Host to “The Gathering,” one of Asia’s largest wild elephant congregations, when hundreds of elephants converge on the shrinking reservoir shoreline as the dry season progresses, typically peaking between July and October. Outside that window, Kaudulla National Park nearby offers a similar, year-round alternative with smaller but still reliable herds. The spectacle of so many elephants sharing a single stretch of shoreline is genuinely unlike anything else on the island and worth timing a trip around wherever a traveller’s dates allow it. It appears in two of our nine tours, both built with enough flexibility to make the most of the gathering season when it aligns with travel dates.