Yala National Park – Sri Lanka comes in second among the largest national parks in the country. It is also the most popular national park here, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Location
Yala National Park – Sri Lanka is located in Uva Province and Southern Province; within the southeastern section of the country.
Getting There
The easiest way to reach Yala National Park – Sri Lanka is via a safari tour.
You can find special tours for the national park from most of the hotels and other accommodations from nearby cities, particularly in Tissamaharama, otherwise known as Tissa.
You may also take a taxi going to the national park but you will have to negotiate the price first as most taxis here don’t have meters.
What to See There
Yala National Park – Sri Lanka is best known for its high concentration of Sri Lankan leopards, considered as among the largest leopards across Asia.
You may also come across a few elephants, spotted deer, sloth, jackal, crocodiles and wild buffalo; among many others.
Viewing all these animals, especially the wild leopards, is best done through a safari since your vehicle will provide you with protection from the animals.
Some of the smaller leopards in the park have been known to come pretty close to the vehicles, giving you great photo opportunities.
Bird-watching is also a popular activity within the Yala National Park – Sri Lanka as the park has more than one hundred different species of birds.
Brief History
Yala National Park – Sri Lanka is divided into five blocks, with Block 1 otherwise known as Ruhuna National Park, being the most-visited part of the park. This is where the highest concentration of leopards can be found.
The park has a total area of 979 sq. km. or about 378 square miles. It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the 1900s and in 1938, it was declared as a national park.
This makes the national park one of the oldest national parks in the country.
Cost
Entry fee to the park is roughly around three thousand and five hundred rupees.
If you go on a safari with another companion, this would cost approximately five thousand and three hundred rupees already inclusive of the park fee for 2 persons, the vehicle fee plus the entry fee for your guide.
Other Information
The best time to visit Yala National Park – Sri Lanka is between the months of February and June, when the weather is not too hot and not too wet – ideal for a safari tour of the park.
