Yala
Sri Lanka's most famous national park, and one of the best places on earth to see a wild leopard.
About Yala
Yala has the highest density of leopards of any park in the world, which is why it's the busiest. Block 1 gets the most sightings and the most jeeps — mornings are better than afternoons, and the first vehicles through the gate do best.
It's also elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and a huge amount of birdlife. The park usually closes for several weeks around September for the dry season; we'll tell you if your dates fall in it rather than let you turn up to a locked gate.
Getting to Yala
Closest to Mattala (HRI) airport in the south. We run Yala trips as full-day drives or as a stop on the way between the south coast and the east — and we run our own safaris at Kumana, the quieter park next door, if you'd rather avoid the jeep queues.
Taxi transfers to and from Yala
Fixed-price private transfers, quoted per trip. Tap a route for details.
