Yala National Park is the biggest and the most visited second largest wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka, ideal for viewing the island’s natural treasures. It is Situated about 309 km from Colombo along the southeast cost. It covers an area of 129,700 hectares stretching Southern and Uva Provinces. The park consists of five blocks, two of which are now open to the public and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names such as, Ruhuna National Park (block 1) and Kumana National Park or 'Yala East' for the adjoining area. Yala west is treated as one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards. The best time to observer leopards at Yala is early morning and in the evening. Young male animals are not fear of the jeeps and often seen walking along the park. The park is best known for its variety of wild animals. It is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan elephants, Sri Lankan leopards and aquatic birds.
SINHARAJA RAINFOREST
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park and a hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Sinharaja, which means “Lion king”, has been left undisturbed to evolve and is thus one of the most important areas in Sri Lanka, as well as being internationally recognized for its bio-diversity. More than 60 per cent of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. Also considered rare are a number of insects and amphibians. The reserve is only 21 km (13 mi) from east to west, and a maximum of 7 km (4.3 mi) from north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
HORTON PLAINS
Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. The Central Highlands is the newest World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka. Inscribed in 2010 the site incorporates three protected areas; the peak wilderness sanctuary, Horton plains National Park and Knuckles Mountain Range. The park is situated about 200 km away from Colombo falls within the Nuwara Eliya district. This is the only Park which is situated in the Hill country. Horton Plains is very famous for its panoramic scenic beauty of the Hill country.
Three rivers originate on the plains, the Mahaweli, the Kelani and the Walawe. The most stunning feature of Horton plains is world’s End, a 2.5 mile (4 km) walk, where the southern Horton Plains come to an abrupt end with an almost sheer drop of over 2,600 ft (800 m).
WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK
Wilpattu National Park is located on the North western Province. Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka. Topography of Wilpattu National Park situated in the dry zone isn’t like any other wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka. There is considerably more ground to cover to get to the heart of where the animals are. It gained popularity due to the high prevalence of Sri Lankan Leopards and is still regarded as one of the best places to go to spot a leopard in its natural habitat. It is also home to a diverse range of wildlife which includes the highly threatened Sri Lankan Sloth Bear as well as the Sri Lankan Elephant and there are 30 recorded species of mammals in the Wilpattu National Park which includes the Spotted Deer, Water Buffalo, Sambar, Mongoose and Shrew.
Considering this, you definitely want to choose an accommodation option that is closest to the Park or ideally within the confines of the Park itself. The best time to visit Wilpattu National Park is during the months of February and October.
UDA WALAWE NATIONAL PARK
Uda-walawe national park is 170 km away from Colombo. The park is within Ratnapura and Monaragala district. The national park was created to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir on the Walawe River, as well as to protect the catchment of the reservoir. Uda walawe Park is very popular among local and foreign visitors for elephant watching. This park is home to large number of elephants and the climate in the parks is characterized by a seasonal rainfall and uniformly high temperature condition. Among other animals are buffaloes, Sambur, wild boars, Crocodiles, toque monkeys, grey langur, spotted deer are common here and he park is home to variety of bird species including Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Grey Hornbill, Black-headed Ibis, Sirkeer Malkoha.
WASGAMUWA NATIONAL PARK
Wasgamuwa National Park is a natural park in Sri Lanka situated in the Matale and Polonnaruwa Districts. It was declared to protect and to make a refuge for the displaced wild animals during the Mahaweli Development Project. Wasgamuwa is one of the protected areas where Sri Lankan Elephants can be seen in large herds. It is also one of the Important Bird Areas in Sri Lanka. The variety of flora and fauna in this park is very high and it houses twenty three species of mammals including wild elephants, wild buffalos, bears, 143 bird species out of 428 reported in Sri Lanka, 8 species of amphibians, and 17 species of fresh water fish, 17 species of reptiles, 50 butterfly’ species and 150 species of plants which are reported in this park.
Maduru Oya National Park is established under the Mahaweli development project and also acts as a catchment of the Maduru Oya Reservoir. It is located about 300km from Colombo. And it is placed between the Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa road and Mahiyangana-Padiyatalawa road in the districts of Ampara, Badulla and Polonnaruwa and extends to the border between Eastern and Uva Provinces.
The national park was created to provide a sanctuary to wildlife, especially for elephants and protecting the immediate catchments of five reservoirs are the importance of the park. It is one of the popular tourist destinations for elephants’ habitat and spreads over an area of 58, 849 hectares for a wide variety of wildlife including some endemic bird species and reptiles as well as ancient ruins. A community of Vedda people, the indigenous ethnic group of Sri Lanka lives within the park boundary in Henanigala.
BUNDALA NATIONAL PARK
Bundala National Park is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka. Bundala harbours 197 species of birds, the highlight being the greater flamingo, which migrates in large flocks. In 2005 the national park was designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the fourth biosphere reserve in Sri Lanka and Located about 245 kilometers Southeast of Colombo. General climate of this park is hot and dry as the park falls into the low rainfall zone. More than 300 plant species have been recorded from the park from which 6 plant species are endemic and 32 species of mammals. Approximately 197 species such as Black-necked stork, Spoonbill, Green Shank, Red Shank, Spot-billed Pelican, Blue-faced Malkoha, Crested Hawk eagle are found here.
LUNUGAMVEHERA NATIONAL PARK
Lunugamvehera National Park in Sri Lanka was declared in 1995, with the intention of protecting the catchment area of the Lunugamvehera reservoir and wildlife of the area. Located 260 kilometers from Colombo, lunugamvehera national park can be accessed via the ancient religious city of Tissamahrama or the next nation conservation of Uda walawe. The national park is an important habitat for water birds and elephants.
MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK
Minneriya National Park is in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in the third century AD. Minneriya National Park affords the opportunity to sight herds of Elephants throughout the year. May to October is the best period to visit Minneriya National Park in view of the famous Gathering of the wild elephants.
Kaudulla National Park is located 190 km away from Colombo in the Polonnaruwa district of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Historically Kaudulla was one of the 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen. It now attracts and supports a variety of plant and animal life, including large mammals, fish and reptiles. Kaudulla Reservoir (6675 ha), the centerpiece of the park is surrounded by the grasslands and scrubby forest. Two thirds of the park is under water during several months of the year.
GAL OYA NATIONAL PARK
Gal Oya National park is located 314 km away from Colombo in Inginiyagala district. The Park was established in 1954 and serves as the main catchment area for Senanayake Samudraya, the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka. An important feature of the Gal Oya National Park is its elephant herd that can be seen throughout the year. The park is treated as one of the major eco tourism destination. The park is rich with flora and fauna. About 45% of the park is covered with the forest where about 33% is covered with savanna. This park is home to About 32 species of mammals and 150 species of birds. Among them elephants, wild boar, leopard, water buffalo, sloth bear are common. The park is popular for Elephant watching and about 150 elephants live here.