With landscape, weather, and wildlife similar to India, the Sri Lankan countryside is ripe with safari potential. In fact, in many ways it is even more appealing, as the journey time between national parks is much less, there are beautiful, clean and inviting beaches and the roads tend to be a much better quality. Home to several unique and beautiful Natural Parks and Reserves, it is hard to imagine a better place to book a custom tailored safari adventure than Sri Lanka.

One of the best known Parks in Sri Lanka is Yala National Park. This Park covers a huge area, over 100,000 hectares, so it is divided into five blocks to make navigation easier. The landscape is comprised of jungles, lagoons and gigantic rock formations. The eastern edge of Yala is bordered by the South East coastline of Sri Lanka. Block One of the park is one of the few places in the world where you may even have an opportunity to see and photograph an actual leopard in its natural habitat! Sightings of this magnificent animal are elusive and random, but nowhere in the world are your chances better. This park appears to have the highest density of leopards in the world. Daytime safaris here can be customized to last all day long, or to consist of morning and evening treks, enhancing your chances of seeing one of the great cats. The leopards of Sri Lanka are thought to differ slightly, and be somewhat larger than their counterparts in India. They have become accustomed to the presence of human transportation and will sometimes come very near the jeeps, providing for excellent photo opportunities. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to spot a leopard, there is a wealth of other wildlife to observe, from elephants to water buffalo, mongoose to crocodiles. Whatever you happen to see, your trip to The Yala National Park will never be disappointing.

If elephants are your preference, the Uda Walawe National park should be the site for your Sri Lankan safari. Over 500 elephants make their home here. The tribes can be very large and the forest cover is limited, so seeing and photographing elephants is quite a common occurance. Leopards occasionally make their way to this park as well. Many other animals call Uda Walawe home, including over 30 species of reptiles. This is also an excellent location for bird watching. Customizing your safari to include a morning then an evening trip may cost more money here, but due to the hot dry weather, it makes the most sense, as many of the animals escape the open areas during the height of the day.

The Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a place worthy of a visit, as it is one of the few protected places in the country where visitors are allowed to walk about the interior. A wonderful place to observe birds, butterflies and reptiles, mammals tend to be more elusive here, as the forest is quite dense. The leeches, however, are not elusive so appropriate socks are recommended! There are even rumors of sightings of the mysterious black leopard, also known as the Panther, in these parts, but no proof of its existence here has yet been provided.

Other unique safari destinations in Sri Lanka include the Horton Plains National Park and Bundala National Park, both favorite locations for bird enthusiasts to visit. Whatever the wildlife you seek, the best way in the world to experience it first-hand is by taking a Sri Lankan safari adventure.