In southeastern Sri Lanka, you will find the B35 road. Not much special you might say, but nothing could be further from the truth. The B35 in Sri Lanka goes right through the Yala National Park. Because of this, there is a good chance that you will encounter wild elephants on – or along the side of the road, how cool!
Content of this blog:
Is the B35 road in Sri Lanka dangerous because of elephants?
The B35 road can be dangerous. We are also certainly not writing this article to encourage everyone to drive on the B35, but rather to raise awareness because of the potential dangers.
The elephants you may encounter by the B35 road are wild elephants. These belong in Yala National Park, where you can take a jeep safari to spot elephants, leopards, crocodiles, buffalo, deer and many other types of animals.
A few years ago there were a few elephants that occasionally came to take a look on the B35 road. When vans with tourists caught on to this, they started feeding the elephants so the tourists could get a closer look at the elephants. This has ensured that since then the elephants are almost always on the side of the B35 road, or even in the middle of the road. After all, they think they are getting food and stick around.
What should you do if you encounter an elephant with your tuktuk?
Many travelers in Sri Lanka rent their own tuktuk. This is a great way to explore Sri Lanka and it gives you the ultimate freedom to go wherever you want. This means that you can also drive your own tuktuk along the B35 road, which is why many travelers like to do so.
From the tuktuk rental you will be given tips on what to do if you encounter a wild elephant on the road. For example, of course, you should always try to keep enough distance. In addition, it is important not to make loud noises. Honking loudly will not make the elephant go away, but it will get irritated. This is something you want to avoid.
Always drive behind a larger vehicle!
Finally, the very best tip: always drive behind a larger vehicle. On the B35 there are many vans and occasionally even trucks. If you see an elephant on the road in the distance, stop yourself and wait for another vehicle to approach from behind. Be sure to ask the driver if you can drive behind him, and he can adjust his speed accordingly. This way there is very little chance that the elephant will do something to your tuktuk and you will get to the other side 99% safely.
Why do elephants find tuktuks so interesting?
The tuktuk, of course, is open from two sides. Elephants have quickly figured out that they can very easily pick their own food out of this, because they can simply enter the tuktuk with their trunk. The dangerous thing about this is that the elephant with all its strength can also very easily get the tuktuk on its side. Therefore – especially if you are driving your own tuktuk – you should always be careful and drive behind a larger vehicle.
Isn’t it more convenient to just toss the elephant some food?
Yes, this is more convenient because then the elephant chases the food and goes off the road. This way you can easily drive on. However, with this you do maintain the unnatural behavior of food begging by the side of the road. It all seems nice, but because the elephants are no longer afraid of the vehicles and people, this disrupts the natural pattern and may eventually cause more trouble for the locals in the villages. We are not in favor of supporting this, but everyone thinks differently.
How do you get to the B35 in Sri Lanka?
As mentioned, the B35 road runs right through Yala National Park. It is parallel to the A2 route you have to take if you visit the Kingdom Ecolodge. So if you drive the fastest and most logical route from north to south (or vice versa), you basically won’t just end up on the B35 unless you specifically detour for it or drive from Yala National Park to Arugam Bay.
Are you driving from Hiriketiya to Ella, via the Kingdom Ecolodge? Then you will probably just take the A2 route and not drive on the B35 road. So you will have to ask yourself if you are happy to drive on the B35 – and possibly take a safety risk. This is up to you to decide. All we can do is list the risks and possibilities, then you can make the decision yourself.
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