Yala

Yala is where most people see their first Sri Lankan leopard. Block 1 is a mix of scrub jungle, rock outcrops, lagoons and coastline. It holds one of the densest leopard populations anywhere, and the open terrain means the cats are often out in the light.

We run Yala gate to gate: in at 5:30am, out at 6pm, with meals taken in the jeep, so the day is never broken in half. That’s when the quiet hours pay off, with a mother moving her cubs, a sloth bear raiding a termite mound, or a leopard draped over a rock at last light.

When to go

The dry months from February to August are best. As the waterholes shrink, animals concentrate and the bush thins out. The park usually closes for a few weeks around September to mid-October.

What you’ll see

Leopards and sloth bears are the headline. Around them are Asian elephants, mugger crocodiles, spotted deer and sambar, and a long list of dry-zone birds from painted storks to crested serpent eagles.