Leopard country
Yala
One of the highest leopard densities on Earth, plus elephants, sloth bears and crocs.
Yala Block 1 has more leopards per square kilometre than almost anywhere, and unlike in Africa they are not shy of the jeep. We use drivers who know the cats' territories, enter at 6 am, and avoid the midday convoy. Sloth bears show in June and July when the palu trees fruit.
What we do here
- Dawn and dusk jeep safaris with a tracker
- Full-day safari with a picnic breakfast inside the park
- Bundala bird safari
- Kataragama temple at evening puja
Worth knowing
- Yala covers 979 km², of which Block 1 is the main safari zone
- Around 40 to 60 leopards live in Block 1 alone
- The park usually closes for a few weeks in September or October; we route around it
- Bundala, next door, is a Ramsar wetland with flamingos in winter
