Wildlife safari

Yala Block 1 has the highest recorded leopard density of any protected area on earth, roughly one leopard per square kilometre according to surveys by the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust. That density is why most first-time visitors go there, and also why the park gets crowded. We usually send people to Wilpattu instead, which is five times larger, takes about a third of the vehicle traffic, and gives you a genuine chance of a sighting without twenty other jeeps arriving at the same tree.

The elephant gathering at Minneriya peaks between July and September, when the reservoir drops and 200 to 300 animals come to the exposed grassland. It is the largest seasonal congregation of Asian elephants anywhere. Outside those months the herds move to Kaudulla or Eco Park, and a guide who knows which of the three is currently active is worth more than the park entry fee.

Yala closes to visitors from around 1 September to 15 October each year for the drought. Wilpattu stays open. If your only free window is early September, we will route you north.