Pathum was referred to us by one of the drivers we met on our trip in Sri Lanka. We texted him in the early morning and by 1pm he was available to pick us up from our hotel. He let us make a stop by an ATM on the way and gave us water for the trip. On this day, we went to Kaudulla Park, and at first we saw a small family of elephants. It was still very hot so there were not a lot of elephants out yet. There were a lot of water buffalos at all times. By the late afternoon, it was a lot cooler and we saw a huge herd of the elephants all gathered around the main water body. We witnessed a lot of fun and mundane moments such as the elephants fighting, babies feeding on their mothers, etc etc. We also saw a couple of tuskers and even managed to get up close. On the way out of the park, we saw peacocks, grey monkeys, and even a crocodile. It was a truly magnificent experience where you’re able to watch the wild life at an appropriate distance. Pathum himself was a very experienced driver, able to navigate the messy safari terrain. He also had a very trained eye for catching wildlife. He was able to spot all kinds of animals from a distance, or those trying to camouflage, which even my friend and I (who were obviously not the ones driving) did not even catch at first. 10/10 recommend!









