Gal Oya National Park
A park founded in 1954 around Senanayake Samudraya, the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka, made by damming the Gal Oya at Inginiyagala in 1950. Its elephant herd can be seen all year, and boat safaris on the reservoir watch them cross between islands.
- Where
- Ampara, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 7.2167, 81.3667
Get the Gal Oya National Park stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Gal Oya National Park. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Eastern Province volume with your photos and a note.
Near Gal Oya National Park
Dunhinda Falls 40 km
A waterfall about 5 km from Badulla in the lower central hills, reached by a forest path. Its name is usually explained as smoky, after the fine mist of spray that hangs around its pool.
Ravana Falls 49 km
One of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka, tumbling down a rock face beside the road below Ella. It is named after Ravana, the king of the Ramayana, and local legend links the caves near it to the story of Sita.
Nine Arches Bridge 51 km
A railway viaduct of nine stone and brick arches spanning a jungle valley at Demodara, near Ella. Built in the colonial era and known as the Bridge in the Sky, it is busiest when the blue hill country trains cross between the tea slopes.
Batticaloa Lagoon 52 km
A long, narrow estuarine lagoon of about 11,500 hectares on the east coast, the largest of three in its district. The city sits on the land between its waters and the Indian Ocean, and it is famous for the singing fish heard on still nights.
Ella Rock 53 km
A mountain above the hill village of Ella, reached by a walk that follows the railway line and climbs through tea and eucalyptus. From the top the view opens over the Ella Gap and the lowlands far to the south.
Thirukkovil Temple 54 km
The chief Hindu temple of this east coast town, dedicated to Chitravelayudhar, once guardian deity of Mattakkalappu Desam and honoured as the principal temple of the Batticaloa region. Chola, Kotte and Kandyan kings all kept close ties with it.
Maligawila Buddha 54 km
A standing Buddha carved from a single block of limestone in the 7th century by Prince Aggabodhi of Ruhuna, the tallest free standing ancient Buddha statue in the country. Found broken into pieces in 1951, it was put back together and raised upright again in 1980.
Pasikudah 64 km
A resort town on the east coast, 35 km northwest of Batticaloa, known for a wide, shallow bay where calm water runs far out over the sand. Its neighbour is Kalkudah, and the town is home to a Mariamman temple.
More hidden gems in Eastern Province
Questions
Where is Gal Oya National Park?
Gal Oya National Park is in Ampara, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Dunhinda Falls (40 km), Ravana Falls (49 km), Nine Arches Bridge (51 km).
How do I get the Gal Oya National Park stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Gal Oya National Park and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Eastern Province volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Gal Oya National Park before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Eastern Province volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.