As conscious beings, we constantly seek for happiness and we visit places that will bring us joy. Unfortunately on this quest, we tend to ignore things in fear of those ruining our happiness. But, as dreamy as one would expect their travel needs to be, an ideal tour experience should contain subtle tinges of reality as well – tinges of reality that contains little droplets of sorrow – The Tsunami Memorial at Yala brings you exactly that!
You may think that Yala is a happy place that offers you glimpses of amazing wildlife and surreal scenery. And for the most part, this is entirely true, but there is a designated region at the park that stands as a stark reminder of a past that many wish to forget. At the coastal reaches of the wildlife reserve, there is a small area which lays in contrast to its surrounding – you may see ruined remains of buildings along with a few monoliths. As you get closer you would come across a memorial stone this is where the truth unfolds as it reads “In memory of the forty-seven lives taken by the tsunami”.
Located in the southeastern coastal region of Sri Lanka, Yala, one of the regions that were directly hit by the rogue waves of Tsunami that devastated the island on the 26th of December 2004. Over 47 people including tourists, safari drivers, and a guide were killed during this disaster in Yala alone and over 30 000 people were killed around the coastal regions of the island. The tsunami memorial at Yala commemorates those who had lost their lives on this dreadful day and you could visit here to pay respect to the fallen. This isn’t necessarily a mandatory thing to do during your safari and you could skip this part of the tour. But, as a responsible traveller seeing the site and experiencing inexplicable emotions, will instil empathy, make us value our lives, and will indeed help us become a better version of ourselves!
