National Parks in Sri Lanka

NATIONAL PARK

All National Parks are open daily from 6.30am to 6.30pm. It is generally necessary to rent a jeep to get into the national park. The only exception is the Hortons Plain National Park, which is explored by foot. The jeep rental usually goes in combination with a driver and guide.

BUNDALA NATIONAL PARK

The Bundala National Park is located between the cities of Tissamaharama and Hambantota on the south coast of Sri Lanka. The park is one of the smaller parks in Sri Lanka and offers with it’s azure lagoons and dense jungle an idyllic landscape with many animals. Elephants, turtles, wild bears and monkeys find their natural habitat here. The Bundala National Park is home to one of the few biotopes on the island and therefore offers a special space for birds. Bundala is the only area in Sri Lanka where the magnificent flamingos are still to be found. But also pelicans, storks and herons feel comfortable here. The park can only be visited in a jeep with a local driver. During a half or full day tour, the natural life of the park can be observed and the wildlife of Sri Lanka can be experienced close up.

HORTON PLAINS NATIONAL PARK

Covering an area of ​​more than 32 square kilometer Horton Plains National Park, in the highlands of Sri Lanka, offers a spectacular view. The high altitude of the Park ensures a fairly cool climate, so that even during the midsummer you can easily hike here. Since 2010, the National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Many of the animals and plant species in Horton Plains National Park are nowhere else on the Earth to be found. Therefore, the Government of Sri Lanka is also working hard to protect this unique area. The Horton Plains National Park has an almost incredible biodiversity. About 2000 hectares of the park is wet grassland and 1160 hectares is covered with subtropical, evergreen mountain rainforest. Around 750 plant species are represented here, including 54 tree species. Some of these trees reach a height of over 20 meters. Twenty-four mammal species, 87 species of birds, nine reptile species and up to fifteen amphibian species populate in this natural paradise.

Horton Plains National Park is the only national park in Sri Lanka that visitors can explore on their own. Trails run through the park and lead - depending on condition and interest - to different destinations in the park. One of the most popular destinations is certainly World's End, a cliff that drops 825m vertically into the depths. An approximately three-hour hike that passes by the Baker Falls Falls ends at the World's End. Damp Grasslands and dense cloud forests characterize this area in Sri Lanka and is home to the Sambar deer and the leopard. Along the signposted paths you are quite safe from the wild leopards that populate the park.

MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK

Minneriya National Park is a national park in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was declared a national park in 1997 after it was originally declared a nature reserve in 1938.

The reservoir in the park is of historic importance and was built by King Mahasen in the third century AD. The park is a feeding area for the elephant population in the dry season. If you are lucky, it is possible to see up to 300-500 elephants at the reservoir. Often the elephants are also encountered on the street. In addition to that there are 24 mammal species, 160 species of birds, 9 amphibian species, 25 reptile species, 26 species of fish and 75 species of butterflies.

UDAWALAWA NATIONAL PARK

Udawalawe National Park is located in the south of Sri Lanka. It is one of the largest and most popular national parks in Sri Lanka. It extends around the Uda Walawe reservoir. It is the best place to watch wild elephants. Wild bear, water buffalo, deer, muntjacs or even a small number of leopards live there. The largest part of the national park forms grassland and savanna.

WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK

The Wilpattu National Park is one of the largest national parks in Sri Lanka. It covers an area of ​​approximately 131,500 hectares and 1,080 square kilometers and is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean in the northwest of the island, within the dry zone, approximately 25 kilometers north of Puttalam. The park has an incredible number of natural lakes, sand-edged pools filled with rainwater.

During the civil war in Sri Lanka, the park was closed from 1985 and reopened in 2010, shortly after the end of the war. This has led to that the Wilpattu National Park is not yet as touristically developed as Yala National Park. On a safari, you can see graceful leopards and endangered sloth bears in their natural habitat. You will also find a unique wealth of wild animals here: Asian elephants, sika deer, muntjacs, sambars, wild bears, Asian buffalos, swamp crocodiles and many native birds such as the Ceylon chicken.

YALA NATIONAL PARK

Yala National Park is the oldest national park in Sri Lanka. There are about 30 mammals and over 130 bird species to watch. Most commonly seen are elephants, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, mongooses, monkeys and, of course, a wide diversity of birds. The nearest town is Tissamaharama from where you can visit the park well. The park can only be visited with a local guide.

Since 1988 World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A tropical lowland rainforest southwest of the island. It is the last large contiguous forest area of ​​the island. The area is famous for its immense biodiversity and numerous animal species.

OTHER INTERESTING NATIONAL PARKS

Gal Oya National Park

Kaudulla National Park