Wasgamuwa National Park
Sri Lanka is one of the finest places in the world where wildlife can be watched at its best. In the dry lowlands of the island lies the Wasgomuwa National Park with its flourishing flora and fauna. It demonstrates a rich biodiversity.
Stretching over 36,900 hectare this national park is home to 23 mammal species and a number of birds and vegetation species. It is renowned for large families of elephants. Though it will be difficult to get sight of leopard and sloth bear, the endemic purple-faced langur can be observed easily.
Best For: Watching large herds of elephants and endemic purple faced langur.
Location: Matale and Polonnaruwa Districts. 5 hours drive from Colombo.
Kaudulla National Park
One of the most important areas in Sri Lanka for birdlife, this national park is obviously very popular with birdwatchers who flock to its boundaries to gaze in awe at the multicoloured show before their eyes.
Although visitors primarily head to the park to marvel at the birds that swirl above their heads in the bright blue sky, Kaudulla is also home to a number of large mammals. Lucky tourists may spot, elephants, sloth bears, Sri Lankan leopards, deer and wild boar roaming around the forests as adorable lorises swing from the branches on either side.
The abundance in fauna and flora which attracts the birds to the area is due to King Mahasen who set aside the park’s area as a water source for his people all the way back in the 3rd Century AD! When the irrigation tanks were finally abandoned sixty years ago, wildlife quickly sprung up around the water source and the area was thankfully turned into a national park in 2002. As you can see, history abounds everywhere in this beautiful country.
Location: Between Dambulla and Trincomalee. It’s possible to make a day trip from either place but Dambulla is a bit closer.
Season: July to October. The elephant gathering takes place during the months September/October.
Animals: Best for elephants (gathering). It’s also possible to see peacocks, bears, and crocodiles.
Gal Oya National Park
The nearby Senanayake Samudraya reservoir is actually responsible for the establishment of this wet and wild park because Gal Oya National Park acts as a catchment area for the excess water that the reservoir does not store. Consequently the national park has a number of wetlands and lush forests that happily soak up the water, turning the life-giving source into verdant leaves and dense fauna.
Visitors to the park may catch a glimpse of some of the amazing animals that call the park their home with elephants, buffaloes and leopards all residing within its confines. Right next to the park is the sacred shrine of Dighavapi that attracts thousands of pilgrims each and every year.
Location: Mainly Badulla district with a part reaching to Ampara district.
Best time to visit: March to July.
Kumana National Park
Located on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka, this park is a haven for the migratory birds that stop off in Kumana each year to rest. Huge flocks of wading birds and waterfowl cover the skyline such are their innumerable numbers that descend upon the lagoons and wetlands of the park.
Over 250 different species of birds have been recorded in the area and the swamps and forests that also dot the park make for perfect breeding grounds for the exhausted birds. When resting or feeding, the birds need to be wary however as jackals and fishing cats lurk in wait to prey on unsuspecting victims.
Elephants and wild boar can also be spotted in Kumana from time to time. As the Hindu temple of Kataragama lies nearby, many pilgrims pass through Kumana National Park each year as its confines lie on this ancient and sacred route.
Best for: Bird watching around the lagoons and tanks.
Location: Ampara district. 391 Km away from Colombo
Best time to visit: April to July.
Bundala National Park
Home to an amazing array of different ecosystems, the wetlands, sand dunes and forests of Bundala National Park house a startling multitude of wildlife. With close to 200 different types of bird residing within the park and a veritable menagerie of amphibians and mammals on display, it is fair to say that Bundala will delight and astound any nature lover.
Located right down south in Sri Lanka the park is amazing to wander around; creeping through the dense foliage lucky visitors may stumble upon the furtive Indian muntjac or the easily startled mouse deer that upon discover will flee to safety through the fauna.
Best for: Watching wide assortment of bird species and their activities around the four lagoons.
Location: 251 Km from Colombo
Best time to visit: September to March.
