Yala in three days: blocks, lodges and safari etiquette

About Yala in three days: blocks, lodges and safari etiquette

By the ULTIMATE Sri Lanka Editorial Team

Yala National Park, on the south-east coast, is divided into blocks. Block 1, entered from the Palatupana gate, is the most visited and has the most leopard sightings; the other open blocks are quieter.

The blocks

Block 1 is the heart of Yala for leopards and gets the most jeeps, especially at the Palatupana gate in the morning. Blocks 5 and 6, to the north and east, are much quieter: leopard sightings are fewer, but elephants are common and you will share the tracks with far fewer vehicles. Some parts of the park are closed to visitors. Which blocks are open, and when, is set by the Department of Wildlife Conservation; ask your lodge or driver.

When to go

Yala is open most of the year, but it usually closes for part of the dry season, often around September and October; check the dates with the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Early-morning and late-afternoon drives see the most wildlife.

The best sighting is the one where the leopard does not notice you: engine off, voices low, no one shouting “there!”.

Where to stay

Lodges near the park include Wild Coast Tented Lodge, where the jungle meets the sea, Uga Chena Huts, Jetwing Yala and Cinnamon Wild Yala, and tented camps such as Mahoora and Leopard Trails. KumbukRiver, further inland, is an eco-lodge by a river.

At a sighting

Keep quiet, never use a flash, stay inside the jeep and on the tracks, and ask your driver not to race to a sighting or crowd an animal. If many jeeps are already waiting, it is often better to move on.

Beyond the park

Some lodges offer guided nature walks outside the park boundary, where walking is allowed. Inside the national park, visitors must stay in their vehicles except at designated places. Bundala, a wetland park nearby, is a good addition for birdwatchers.

Our advice: book two or three drives rather than one, ask for a driver who puts the animals first, and try a quieter block for at least one drive: the experience is often better than in a queue of jeeps.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Yala in three days: blocks, lodges and safari etiquette before you go.