From misty mountains to golden coastlines - discover the best of Sri Lanka with Lisence to Travel Lanka.
Sri Lanka's most visited national park, and one of the best places on earth to see a leopard in the wild. Dry scrub jungle, lagoons and rocky outcrops along the southeast coast, packed with more wildlife per square kilometre than almost anywhere else in Asia.
Yala covers just under 1,000 km² of the island's southeast corner, split into five blocks, with Block 1 holding the highest density of leopards recorded anywhere in the world. Elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and over 215 bird species share the same dry monsoon forest, scrub and lagoons, all explored by open 4x4 jeep with a tracker who knows the park's regulars by name.
We time safaris for the two windows when animals are most active — the cool of early morning and the last light before dusk — with a driver-guide experienced at reading fresh tracks and radio chatter from other jeeps, so you spend your time in the park rather than driving between blocks.
TripAdvisor