Yala Jeep Safari, Yala National Park - Timings, Safari Cost, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 7 km from Palatupana and 20 km from Tissamaharama, Jeep Safari is one of the most exciting things to do in Yala National Park as part of Sri Lanka Packages.

Divided into 5 blocks, the park has a protected area of nearly 130,000 hectares of land consisting of light forests, scrubs, grasslands, tanks, and lagoons. Though Yala spreads over a vast area, only two of its designated blocks are open to the visitors while the remaining area is a strictly designated Natural Reserve. Adjoining the eastern border of the park is Kumana. The rocky outcrops scattered over the park provide vantage points to enjoy the sprawling areas with Sri Lanka's dry zone landscape. Still more, the southern border of the park being the south-eastern coast, the brackish lagoons and dunes enhances the distinctive charm of the Yala National Park.

Yala National Park has four entry gates. Gates at Palatupana and Katagamuwa leading to Blocks 1 & 2 remain the most visited. However, the two Gates at Galge on the Buttala-Kataragama Road, covering Blocks 3 & 5 are becoming known among visitors who do not want to contribute to congestion whereas Block 4 has its gate closed to the public. There are reports of frequent sightings of leopards on these routes, too. As with any safari, there is no guarantee of the animals that you will see in the park. However, it is pretty likely that you will see many different species of birds, including crested serpent eagles and peacocks, lots of spotted deer, buffalo, monitor lizards, and wild boar. The more difficult sightings are of elephants, crocodiles and of course leopards.

The Yala wildlife adventure seems to be incomplete without taking the awe-inspiring wildlife safari. There are authorized companies that conduct safari tours. There are provisions inside Yala National Park where one can book safari tours. A pre-booking facility is also available. The park authorities offered two types of jeeps to its visitors - half-day safari and full-day safari. There are two half-day jeep safari slots that you can choose from, the morning slot or the afternoon slot. The morning slot starts at 5:30 AM while the afternoon slot starts at 2:30 PM. Each safari lasts about 3 hours. Various hotels & resorts arrange jeep safari for their guests.

Palatupana & Katagamuwa are closed from 1st September to 1st October every year while the Galge & Yala West Gates on Buttala-Kataragama Road which remain open 365 days. For the most reliable wildlife sightings, the best time to visit Yala is between February and July when the water levels of the park are quite low, bringing animals into the open.

Safari Timings: 5.30 AM & 2.30 PM, closed from September - October

Entry: USD. 15 for Foreign Adults, USD. 8 for Foreign Child, USD. 35 per Jeep for Half Day Safari & USD. 60 per Jeep for Full Day Safari