Minneriya National Park
Just like the aforementioned Kaudulla National Park, Minneriya National Park also owes its existence to King Mahasen’s actions all those centuries ago! Once again the site of a former irrigation tank, Minneriya’s reservoir and wetlands are now a biodiversity hotspot with a whole range of different animals and birds calling the area their home.
With a number of diverse ecosystems such as forests and shrublands on show, the impressive landscape changes before your eyes as you make your way through the park.
Although the stunning scenery and wildlife is beautiful to behold, one event stands alone and is undoubtedly the crown jewel of what the park has to offer: The Gathering. During the dry season, the park’s grasslands are an attractive and abundant food source for the Sri Lankan elephants that live in the surrounding areas and consequently droves of them flock to the reservoir’s edge and frolic in its waters. While they usually number around 200 in total, some reports state that up to 700 have been counted in Minneriya! Watching them congregate together in such numbers is an unforgettable experience that will leave any lucky visitor with fond memories of all the elephants they have seen up close and in their natural habitat.
Best For: Getting close to large herds of elephants. Best time to visit is during May to September to watch large number of elephants.
Location: 182-197 KM away from Colombo.
Wilpattu National Park
Meaning ‘Land of Lakes’; Wilpattu National Park certainly lives up to its name as nearly sixty of them are found within its boundaries. Due to these life-giving water sources, fauna and flora flourish in the wet environment and consequently a diverse array of animals also call the area their home. Elephants, leopards, water buffalo and the delightfully quaint sloth bear all meander their ways through the dense forest and scrubland.
Untouched and wild, the pristine environment is beautifully untamed and as such is lovely to gaze upon. With the sun setting over the shades of greens, yellows and browns that characterize Wilpattu National Park, visitors will undoubtedly want to return time and time again to this charmingly peaceful park.
Best for: The avid and serious safari-goers can see the elusive leopard and sloth bear.
Location: 25km north of Puttalam or 30km west of Anurdhapura. It is 4 hours drive from Colombo.
Best time to visit: February and October are the best time to visit.
Udawalawe National Park
Although there are a few mountainous areas that form a beautiful backdrop to the stunning scenery on show, it is mainly plains and marshes that dominate Udawalawe National Park. While the wild look of the park is certainly attractive, tourists mainly flock to its confines to see the Sri Lankan elephants that roam the flatlands.
With birds circling overhead, the gigantic elephants kicking up a reddish-brown dust and the mountains in the distance framing the landscape; Udawalawe is certainly beautiful to behold.
Best time to visit: July and August
Horton Plains National Park
Wow! With a number of impressive vantage points that look out over stunning views of the park, Horton Plains is definitely well worth visiting. Situated in the central highlands of the country the national park has lovely lush forest that tumbles away before the plateaus and peaks that reside among the clouds.
One of the most popular viewing points is the World’s End precipice which offers up phenomenal panoramas of the surrounding areas. As the park is the source of three of Sri Lanka’s primary rivers, its wet nature ensures that wildlife, flora and fauna all thrive in Horton Plains.
Another draw for tourists is Baker’s Falls; a delightful cascade that springs out from amidst the dense undergrowth. It is not without reason that it is one of the most popular national parks in the whole of Sri Lanka.
Yala National Park
The most visited national park in the country, Yala is renowned for its wildlife and with Sri Lankan elephants and leopards on show; the national park is certainly delightful to visit. Located deep in the south of the country, Yala has a wide variety of ecosystems to enjoy as the landscape changes before your eyes from sandy beaches and thorn forests to grasslands and monsoon forests.
With a huge number of elephants within the park as well as one of the world’s highest densities of leopards; tourists should hopefully be able to spot these majestic creatures when visiting the park. History is never far away in Sri Lanka and a number of ancient civilizations once flourished in the local area of Yala. Nowadays the pilgrim sites of Sithulpahuwa and Magul Vihara which are located in the park still attract a huge number of worshipers each year.
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