Yala National Park

Yala National Park is located in the southeastern region of Sri Lanka and extends over two provinces Hambantota district of the southern province and Monaragala district in Uva province. The gateway to Yala National Park is Tissamaharama. A 20 km drive via Kirinda takes the visitors to the Palatupana. At Palatupana, the well-designed visitor center provides information to tourists and assigns a tracker to all incoming vehicles. The park provides jeeps with soft–-tops that allow viewing wildlife. Dawn and dusk bring about the best timing for Safari tours in the Yala National Park. Being located in one of the arid regions of Sri Lanka, the Climate of Ruhuna National Park is usually hot and dry. Yala National Park which consists of five blocks is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. Though Yala spreads over an area of 1260 square kilometers, only one-fifth of the area is open to visitors. Four-fifths of the park is a strictly designated Natural Reserve. Yala National Park gives the best opportunity to witness Sri Lanka’s broad variety of wildlife: colorfully painted storks in troops are seen perched at the shores of the lagoon where the crocodiles have chosen to doze off; lovely fantailed peacocks in their resplendent blues and greens parade about amidst the woods where monkeys hang, leap and chatter; in the bush jungle are the Elephants; crossing the tracks and wandering off into the thorny scrub jungle is the star attraction of the park: the leopard.

Related Popular Places in Sri Lanka

Reasons to Visit Sri Lanka

Travel Info

Flight time 21 hours Colombo (via Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Delhi and Bahrain)
Time zone GMT+5 1/2 hours
Recommended airlines Emirates, Etihad, Air India and Qatar
Best season Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, Nov & Dec. It’s a year-round destination with consistent warmth and lots of sunshine, with temperatures averaging between 31°C at their highest and 22°C at their lowest.
Visa US citizens need a tourist visa. The information provided herewith at the current time can be subject to change at concise notice. It's your responsibility to ensure you meet entry requirements before you travel.
Capital Colombo