Kingdom of the Leopards: Yala National Park

Talking of the island’s most iconic National Parks, Yala is one of the few. This wildlife sanctuary is located in the Southeastern part of the country and renowned for its eco diversity and is mostly known as one of the premium homes of the Lanka leopard. In fact, the world’s largest leopard concentration is here in Yala National Park. Adding to that, this place occupies many majestic elephants, sloth bears, sambars, jackals, spotted deer, peacocks, crocodiles and more. The area spans for over a thousand square kilometers. And, as mentioned above, this not so little, but, comparatively little space proudly holds the recognition for one of the best places for  leopard spotting not just in the island, but also in the whole entire world. 

Yala is home to many more wildlife. With leopards, regular sightings of herds of Sri Lankan elephants in the park, wild boars, a variety of deer species, crocodiles and other reptilians and over 200 species of birds including vibrant peacocks and endemic varieties, like the Sri Lanka junglefowl, bringing to this epic place everything from power, energy, fierceness, and vibrancy. 

The area covering the massive thousand square kilometers offers breathtaking landscapes from thick forestry areas to massive open grasslands and beautiful lagoons which indefinitely is a paradise for the birds inhabiting. 

Best time to visit

Exploring this serene wildlife is better done with morning and evening guided jeep safaris which are guaranteed to be the best way to explore the park. Safaris are set to begin at 6am in the morning and 3pm in the evening and finish at 9.30 am and 6.30 am. Morning session is quite the time to catch animals at their most active and evening safari gives blissful sunset views together with animal sightings. For bird enthusiasts and wildlife photographers, especially near the lagoons, it would make a dream destination  with stunning backdrops and close encounters with wildlife.

The best seasonal visits would last between the months of February and July, during the dry season when water levels recede, as it makes it easier to spot animals gathering at waterholes. 

Explore with a heart

These rides can get real bumpy, dusty and wild, and being mindful of how you take this ride is absolutely important. It’s also not just about how wild it can get for you, it’s also about how difficult it can get for the inhabitants of the park. Wild boars, elephants, leopards, birds can all get real panic stricken for the sounds of jeeps, if driven too loud and fast. That can also take away your chances of spotting these amazing creatures, as they would creep back inside the jungle for the fear of the sounds and giant line up of jeeps. So, not provoking your driver and people you are visiting with is an absolute necessity. 

The ride may take a little while, might get funky and dusty and exciting and nervous as you randomly spot that beasty beast and give you a new found love moment that might also make you want to come back the next day, to spot more of these amazing animals.