Nature and Wildlife in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the worlds global biodiversity hot spots. Examples of wildlife can bee seen in Sri Lanka are blue whales, sperm whales, elephants, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, langur monkeys, purple faced langur monkeys and more. These can be seen in many of the national parks, such as Yala National Park, Wilpattu National Park, Uda Walawe National Park and Kumana.

We feel Sri Lanka is one of Asia’s best destinations for wildlife as it has a high density of wildlife including leopards and elephants, and over 30 endemic birds. These include the blue magpie, the Sri Lankan junglefowl (national bird), the Sri Lankan hanging parrot, and the crimson-fronted barbet. There are huge swathes of national park so if planned well.

Sri Lanka is an excellent option for a safari and the quality of guiding has significantly improved in recent years. There are now high calibre camps and lodges in Wilpattu National Park and Yala National Park that offer expectational safaris. We also offer opportunities to enjoy your safari with wildlife photographers and even conservationists. Sinharaja Rainforest still only boasts simple accommodation but we offer walking safaris here.

All of them have their merits and advantages and disadvantages. Yala National Park is very good for sightings and its concentration of leopards, it also has a wild landscape next to the ocean making it very special. However, in high season, it can get a little busy so we would always recommend different blocks and lodges, to help avoid the crowds. We love Wilpattu National Park because it’s so big with amazing waterholes and forested areas. Minneriya has huge elephant gatherings, but unfortunately there are just too many jeeps now, not following an ethical approach to wildlife viewing. Kumana is worth considering for something more remote and less visited. We are also huge fans of Gal Oya National Park for lake swimming elephants.

Minneriya traditionally is home to many elephants and a huge elephant gathering, but in high season it simply gets too busy so do bear this in mind. Uda Walawe National Park is home to a good concentration of elephants, Gal Oya National Park also has a great concentration of elephant, many of whom swim in the huge reservoir.

Yala National Park traditionally has the highest concentration of leopard, particularly in block 1. It’s also possible to see leopards in block 5, and this area is quieter with fewer jeeps. Many of our clients see leopard in Wilpattu National Park (larger area and less vehicles). It’s even possible to see leopard in the tea country, The Knuckles Range and Horton Plains also have sightings.

You can see a huge number of birds in most parts of Sri Lanka and we’d consider it an excellent place for bird watching. Areas that are specifically good for bird watching are Kitugala, Bundala (great for migratory birds), Sinharaja (great for endemic birds), Yala National Park, Horton Plains.

Yala National Park can get busy during peak periods and school holidays, so we plan accordingly. Block 1 is the busiest block in Yala, particularly Palatupana entrance, so we tend to recommend block 5 and lodges located closer to block 5 or the Katagamuwa entrance. Yala National Park can be incredibly when it’s not high season; we’ve been there with very few other jeeps.

Wilpattu or Kumana National Park are excellent alternatives to Yala National Park if you want to avoid crowds.

Yes but only in the right way. We tend to recommend catamarans that are quieter and don’t get so close to the whales.