Yala National Park

Yala National Park, one of Sri Lanka 's premier eco tourism destinations, lies 24km northeast of Tissamaharama and 290km from Colombo on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka, spanning a vast 97,878 hectares over the Southern and Uva Provinces.

The vegetation in the park comprises predominantly of semi-arid thorny scrub, interspersed with pockets of fairly dense secondary forest. Small patches of mangrove vegetation also occur along the coastal lagoons. The park is renowned for the variety of its Wildlife (most notably its many elephants) and its fine coastline (with associated coral reefs). It also boasts a large number of important cultural ruins, bearing testimony to earlier civilizations and indicating that much of the area used to be populated and well developed. 

Accommodation in Yala National Park

Every wildlife safaris in Sri Lanka will have the same objective; to see the most of what the Park has to offer in the shortest amount of time. Mahoora safari camps provide an experience that will give you just that. With Mahoora, you will have the option of setting up base on the borders of the Yala National Park itself, cutting down significantly on your travel time. Tented safari camps is widely popular as a choice for accommodation around Yala, and safari camping accommodation in yala is definitely an experience worth trying.

Yala National Park Safari

One of the most important aspects of a Yala National Park safari is having the right kind of guide. Though wildlife is abundant, animals like the Sri Lankan Sloth Bear, Sri Lankan Leopard and other big game require the skills of an experienced naturalist guide who knows about the movements of game throughout the Park at certain times, a facility which Mahoora can easily provide. Jeeps are usually the way to go on Yala National Park safaris, and we at Mahoora have excellent vehicles which can easily navigate the varied terrain that the Yala National Park safari is known for. You may want to hang on to your hats though, Yala definitely has areas which provide for some off roading situations, for which suitable Yala National Park safari jeeps are a must.

History and the Description of the Yala National Park

YALA is among the oldest and best known of Sri Lanka 's National Parks. Yala covers about 1297 sqkm or 129,700 ha. And it is the largest agglomeration of protected areas in the country. The multifarious ecosystems ranging from Moist Monsoon Forest , to Dry Monsoon Forests, Semi Deciduous Forests, Thorn forests, Grasslands, fresh water & marine wetlands, and sandy beaches, possesses a large number of important plant species and smaller animals.

Kumbukkan Oya in the North East and Menik Ganga and tributaries on the West, flow through the Park providing a source of water to the animals even during the driest months of the year.

Yala plays a very significant role in conservation of a large number of flora and fauna in the country. Historical and religious sites such as Kataragama, Sithulpahuwa and Magul Maha Vihara and many archaeologically important places add additional significance to the area.

Yala West (Ruhuna) National Park is well recognized as one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards. The park covers an area of over 100,000 hectares and is divided into five blocks.

Block one is the most visited area since it contains the highest density of leopards. However other areas of Yala such as Yala East had been closed to visitors for some years and it will take time to research leopard numbers in these areas. Yala West consists of scrub jungle, brackish lagoons and stunning rock monoliths scattered throughout the park, its eastern edge is bounded by the South East coast. Yala has well over thirty leopards, probably the highest density anywhere in the world. It is also thought that Sri Lankan leopards are a distinct sub-species from their Indian neighbors, and the largest leopards in Asia.

It is possible to take full day jeep safaris or to split your day into morning and afternoon drives. Your best chance to see a leopard is generally early in the morning and then again at dusk. You can stay until just after dark inside the park, thus maximizing your chances of a leopard encounter. The male leopards in Yala are very confident and are often seen walking the tracks during the day. Young males in particular seem to have no fear of the jeep, which can lead to some excellent photographic opportunities. There are similarities between Yala and the best National Parks in India for photographing tigers, in both cases the big cats have become used to the jeeps thus enabling us to enjoy a privileged view of these magnificent animals.

There is also a substantial elephant population along with Spotted deer, Sambar, Wild buffalo, Sloth bear, Jackal, Mongoose, Pangolins and Crocodiles. The bird life comprises over 120 species, and ranges from Lesser Flamingos to Paradise Flycatchers, Crested Hawk Eagles, and Black Bitterns. Outside of the park are several other fascinating birding locations, including the ancient hermitage of Sithulpahuwa, Debarawewa wetland and Palatupana saltpans. The coastline forms a major nesting ground for marine turtles. 

The drier season falls between May and August and the park closes for a short time during September and October.