Sri Lanka is considered to be one of the best locations in Asia to go on safari. This is largely due to all the national parks found throughout the island. Among the largest and most famous of these is the Yala National Park – the stronghold of the Sri Lankan leopard.
Yala lies to the south-east of Sri Lanka and is bordered by the Indian Ocean. Specifically, it is around 300km away from Colombo, but the journey is relatively easy due to Sri Lanka’s highly-developed road network. Yala is the second largest national park found in Sri Lanka. It is located on the south-east corner of the island and is bordered by the India Ocean to the south. Each year, thousands of travellers from all over the world flock to the park in hopes of seeing and capturing magnificent wildlife sightings.
There’s an array of different ecosystems found in Yala. These include dense shrub forests, thorny forest thickets, open grasslands and lush wetlands. Al these habitats provide refuge for a menagerie of wildlife. Some of the notable species include the magnificent Asian elephant, the curious sloth bear and the menacing mugger crocodile. Then, of course, there’s the Sri Lankan leopard, Yala’s premier attraction and the park’s top predator. These elusive hunters set out to hunt during dawn and dusk and their secretive nature makes finding one quite the challenge during a game drive. Fortunately, Yala has one of the densest leopard populations in the world, so your chances of spotting one of these spotted cats are quite high here!
The early hours of the morning and the late afternoon are the best times to go on safari in Yala. During these periods, the air is relatively cool and comfortable – for both you and the animals! A bumpy ride along the game trails of the park can prove to be both fun and exhilarating – there’s nothing quite like adventuring through the untamed bush.
