The Leopards of Yala

Yala is a strange and beautiful landscape. Huge granite rocks rise out of dry scrub forest; brackish lagoons fill with flamingos, painted storks and crocodiles; and the park runs right down to the Indian Ocean beaches. Living among all of this is the Sri Lankan leopard, Panthera pardus kotiya — a subspecies found only on this island.

Why Yala's leopards are different

In India and Africa, leopards share their forests with tigers or lions, so they tend to stay hidden and hunt at night. In Sri Lanka there is no bigger cat. The leopard is the top predator, and here they are often seen in daylight, walking along tracks or resting on rocks and in trees.

Block 1 of Yala, the most visited part of the park, has one of the highest leopard densities recorded anywhere. That's why it's considered one of the best places in the world to see leopards in the wild.

“In Yala, the leopard doesn't hide in the shadows. It lies on a warm rock and watches you.”

More than leopards

Yala is also home to sloth bears — best seen around June, when the palu trees fruit — as well as Asian elephants, spotted deer, wild buffalo, mugger crocodiles and peacocks. Birdwatchers can count more than 200 species. Inside the park you'll also find Sithulpawwa, an ancient Buddhist rock monastery that has been a place of pilgrimage for over 2,000 years.

Doing Yala well

Block 1 can get busy, especially at the main gate in the morning. We use experienced private trackers, start early and use full-day safaris with a picnic in the park so guests can stay out when most vehicles go back. For a quieter experience, we also add the less-visited blocks, or Wilpattu — Sri Lanka's largest national park, in the north-west — where you can often have a leopard sighting to yourself.

The park usually closes for part of September and October, during the driest weeks of the year. February to July is the best window, with June good for sloth bears.

• Take at least one full-day safari, not just morning and afternoon drives.
• Combine Yala with Wilpattu for a quieter second leopard park.
• Add a few beach nights on the south coast to finish the trip.