Yala National Park

Yala National Park is one of the two oldest parks in Sri Lanka, the second largest and boasting the largest number of visitors. If you have time to visit only one of Ceylon’s 26 nature reserves during your trip – choose this one. If you don’t have time for any of them – choose this one and make time for it, even at the expense of other attractions. No trip to Sri Lanka would be complete without a visit to this place and we assure you that even if you have to slightly change your holiday plan for Yala, you will not regret it.

Yala National Park Safari

You can easily adjust your safari in Yala National Park to suit your needs. The park consists of 5 blocks, of which two are open to visitors – Block I and Block III. Block I is smaller but more popular as it is home to a greater variety of animals; here you will have the best chance of spotting a leopard, but you will also be accompanied by a large number of other jeeps with tourists. Block III is larger, so the safari here feels more private, but the fewer watering holes make it more difficult to observe animals. You can also modify the time and length of the safari to some extent – ​​you can choose a morning, evening, all-day safari or a leopard expedition starting long before sunrise. If you decide to go on this, you will notice that your driver often talks on the phone while driving – this is not a lack of respect, but rather gathering information from other park staff about the current whereabouts of these majestic cats.

How to get to Yala National Park?

The entrance to the park is in the town of Tissamaharama, which can be reached by bus (if you have strong nerves and are not afraid of reckless driving according to the principle of "bigger is better") or taxi. If you are going from the airport in Colombo, the route will take you about 4 hours and due to the shape of the island, it will lead along the coast, through several interesting towns, such as Galle. For this reason, it is a good idea to spend the night in the vicinity of the park and go on a safari the next day.

Weather in Yala National Park – when to go on holiday?

Yala National Park can be visited all year round, except for September, when its gates are closed to tourists for essential repairs and revitalization. The most popular time is during the European holidays, which corresponds to the dry season, ensuring good weather - in addition, the lower water levels at watering holes make it easier to see animals gathering around them. On the other hand, high temperatures mean that during the warmest hours of the day they often hide in the bushes, seeking shade. From January to March there is a greater chance of rainfall, but lower temperatures encourage animals to be more active. This is the best time to see the park's pride - the leopards, and during these months you can also see many birds that have fled from the north here before the winter.

Yala National Park – what animals can you find there?

The biggest attraction of Yala National Park is the leopards – it is estimated that Block I is inhabited by about 25 individuals (the entire park is about 300–350), making their population one of the densest in the world and therefore relatively easy to observe. In total, the park is home to 44 species of mammals, 47 species of reptiles (including 6 endemic), 18 species of amphibians (2 endemic), 21 species of fish and 215 species of birds (7 endemic). In addition to the aforementioned leopards, the most interesting representatives of the local fauna include elephants, sloth bears, ruffed macaques, palm civets, spotted cats, saltwater crocodiles and Ceylon bats. Five endangered species of sea turtles tend to appear in the vicinity of the coast, while birdlife includes bee-eaters, cormorants, herons, pelicans, marabou storks, darters and numerous representatives of the golden oriole.

Attractions in Yala National Park – holiday guide

The Yala safari is an attraction in itself, but you can add a little more depth to it by hiring a guide. Not only will this increase your chances of spotting the king of the park – the leopard – but you will also be able to draw on the knowledge and experience of your guide, peppering him with questions and listening to his stories. Depending on the season, you will also have the opportunity to see several other attractions, such as wintering birds from the northern part of the continent, or several species of endangered sea turtles. If you go to Block III, which is visited by fewer tourists, you will be able to experience a drive through the savannah stretching to the horizon without the crowds of other jeeps, which can also be an unforgettable experience. Another attraction of a different kind is staying with a local family and getting to know the local culture and cuisine.

How to prepare for a safari in Yala National Park?

You can ask any nearby accommodation facility to organize a safari in Yala National Park, even small homestays offer it. Although you can only enter the park with a driver, we recommend hiring a guide as well - the cost of such a service is not high, and an additional pair of experienced eyes, which are fully focused on spotting animals, can determine whether you will see a leopard hiding in the bushes or not. On safari, take water and headgear, as well as binoculars - not every driver has equipment to rent, and even if they do, you will have to share one pair of binoculars. Also, make sure that you have secured valuables, and best of all, that you do not keep them in sight at all, because it is very easy to lose them here. Many a visitor to Yala Park, among the memories they take home, is the sight of a thieving monkey escaping up a tree with their phone, wallet or even a bag with lunch.