When it came to planning our trip to Sri Lanka, going on Safari was top of the list. We chose Yala Safari in the Southeast area of Sri Lanka.
There are several national parks to choose from.
Parks in the northern area of Sri Lanka are renowned for elephants. But in the south, Yala boasts one of the highest densities of leopards in the world.
Offering visitors a rare opportunity to spot these majestic big cats in their natural habitat.
If you’re heading to Yala or want to know more about my experience of Yala Safari, check out my YouTube vlog below!
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Yala Safari National Park
Yala Safari National Park spans over 978 square kilometres, and is the country’s second largest national park, so is a very ethical way of seeing wildlife.
The park is home to a diverse array of animals. We saw so many different varieties of birds, as well as peacocks, wild boars, deer, water and domestic buffalo, crocodiles, and elephants.
We even saw two of the elusive leopards – a baby cub high up in a tree licking its paws, and a larger leopard roaming across one of the roads right behind our jeep.
Yala Safari Options
The park offers both morning and evening safaris, allowing guests to witness the captivating beauty of its inhabitants against the backdrop of the rising or setting sun.
Most safari packages offer full-day or half-day experiences.
We opted for the morning half-day package, which was still seven hours long, leaving our hotel at 4.30am, returning around 12.30pm and we felt this was definitely long enough to see everything.
Morning is the best time to see all of the animals, but evening is better for leopards. So it’s up to you which you choose.
We chose the morning and were very lucky to see two leopards.
Where We Stayed & How We Booked Our Safari
We stayed at Gaga Bees Resort in Yala which was perfect.
Each room is a separate hut made of all natural materials, and the resort comes with a pool and full kitchen where we had lunch and dinner.
We were able to book our private safari with Gaga Bees via WhatsApp before we arrived.
You’ll find that most people staying at the resort with you will also be going on a group or private safari too.
You can see Yala Safari options and booking availability here.
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