The Easy Way to Safari in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a great place to see wildlife, both because of the animals that call the country home and the wealth of options available to visitors. One of the best destinations to see wildlife in Sri Lanka is Yala National Park in the country’s southeast, home to elephants, leopards, and much more.

Going on safari in Yala National Park was high on my list when planning my Sri Lanka itinerary, but I wasn’t sure how it would fit. It seemed like a long detour until I came across a transfer tour that solved several problems. Learn how you can go from visiting Ella to exploring Yala National Park and arriving on Sri Lanka’s South Coast, all in one day.

Getting to Yala National Park

How you get to Yala National Park really depends on how you structure your trip.

Travelers looking to stay near the park should book a direct transfer to Yala National Park. You’ll first need to decide where you’re staying, as the main settlements outside the park, such as Palatupana or Kataragama, are quite spread out.

The benefit of this approach is that you don’t need to wake so early to make the sunrise safari. Plus, you may get to enjoy the quiet countryside, depending on where you stay.

However, people trying to maximise their time in Sri Lanka should instead look at taking this transfer tour, as I did.

They pick you up in Ella, take you to Yala for the morning, then continue to the South Coast beach towns to drop you off. This works wherever you stay between Tangalle and Galle, including popular destinations such as Mirissa, Weligama, and Hirikiteya (and nearby Dikwella).

It’s very convenient to leave your luggage in the van, go off on a safari, and then continue to your next destination.

You can also do the reverse, taking the tour to come from the coast up to Ella.

Tours to Yala National Park

Since you need a guide and 4WD to take you around Yala, let’s talk tours.

There are plenty of tours to choose from for visiting Yala National Park, but they mostly fall into the following categories:

• Regular Yala National Park Safaris (no long-distance transfer)
• From Ella: Yala Safari with Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle
• Mirissa / Galle / Tangalle to Yala Safari and Ella
• Yala Shore Excursion from Hambantota Port

No matter which you choose, you’re likely to be starting super early, unless you choose the afternoon safari. By early, I mean it can be as early as 3 am if you’re coming from Ella or the coast.

Speaking of morning versus afternoon, the general consensus is that morning Yala safaris offer a better chance of seeing wildlife. Plus, they let you skip the afternoon heat.

With all tours, make sure to check whether the national park entrance fee is included. It often isn’t. Bring cash (13000 LKR) that will be collected by your guide at the park entrance.

Also, don’t be fooled by the initial low prices for these tours. The low rate does not include the transfers to Ella or the South Coast.

What you might see on a Yala Safari

Learning about these tours would not be helpful if a safari in Yala National Park were not worthwhile. Thankfully, the animals and landscapes you see on a safari there mean it very much is.

Arriving at the gates of Yala National Park before 6 am gives you priority placement to explore the park in peace once it opens.

At first, you don’t see much, since you’re driving around the park before the sun comes up. But the safari guides know the most recent good spots to find animals, so that’s generally where you first go. Finding leopards and elephants is the priority, so expect quite a bit of waiting early on at seemingly random spots.

Let me say now, we did not see a leopard on our Yala safari, and we spent quite some time waiting to see them. While disappointing, they are rare, so it’s best not to expect to see them. As for what we did see…

Elephants

One of the most popular animals people want to see in Sri Lanka is the native Sri Lankan Elephant.

You can see them at a handful of places around the country, including Minneriya National Park near Sigiriya, but also in Yala.

While we kept our eyes peeled for them, we almost went the entire safari without seeing one. It was only late in the morning that our guide heard of some on the radio, and we raced to get there in time.

It was particularly special, since they were right on the roadside and had a baby elephant with them. We needn’t have worried about not seeing any, as on the way out, we clocked another group bathing in a small lake.

You don’t have to worry about the ethics of seeing elephants on a safari in Yala or the other national parks. These animals are wild, and you have no contact with them. They do their thing, and you get to admire them from an appropriate distance.

Birdlife

The most colourful animals in Yala National Park are definitely its resident birds.

Peacocks are a fairly frequent sight, but that doesn’t make their vivid plumage any less impressive. It’s also nice seeing them wild rather than restricted to some estate somewhere.

But there are also plenty of other types of birds, most of which I had no clue about. Take this vibrant little green bird below that was sitting by us while we waited to spot a leopard.

One species I was able to identify was the several hornbills we spotted in the trees. While not the endemic species of hornbill, these Malabar pied hornbills definitely stand out.

Other animals in Yala National Park

Should elephants, leopards, and birds not be enough incentive, there are plenty of other creatures to look for in Yala.

Deer and water buffalo were some of the most common sightings for our Yala safari. I particularly liked the spotted look of the deer.

You also have a good chance to see replicas here. We spotted monitors up in the trees, plus this fellow just outside our jeep.

More surprising to me was the crocodiles we saw, with Yala said to be one of their main habitats in Sri Lanka. The few we saw were relatively small, so I assume they were freshwater crocodiles, but the park also has larger saltwater crocodiles, I’ve read.

Another reason not to stray too far from the jeep.

The landscapes of Yala

With all the animals on a safari in Yala National Park, it’s easy to overlook its wild landscapes.

Often, you’re driving on dirt roads through bush and forest where the visibility only goes so far into the undergrowth. This is just where many of the animals are.

But when you come out into an open clearing, that’s when Yala itself becomes a focus. Large lakes and wetlands showcase another side to the area, and often allow views of the hills around this mostly flat park.

The park’s landscape is very different from other outdoor destinations you might visit around the country, such as the tea fields of Nuwara Eliya or its beautiful coastline.

Perhaps not a reason on its own to visit Yala, but it can prove to be a splendid backdrop for the safari.