Covering an extensive area of Southern and Uva Provinces, Yala is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka located 230km away from Colombo. The park expects an annual rainfall from September to December due to the Northeast monsoon. Best time to visit is from January to August when the rainfall is less.
Yala is home to dense forests, scrubs, marshes, golden beaches, sand dunes, tanks and lagoons. These spaces provide shelter for an abundance of animals including nearly 45 mammals being Elephants, Sloth Bears and a high population of Sri Lanka Leopard with some endemics such as Toque Macaque, Tufted Gray Langur, Sri Lanka Giant Squirrel and Yellow Striped Chevrotain. The park is also home to almost 215 bird species and 10 of them are endemic: Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Gray Hornbill, Crimson Fronted Barbet, Crimson Backed Goldenback, Sri Lanka Woodshrike, Sri Lanka Swallow, Black Capped Bulbul and Brown Capped Babbler. Plenty of beautiful butterflies can be seen as well as the 5 endemics such as Sri Lanka Birdwing, Sri Lanka Lesser Albatross, Sri Lanka Tamil Bushbrown, Sri Lanka Clouded Silverline and Sri Lanka Pale Six Lineblue. About 45 reptiles seek shelter in Yala which includes the Mugger, Saltwater Crocodiles and endemic Painted Lipped Lizard, Whistling Lizard, Lowland Kangaroo Lizard, Bahir’s Fan Throated Lizard, Sri Lankan Chameleon, Boulenger’s Bronzeback, Flowery Wolf Snake, Boulenger’s Keelback, Lowland Hump Nosed Pit Viper and Green Pit Viper. The shores of the Yala get visits from a
range of species of sea turtles such as Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley and Leatherback. Nearly 20 amphibians in Yala as well.
The specialist jeep safari for a half-day safari starts at 6.00 am and continues up to 11 am while the full day safari goes until 5.00 pm. During the tour the specialist will enlighten you on the sights you come across during the journey. This is undoubtedly an amazing experience and a great chance for wildlife photography as well. At the end of the drive you can drive into the glampsites built with large and cozy tents inside the jungle. These are equipped with comfortable beds, washrooms and seating areas inside. As the night arrives we will set up a bonfire to keep us warm and you can also enjoy a BBQ which comes as a pre order. The crackling fire outside will send you to a deep sleep lulled by the sounds of the forest.
Yala is the perfect place to go for an amazing night safari because of the abundance of nocturnal animals such as Elephant, Gray Slender Loris, Rusty Spotted Cat, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Sri Lanka Leopard, Common Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Yellow Striped Chevrotain and a few snake species as well as owls & nightjars. During the safari you’ll be able to patiently wait and study these animals behaviors while a specialist aid you with thorough explanations.
The Night safaris start around 7.00pm and continue up to around 11.00pm on the routes outside
of the national park bounded by the nearby villages. The night safari is a great chance to do some wildlife photography and videography as well.
To enjoy these amazing tours contact S Lanka Safari, Yala (+94714401771/ +94777290348/ Whatsapp – +94775268462) and plan a spectacular wildlife experience.
