Yala National Park

Southeast of the capital city Colombo is Sri Lanka’s ultimate wildlife destination, Yala National Park. Covering around 979 square kilometers, it is home to one of the densest populations of the rare Sri Lankan Leopard. Beyond leopards, your luxury safari could get you up close to big 5 game including Asian elephants, sloth bears, mugger crocodiles, and wild water buffalo wandering Yala’s diverse topography of grasslands, scrub, forest, and water-bodies.

What’s the best way to be immersed in Yala National Park’s amazing diversity of wildlife? We recommend taking your time with at least a two or three-day safari itinerary. Jeep safaris led by an expert guide and tracker bring this park to life with mounting excitement at every pugmark and telltale scratch. We’ll pair this with our recommended luxury safari tented camps and lodges, mere minutes from the park entrance.

Going on safari in Yala is just one stop Scott Dunn can plan for your Sri Lanka vacation. For a compact island, there’s a wide variety to explore from ancient cities with centuries old temples in the Cultural Triangle, beach wellness resorts and surf spots on the South Coast, and Sri Lanka’s rich history of tea making in the Hill Country. With Scott Dunn, it’s simple to combine your Yala safari vacation with multiple destinations across Sri Lanka.