The best national parks in Sri Lanka for ...

The best national parks in Sri Lanka for ...

We explore the best national parks in Sri Lanka, their most beautiful features and when and where the most famous animals in the country can be seen

For a relatively small nation, Sri Lanka has a wealth of wild animals in his 26 national parks. If you consider that the United Kingdom (which is almost four times as large) has 15 national parks, this is a huge number for such a small nation. In addition to his parks, Sri Lanka has numerous nature reserves and protected areas.

There are good reasons to protect so much of his country. Sri Lanka is the home of great populations of elephants, leopards, crocodiles and primates, which makes it one of the best travel destinations for animal observations in South Asia.

alt = “The best national parks in Sri Lanka for elephants”> Atlas & Boots The majestic Asian elephant is easy to discover in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is also one of the classic bird observation destinations of Asia. The species include colorful kingfishers, bee eater and of course extravagant Srilankic peacocks. There are countless game observation and safari options for everyone, from committed naturalists to interested laypersons.

We spent a month in the country to explore the best protected areas of Sri Lanka. Here are the best national parks in Sri Lanka, depending on what you want to see.

The best national parks in Sri Lanka for ... Leopard

yala national park

yala has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. It consists of five blocks, with Block 1 being the home of an estimated 25 leopards alone. Yala recorded 350,000 visitors in 2013 and the numbers continue to increase, which makes Sri Lanka's most popular national park.

Accommodation: Noel Rodrigos Leopard Safaris

alt = “The best national park in Sri Lanka for Leopards is Yala”> Atlas & Boots yala has one of the highest leopard densities in the world

Wilpattu National Park

This is Sri Lanka's largest national park and the second best for the observation of leopards. The number of visitors remains low, which ensures a deeply personal safari experience. However, animals are Scheuer here and the dense forest makes it much more difficult to discover leopards than in Yala.

Accommodation: Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Wilpattu

National Parks Gal Oya, Wasgamuwa and Kaudulla

leopards can be seen in all of these national parks, but it is much more difficult than in Yala. Gal Oya is flawless, untouched and is rarely visited while Kaudulla's main attraction are the elephants. It is even less common to view leopards in Wasgamuwa, but there have been sightings in recent years. You need patience, perseverance and time to catch a look at a leopard in one of these national parks.

Accommodation: Dorf Habarana

The best national parks in Sri Lanka for ... elephants

Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe is probably better for elephant observation than many of the more famous East African national parks. There are over 250 permanent elephants in the park, of which dozens of the open, savanna -like meadows are easy to see in the park. Udawalawe is by far the best national park in Sri Lanka for elephants.

Accommodation: Ruhunu Safari Camping

alt = "The best national parks in Sri Lanka Udawalawe"> Atlas & Boots For elephant observations, Udawalawe is more suitable than many East African national parks

Bundala National Park

bundala is much less visited than the nearby Yala and houses a labyrinth of waterways and lagoons. It doesn't seem to be the best place to watch elephants, but there is a small but very visible elephant population (up to 60).

Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala

Kaudulla National Park

We visited Kaudulla in early February and at the time when the water level was the lowest, the elephants were like clockwork. Every afternoon, when the heat of the day was over, the herds appeared out of the undergrowth and made their way through the high grass to the water.

Accommodation: Dorf Habarana

Alt = "Best National Parks-in-Sri-Lanka-Kaudulla elephant"> Atlas & Boots For certain seasons, herds appear in the Kaudulla National Park on

Minneriya National Park

Minneriya is another excellent option for elephant observation. Up to 200 elephants come to eat and bathing during the so -called "The Gathering", the world's largest meeting of Asian elephants. Collecting takes place between May and September, although there is still a population of between 70 and 100 elephants during the rest of the year.

Accommodation: Dorf Habarana

yala national park

There are many elephants in Yala - estimates assume around 300. Despite their size and number, they can be surprisingly difficult to recognize. We only saw one elephant in Yala, and that was at night when we returned to our camp.

Accommodation: Noel Rodrigos Leopard Safaris

Best National Park for… bird watching

Bundala National Park

Bundala is the best national park in Sri Lanka for bird watching. It offers almost 200 species of birds on an area of ​​62 km² of refuge, many of which move here from Siberia and India in the winter. It is also a winter quarters for the Rosaflamingo. Up to 2,000 were registered in the park!

Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala

yala national park

There are over 200 species of birds in Yala, including sea tangles, brach birds and spit tails that escape the northern winter. Constant residents are jungle poultry, rhinoceros, pirole and peacocks.

Accommodation: Noel Rodrigos Leopard Safaris

alt = "The best national parks in Sri Lanka"> Atlas & Boots My favorite bird from Sri Lanka, the bright and busy little green bee eater

Sinharaja-Waldreservat

The last large untouched region in Sri Lanka is home to over 160 bird species, including 20 of the 26 endemic species of Sri Lanka. The hard -to -tune types of red -faced Malkoha, the green beak coual and the Srilankian blue magpie can all be observed here.

Accommodation: The Rainforest Ecolodge

Kumana National Park

The Kumana National Park comprises the Kumana bird reserve, in which around 150 species occur. Sri Lanka's very less often black-necked orch, as well as the more frequent Malabar chicken horn, the green bee-eater, the pirol, the Sri-Lanka-Pfau and the Buntellorch. Watchtowers offer ideal viewpoints for bird observers. From May to June is breeding season.

Accommodation: Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Kumana

alt = "The best national parks in Sri Lanka Pfau"> Atlas & Boots We saw dozens of the magnificent Srilankische Pfaus

Knuckles Mountains

One of the less researched hiking destinations Sri Lanka is the home of wild mountain forests and excellent bird observation. Jungle poultry, gel -drilled bulb, blue magpies, scarlet minifs, matt blue fly snapper and changeable hawk eagles all live in the foggy hills.

Accommodation: Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Knuckles

Sri Lanka's large national parks and reserves

Overall, the protected areas cover almost 15 % of the Sri Lankas land area and include a wide variety of terrain. The map and table below show the most important national parks and reserves Sri Lankas together with their location and outstanding characteristics.

alt = “>

Lonely Planet Sri Lanka is a comprehensive travel guide for Sri Lanka, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights and choose less busy roads.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

 .