Yala National Park, Yala Safari

The big picture

The Yala national park is most famous because, it is more likely to spot animals due to it's savanna like terrain with occasional forest areas mostly consist with small trees and shrubs. It is home to Mammals, Reptile, Amphibian, Invertebrate and Birds.

The best part

Because of Yala National park's animal diversity and density are extremely high, relative to other national parks it will render Yala Safari park is the one-stop place to watch all the animals, with minimal effort and time, so you won't go home with empty handed. you can check out what animals can be seen at the Yala safari park, below this page.

That's not all

Another factor Yala Safari park makes most famous because of Sri Lankan leopards (Panthera Pardus). The leopard is the only cat from five "big cats" that Sri Lanka harbor, since there are no other predators to challenge the leopard it's population escalated to the worlds highest density of leopards.
With no other animals, especially big cats to compete with, they're sized become enormous, weighing in at almost 100kg the biggest of its kind and biggest leopards in the world. Elsewhere in the world they are called as elusive cat, but not here they have little to no-fear, they can be seen proudly sauntering along all over the park, playing and hunting..

Is that it ? noo

Including Sri Lankan majestic Elephant You will have the chance to spot 44 species of mammals that are resident in Yala National Park. The elephant herd of Yala contains 300–350 individuals roaming around the park, bathing, playing and eating in their natural habitat

There Is More!

There is a 85 percent chance to spot these animals, including The sloth bear, water buffalo, fishing cat, Toque macaque, red slender loris, golden palm civet, and 47 species of reptiles and six of them are endemic, Boulenger's callback, Sri Lankan flying snake, Wiegmann's agama, Sri Lankan Krait, Bahir's fan-throated lizard and painted-lip lizard, are the endemic reptiles.

There are even more!

Yale is one of Important Bird Areas, 215 bird species recorded in the park, seven are endemic to Sri Lanka. They are Sri Lanka jungle fowl, grey Hornbill, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, black-capped Bulbul, crimson-fronted Barbet, brown-capped Lagoons of Yala attract Thousands migrant waterfowl to the Yala safari park during the northeast monsoon.

However there's a catch

Everybody wants to go to Yala and during peak season Yala Safari park will get crowded with tourist jeeps if you really do not like the crowd you can visit other safari parks, there are 25 of other safari parks in Sri Lanka or you can visit Yala during off season. Despite the crowd Yala National park is a must visit place.

Here's the deal

Book a Safari in Yala with us, 14 days earlier to arrival and claim 5% discount on Jeep fee (contact us first before placing the order)

Why from us

All inclusive hassle free package. Free pick up from Yala area. Free refreshment pack. No hidden cost, Not even a bank fee. Arrange transportation from anywhere at a additional cost. We accept PayPal 24/7 Support Exclusive private safari

Yala Safari time slots

MORNING SAFARI GAME DRIVE

Safari Game Drive starts at 6 AM and will end's at 10.00 am, you will be picked up from your hotel in National park area at 5.15 am.

AFTERNOON SAFARI GAME DRIVE

Safari Game Drive starts at 2 pm and will end's at 6.00 pm, you will be picked up from your hotel in National park area at 1.15 pm.

FULL DAY SAFARI GAME DRIVE

Safari Game Drive starts at 6 AM and will end's at 6.00pm, you will be picked up from your hotel in National park area at 5.15 am.

Animals can be seen in Yala National park

Mamals

Sri Lankan elephant, leopard, The sloth bear, wild water buffalo, Toque macaque, Golden palm civet, fishing cat and red slender loris.

