main issues presented by the B35 is the frequent feeding of the elephants. We didn’t see any tourists feeding the elephants but we did see a bus and local vehicles feeding the elephants fruit, perhaps to keep them coming back.

This can cause elephants to become aggressive as they expect food from passing vehicles or to become dependent on this food source. Feeding wild animals is illegal in Sri Lanka, although we saw multiple vehicles doing it.

Also increased interaction leads to more accidents, for both the humans and elephants, contributing to the broader issue of human-elephant conflict. 

Should You Drive Elephant Road? 

A personal choice needs to be made on whether you should drive Elephant road. Understandably, the draw of seeing wild elephants close up, under your own steam is a once in a lifetime opportunity and one that we chose to do. 

After educating ourselves further on the issue, it is clear to see these elephants aren’t treated as truly wild animals. Constant feeding and regular human interaction have perhaps turned them into more of a tourist attraction, something we don’t agree with. You are pretty much guaranteed to see an elephant, it’s not a chance meeting. 

There’s also the danger element to consider. Know the risks and make an informed decision, take precautions where you can and overall be a considerate tourist and follow the rules such as not feeding the elephants.

The other option would be to go on a guided Safari like this one in Yala or in the less busy Wilpattu in the north.

Is Driving Sri Lanka’s Elephant Road Dangerous? 

Yes, elephants are wild animals that can be aggressive. There are multiple reports of them tipping tuktuks or trampling scooters. While many tourists pass through without issues, the risk is real and should be taken seriously.

Safety Tips For Driving Elephant Road 

• Make sure you have a full tank of fuel, you do not want to be running out 

• Don’t stop along the road, unless you need to

• Don’t take food with you, the elephants may reach in and try and grab it

• Drive slowly, we choose second gear to pass the elephants 

Discover The Top Things To Do In Sri Lanka!

While driving around the country for 2-months, we created a Google Pinned Map with all the places we visited and were recommended in Sri Lanka. Grab your Pinned Map today and start planning your Sri Lankan adventure! Don’t miss out...click here to view for free!

Elephant Road Common Questions

When is the best time to visit Elephant Road?

The best time to spot the elephants is during dawn and dusk when it is cooler and they are most active. However, do not drive this road in the dark! 

What to bring to Elephant Road?

You don’t need to bring anything extra special, we just made sure to have our bags secured in the back and no food. We did bring our GoPro selfie stick but as it turned out this wasn’t the best idea! 

Why is it called Elephant Road? 

The Buttala to Kataragama road (B35) has been nicknamed Elephant Road due to the number of elephants that regularly stand along it. This may be due to unethical feeding taking place. 

Is it safe to drive a tuktuk on Elephant Road?

While lots of tourists have positive experiences, there is risk involved with wild animals. 

Are there entrance fees or permits required to drive the B35?

We did not have to pay to drive the Elephant Road in Sri Lanka. There is a checkpoint at the boundary of Yala National park but the police just asked questions and then let us get on our way. 

Is it legal to stop and take photos on Elephant Road?

No, it’s actually illegal to stop on roads that pass through national parks in Sri Lanka, including the B35. We didn’t realise this at the time, even though we had researched the route.

What should you do if an elephant blocks the road?

If you do find an elephant blocking your way, stop about 100m away and wait for a larger vehicle to follow. 

How long does the drive through Elephant Road take?

The road takes about 30-minutes to drive, however, if you need to stop and wait for larger vehicles or elephants to move, it can take longer.

Final Thoughts on Elephant Road Sri Lanka 

At the time, driving Elephant Road was the highlight of my trip, a mixture of adrenaline and wildlife interaction. However, on reflection this isn’t ethical tourism.

The ugly truth is that the Elephants along the B35 are now reliant on humans due to the consistent feeding and travellers like us might be contributing to long-term harm of these animals.

That said, even the prearranged safari tours raise ethical concerns (just look at the jeep queues in Yala). Therefore if you choose to drive on an elephant road, know the risk, know the ethical concerns and respect the animals. Don’t stop unless necessary, don’t feed the elephants and reduce interaction. 

Throughout our 8-months in Southeast Asia, seeing wildlife in an ethical way proved to be harder than expected. Nearly every experience seemed to have some complications or moral grey areas, and unfortunately we don’t know the answer. 

Elephant Road was an amazing experience but also a reminder of the impact of tourists.

Top Tips For Travelling Sri Lanka

If you’re visiting Sri Lanka here are our top travel tips:

1. Rent a Tuk Tuk as Transport  - This made our trip! Not only did we have complete freedom and flexibility it allowed us to have authentic relationships with locals. Use our code "KandM" for 5% off Tuktuk Rental.

2. Stay in Homestays - Staying in local homestays meant we experienced authentic food and the local way of life. Everyone was extremely friendly and happy to help. 

3. Don’t Forget the North - Many tourists stick to the south coast but if you have time explore places such as Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and Arugam bay!

4. Embrace The Chaos and get stuck in, the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!

   
   

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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Sri Lankan adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!