Leopards & Landscapes
Yala and Udawalawe, at the gate before the gate opens.
Four days and four game drives across two parks that do different things. Udawalawe is elephants, reliably and in the open. Yala Block 1 has the highest density of leopards measured anywhere on earth — and they know it, so they sleep on the road.
What you'll remember
- Yala Block 1 from the 5:30 gate, roof open
- Udawalawe elephants — near-guaranteed, and in open country
- The Elephant Transit Home feeding at eleven
- Bundala's flamingos and painted storks
The route
Day by day
What actually happens.
Four hours down from Colombo on the expressway, then straight into an afternoon drive. Udawalawe is open scrub around a reservoir, which means you see what's there — herds of forty are ordinary, and the light at five is worth the drive on its own.
Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle plus all park jeeps with a tracker
- Three nights, breakfast included, one of them under canvas
- All park entrance fees
- Packed breakfast and lunch on the full Yala day
Not included
- International flights and the ETA
- Most dinners
- Tips for trackers and drivers
When to go
February to July is prime: the water holes shrink and everything comes to them. Yala Block 1 closes each year from early September to mid-October for the drought — if your dates fall there we run the same trip into Wilpattu instead, at no extra cost.
Most visitors need a Sri Lanka ETA before travelling. We send you the current link and a filled-in checklist once you've booked — but check your own government's advice too, because the rules move.
