A lake and granite outcrop in Yala National Park

Sri Lanka safari parks: Yala vs Bundala vs Udawalawe: Three parks. Three different mornings.

Yala for leopards, Bundala for birds, Udawalawe for elephants. Same drivers, same jeeps, and on our own vehicles the same price for Yala and Bundala.

Comparison of Yala, Bundala and Udawalawe National Parks
Park	Known for	Best season	From Tissamaharama	Price from
Yala National Park	Leopards	February - July (Block 1 usually shut early Sept - mid Oct)	20-40 minutes to the Palatupana gate	Shared from US$26 pp, private jeep from US$60
Bundala National Park	Waterbirds and wetlands	December - March	About 20 minutes	Private jeep from US$60 for 4 hours
Udawalawe National Park	Elephants	All year	About 2 hours from Tissamaharama, 1.5 hours from Hambantota Port	US$80 per person from Hambantota Port, entrance included

In detail

Which one is your morning?

Leopards

Yala National Park

Yala National Park is Sri Lanka's best park for leopards: about 469 square miles in six blocks, of which Blocks 1, 5 and 6 are open to visitors, reached in 20-40 minutes from Tissamaharama.

Best for: Leopards, sloth bears, elephants, birds
Best time: February - July (Block 1 usually shut early Sept - mid Oct)

Read the Yala guide

Waterbirds and wetlands

Bundala National Park

Bundala National Park is a Ramsar wetland and UNESCO biosphere reserve about 20 minutes from Tissamaharama, and is Sri Lanka's best coastal park for birds, with elephants, crocodiles and no crowds.

Best for: Migrant and resident birds, crocodiles, quiet drives
Best time: December - March

Read the Bundala guide

Elephants

Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe National Park is the most reliable place in Sri Lanka to see wild elephants, and we run it as a shared shore excursion from Hambantota Port at US$80 per person with the jeep and entrance fee included.

Best for: Elephants, eagles, open grassland game viewing
Best time: All year

Read the Udawalawe guide