Yala National Park is one of the top parks visited in Sri Lanka by locals and internationals.
Yala has several lagoons and has 3 of the big five animals in the park, which include the Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), Sri Lankan Elephant and Sri Lankan Sloth Bear.
Did you know Yala National Park is divided into five blocks? My favourite block is the 5th one, also known as Lunugamvehera.
Yala National Park opens from 6 am to 6 pm but closes for a mid-day break at noon.
That’s where you get to experience the park in all its beauty, and you can hear the sounds of the jungle, which makes me so happy and smile, and I know it’s a family favourite any day.
Horton Plain, in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, is located in Nuwara Eliya in the colder part of the country. It was declared a national park in 1988. It is covered in cloud forests, rolling hills and montane grasslands. It is home to many endemic bird species, namely The Ceylon Whistling Thrush (a bird I have never seen but I’m named after, fun fact), Sambar, leopards and more. The famous World’s End hiking trail can also be found here.
Wilpattu National Park is one of my favourite parks in Sri Lanka. It is where I truly feel wild and free. This park is unique because it has a number of Willus (water basins lined with sand, filled during rainfall). The bungalows (accommodation within the park) are some of my most favoured places to stay when I visit the park with my family and friends, but mostly my family. Wilpattu is home to 3 of the big five, The leopard, the Sri Lankan sloth bear and the Asian elephant. When you visit, you will also see an array of birds and more animals that live together or on their own. Wilpattu is one of the oldest protected areas in Sri Lanka. It is located in the north - west lowlands of the country and is easy to get to by vehicle. The images presented here are of the Wilpattu national park over the years.