Reptile

crocodile species, mugger crocodile and saltwater crocodile, Sea turtles (leatherback turtle, olive ridley, loggerhead sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, and green turtle) Russell's viper and The Indian cobra

Amphibian

Adenomus kelaartii ,Bufo atukoralei and 18 native amphibians species

Invertebrate

Crabs, prawns, common Mormon, common lime butterfly,common Jezebel, The common bluebottle, and crimson rose

Birds

Sri Lanka grey hornbill, Sri Lanka junglefowl, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, crimson-fronted barbet, black-capped bulbul, blue-tailed bee-eater, brown-capped babbler,Waterfowl (lesser whistling duck, garganey), cormorants (little cormorant, Indian cormorant), Tringa spp., and small waders Charadrius spp. are among the most common waterbirds. Black-necked stork, lesser adjutant, great white pelican, resident spot-billed pelican,resident spot-billed pelican, lesser flamingo, pelicans, purple heron, night herons, egrets, purple swamphen, and Oriental darter, northern pintail, white-winged tern, ruddy turnstone, lesser whistling duck,barred buttonquail, Eurasian curlew,whimbrel, godwits,yellow-wattled lapwing,red-wattled lapwing,Rock pigeon,orange-breasted green pigeon, greater flamingo, great stone-curlew, Indian peafowl,black stork, black-winged stilt, Crested serpent eagle, white-bellied sea eagle, hornbills, Old World flycatchers,Indian paradise flycatcher,Asian barbets, and orioles.

About Yala National park

Yala Safari Park aka Ruhuna National Park (block 1) the most visited and second largest national park on the outskirts of the Indian Ocean, consist with five major blocks and six adjoining national parks and three adjoining wildlife sanctuaries. Among the most famous ones located in the vicinity of Yala are Lunugamvehera National Park and Kumana National Park or 'Yala East'. In and around the Yala has hosted many ancient Buddhist civilizations like any other parts of the country two important pilgrim sites, Magul Vihara and Sithulpahuwa are located within the park. The Yala Safari Park is located in the dry, semi-arid climatic region of the country and rely on northeast monsoon for rain. Yale is home to many ecosystems ranging from freshwater lakes to marine wetlands and moist monsoon forests.

Physical features

The Yala is consist with of metamorphic rock belonging to the Precambrian era and classified into two series, Highland series and Vijayan series. low humic grey soil and Reddish brown soil are mostly spread among other six soil types. Yala as we know it formed over a long period of time by erosion and undisturbed crustal movement, then become more or less level land surface, similar terrain extent from Trincomalee to Hambantota with, smooth wavelike form. Yala interior elevation runs high as 100–125 metres (328–410 ft) while the Coastal area remaining within 30 metres (98 ft) 15 metres (49 ft). Since Yala Safari Park, located in dry, semi-arid climatic region. It will mainly rely on northeast monsoon for its rain. Mean temperature ranges between 26°C to 30°C and the mean annual rainfall fluctuate between 500–775 millimetres. In Yala it is mostly windy during the southwest monsoon, it will go high as 23 kilometres per hour (14 mph).

During the dry season water become more scarce. Natural Waterholes and rock pools become the main source of water, for its residents. Waterholes naturally form during the rainy season in low lying places, while rock pools provide water year-round, and common beneficiary of this important source of water will be elephants, many water birds and water buffaloes. Such reservoirs are mostly confined to Block I and Block II. There are a few barely surviving reservoir such as Buthawa, Maha Seelawa, Pilinnawa and Uraniya, they mostly runoff before the northeast monsoon.

This is not the case for the rainy season, which is northeast monsoon, water will become most abundant element and all fauna and flora will thrive like a rain forest, most of water will flow from southeasterly direction, originating from highland of Sri Lanka, Menik River and its tributaries in the west and Kumbukkan Oya in the east flow across the park giving life to park once again.

Cultural perspective

Even before the 1st century BC Sri Lanka is ruled by The Great king Ravana, Ravana is the son of Vishrava and Kaikesi and grandson of Pulastya. Back then Yala is the center of civilisations and his kingdom established with Ravana Kotte, (now submerged in the sea), Ancient Sea trading routes make this civilisations more rich and diverse through out the time. Buddhist temple called Situlpahuwa dating back to more than 2500 years, gave shelter for 12,000 arahants, Magul Vihara, also situated with-in the Yala National park which is built in 87 BC. Another important ancient ruin is Akasa Chaitiya which built in the 2nd century BC. More than 400,000 pilgrims visit Yala annually.

Ticket prices and jeep prices at Yala (Entrance fee)