Yala National Park is Sri Lanka’s most visited and most famous wildlife sanctuary, covering over 97,000 hectares of diverse terrain spanning dry-zone forest, coastal lagoons, scrubland and rocky outcrops. The park is celebrated for having one of the highest leopard densities, particularly in Block 1, where leopards are a regular feature of early-morning safaris. Elephants, sloth bears, mugger crocodiles, water buffalo, and over 200 bird species, including the painted stork, make every game drive an unpredictable experience.