Wildlife Tours
The most famous national park in Sri Lanka, Yala is home to 215 bird species and 44 mammal species. Expect to see roaming elephants, herds of sambar deer, crocodiles and buffalo. What’s more, the park has the highest concentration of leopards in the world.
Framed by the soaring Central Highlands and one of the best places in the world to see wild elephants. Herds are often seen roaming in numbers of up to 100, with other mammals in the park including water buffalo, spotted deer and the endemic toque macaque.
As part of Sri Lanka’s elephant corridor, large numbers of elephants migrate across the country to Minneriya every year. Known as ‘The Gathering’, as many as 300 come to the park’s reservoir in the largest meeting of Asian elephants anywhere in the world.
Translating to ‘natural lakes’ in Sinhala, Wilpattu’s most prominent feature is its wetlands. Known as ‘Villu’, the park has over 50 lakes surrounded by grassy plains. Despite being Sri Lanka’s largest national park, visitor numbers remain low and give the park a true sense of wilderness.
One of Sri Lanka’s best destinations for bird watching, Bundala protects an important area of coastal wetland. Almost 200 bird species have been recorded here, including ibis, pelicans and huge flocks of greater flamingos. Visitors can also spot crocodiles, elephants, turtles and a variety of other fauna.
The only national park in Sri Lanka where you can take a boat safari, Gal Oya protects the vast Senanayake Samudra Reservoir. The park is home to 32 mammal species, with a visitor highlight being the sight of herds of elephants swimming across the reservoir from one island to another.