Yala National Park

Yala National Park is one of the best places in the world to see leopards in the wild. Without any natural predators at Yala, over-200 leopards thrive here, and they often emerge for a drink at the water tank. Yala is also home to large game such as the endangered Asian Elephant, playful sloth bear and many endemic species of birdlife.

You can do a half day jeep safari (morning or evening), or a full-day safari here. To maximise your chances of seeing wildlife, we would recommend a full-day safari!

The best time to visit is between February and July when the park is open for visitors and the weather is dry. During this time, the animals are more likely to come out of hiding to find water and are easier to spot around their usual watering holes. The park is generally closed during the months of September and October for maintenance (other than Block 5).

• Yala is for those who don't have a lot of time in Sri Lanka, and wants to see wildlife. Yala is popular as it's easy to spot wildlife here, and it's convenient to get to from Colombo.
• If you DO mind the crowds, and if you have time to go further out to Wilpattu, we wouldn't recommend coming here.

• Yala is crowded. If you do see a leopard, there may be 30-40 jeeps right there with you. If you're looking for a quieter national park experience, you can consider Wilpattu which has the same number of wild leopards, but only 5-6 jeeps at any encounter.
• Yala has 5 blocks. Note that leopards hang out most in Block 1 so most of the jeep safaris take place here.