Sri Lanka Leopard Safaris - Main Attractions
Sri Lanka leopard safaris, family holidays and honeymoons...
Yala National Park – a lovely park located in the south east of Sri Lanka and providing the ultimate vacation location for spotting leopards in the wild. A varying habitat makes this the ideal home for the leopard with scrub, jungle, beach, wetland and huge granite rocky outcrops which the leo
pards love to lounge around on! Roadways throughout the park are bumpy following the monsoons however otherwise they provide excellent access to a variety of different regions each providing an excellent chance of spotting leopards along the way!
Yala National Park is undoubtedly the best places to spot leopards in Asia if not the world. With an unrivalled leopard density, clients are almost guaranteed to depart with some good quality sightings. When World Big Cat Safaris last visited it was the worse time of the year for leopard sightings and we still managed to spot at least 2 different individuals each day! World Big Cat Safaris specialises in leopard safaris in Yala National Park and tailor makes each individual itinerary to suit our clients requirements. Leopard safaris consist of two vehicles with long wave radios in order to cover as much of the park as possible; during your safari you will be led by one of our specialist local wildlife guides and leopard specialists who is also a professional wildlife photographer and local wildlife expert.
Other wildlife highlights within Yala National Park include some very relaxed Asian Elephants (providing some excellent photographic opportunities), sloth bears, huge marsh crocodiles, langur monkeys, water buffalo, monitor lizards, jackals, a selection of snakes and a variety of approximately 125 colourful bird species.
When staying at Yala National Park a good quality lodge is Yala Vil
lage; this is the closest lodge to the park and houses some excellent naturalists that will maximise your wildlife experience on entering the park. There is also a small boutique camp that is run inside the park and which provides an upmarket experience for those that are willing to pay that little bit more.
Minneriya National Park – a popular park providing access to one of the most stunning elephant spectacles in Asia as up to 300 individuals gather in Minneriya National Park during the dry months. Small herds congregate around the water tank forming one mighty herd of up to 300 Asian elephants. This is a sight to behold and provides a unique photographic opportunity as elephants converge on the shores of the Minneriya tank to take advantage of the receding waters.
Minneriya National Park is located approximately 4hrs from the capital city of Colombo and within easy reach of the Cultural Triangle providing for the perfect place to explore upon arrival into Sri Lanka.
Accommodation is at the lovely Cinnamon Lodge; a few minutes drive from the park, Cinnamon Lodge is situated in a lush grove on the shores of a lake, providing the ideal habitat for bird watching. Rooms are huge and comfy! Cinnamon Lodge also provides ideal access to the renowned Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is perfect for an early morning exploration.
Cultural Attractions – Aside from wildlife vacations, Sri Lanka has a huge amount to offer from a cultural point of view. This tiny island is covered in cultural attractions from hill top palaces to forested monasteries and glittering temples… The obvious highlight is the city of Kandy with its lakeside setting, royal hi
story and welcoming ambience which all revolve around the stunning Temple of the Tooth. Any visitor to Kandy must visit the Temple where the tooth of Buddah is secured; a stunning Temple whcuih is steeped in history.
The Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka is an area where you cannot go wrong. The three cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruva and Kandy form the three corners and offer a plethora of cultural highlights including Sigiriya Rock Fortress, The Temple of the Tooth, the royal city and palaces at Polonnaruwa, and Dambulla, the largest cave monastery in the country. The Cultural Triangle is a must see for visitors to Sri Lanka and can be covered in as little as 4 days but combines well with a wildlife safari to the south and some boutique beach relaxation at the end of your Sri Lanka vacation.
