Located in central Sri Lanka, Minneriya National Park lies east of Habarana, shaped by dry-zone plains, open grassland, and low forest surrounding the ancient Minneriya Wewa. Seasonal water levels draw wildlife into view, leading naturally to the park’s defining spectacle, the Gathering, when hundreds of Asian elephants feed, bathe, and socialise along the reservoir margins. Scrub and wetland support sambar and axis deer, buffalo, crocodiles, and two endemic primates, the purple-faced langur and the toque macaque, with leopards and sloth bears present but seldom seen. Birdlife concentrates along shallow shores where pelicans, painted storks, herons, and cormorants fish. Game drives dominate activities, often paired with a dawn hot-air balloon flight revealing the landscape from above during the long dry season.