Yala National Park Experience

#yalanationalpark #yalatourism Yala National Park is one of the most visited and celebrated national parks in Sri Lanka — and for good reason. The park is renowned for its incredible biodiversity and is especially famous for being one of the best places in the world to spot leopards. In our experience, Yala was also where we saw the highest number of peacocks during any safari; they seemed to appear almost everywhere throughout the park.

The safari begins early, around 6:00 AM, allowing visitors to witness animals and birds during their active morning hours around ponds and waterholes. You can conveniently book a safari through the official Department of Wildlife Conservation website or via registered local tour operators, many of whom also take reservations through phone or WhatsApp.

The journey runs smoothly, with a short 30-minute break for breakfast and restroom use midway through. Time passes quickly, and before you realize it, the four-hour safari comes to an end. Spotting a leopard requires exceptional luck — we weren’t that fortunate — but we did get to watch a sloth bear running and playing, which was equally exciting.

We opted for the half-day safari, and it was absolutely worth every cent. The experience was memorable, well-organized, and a highlight of our trip to Sri Lanka.

Post by travelwithperu | Oct 23, 2025