Sri Lanka is one of the best places in Asia for seeing wildlife. The island’s isolation from the mainland, the heavy rainfall of the two diagonally blowing monsoons, and the country’s wide range of altitudes have given Sri Lanka a variation in climate and biodiversity normally found only across an entire continent.
Sri Lanka's best wildlife National Parks
Leopards, elephants, birdlife in abundance – Sri Lanka is a wildlife lover's paradise.
Adam's Bridge Marine National Park
Best for: Many migratory birds
Bundala National Park
Best for: Internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka
Drive time Colombo: Four hours and Twenty Nine Minutes
What’s nearby? Peacock Beach Hotel
Flood Plains National Park
Best for: Flood Plains National Park is considered an elephant corridor for the elephants migrate between Wasgamuwa and Somawathiya national parks
Drive time Colombo: Five Hours ans Twenty Minutes
What’s nearby? Jetwing Vil Uyana 5 star hotel
Gal Oya National Park
Best for: An important feature of the Gal Oya National Park is its elephant herd that can be seen throughout the year. Three important herbs of the Ayurveda medicine, triphala: Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica and Emblica officinalis are amongst the notable flora of the forest
Drive time Colombo:
What’s nearby? Hotel Jetwing Kaduruketha
Galway's Land National Park
Best for: Galway's Land harbours about 20 rare migrant bird species and 30 native species. Apart from the avifauna, the park has valuable floral species of both native and foreign origin
Drive time Colombo: Five Hours and Twelve Minutes
What’s nearby? Galway Forest Lodge is located close to the park
Hikkaduwa National Park (Marine)
Best for: The national park contains a fringing coral reef of high degree of biodiversity
Drive time Colombo: Two Hours and Six Minutes
What’s nearby? Hikkaduwa Beach Hotel
Horagolla National Park
Best for: Horagolla is considered a birdwatching site.[4] The number of bird species recorded from the park is 68. The most common are parakeets, black-crested bulbul, barbets, and Asian koel.
Drive time Colombo: One Hour and Twenty Five Minutes
What’s nearby? Hotel Villa Taprobane
Horton Plains National Park
Best for: Birdwatching around the stunning 880m drop-off of World’s End.
Drive time Colombo: Five hours
What’s nearby? The terribly colonial hill station of Nuwara Eliya.
Minneriya & Kaudulla National Park
Best for: Seasonal elephants and large flocks of little cormorants.
Drive time: Five-and-a-half hours
What’s nearby? The ruined monasteries and palaces of Polonnaruwa.
Kumana National Park
Best for: Kumana is one of the most important bird nesting and breeding grounds in Sri Lanka. 255 species of birds have been recorded in the national park.[5] From April to July tens of thousands of birds migrate to the Kumana swamp area
Drive time Colombo:
What’s nearby? Hotel Moon Eyes Beach Hotel
Lahugala Kitulana National Park
Best for: The park is an important habitat for Sri Lankan elephant and endemic birds of Sri Lanka
Drive time Colombo: Seven Hours
What’s nearby? Dragonfly Inn Arugambay
Lunugamvehera National Park
Best for: The national park is an important habitat for water birds and elephants
Drive time Colombo: Five Hours and Sixteen Minutes
What’s nearby? Cape Weligama
Udawalawe National Park
Best for: Wild elephants – there are around 500 in the park.
Drive time from Colombo: Four hours
What’s nearby? Tea-plantation-covered hillsides.
Pigeon Island National Park
Best for: The national park contains some of the best remaining coral reefs of Sri Lanka
Drive time Colombo: Six Hours and Twenty Seven Minutes
What’s nearby? Nilaveli Beach Hotel
Ussangoda National Park
Best for: Ussangoda is an important breeding ground for sea turtles and covers both land and sea areas. The red earth forms the soil of the area and the stunted vegetation is a feature resulted by heavy sea breeze.
Drive time Colombo: Three Hours and Fifty Two Minutes
What’s nearby? Seven Turtles Hotel
Wilpattu National Park
Best for: Sightings of the elusive sloth bear.
Drive time from Colombo: Four hours
What’s nearby? The ancient city of Anuradhapura.
Yala National Park
Best for: Leopards – the park hosts around 30, some of which are fairly bold for this normally secretive cat.
Drive time from Colombo: Six hours
What’s nearby? Top-class surfing at Arugam Bay.
