With trumpeting elephants, monkeys crashing through the trees, peacocks in their finest frocks and cunning leopards sliding like shadows through the undergrowth, Yala National Park (also known as Ruhunu) is The Jungle Book brought to glorious life. This vast region of dry woodland and open patches of grasslands is the big draw of this corner of Sri Lanka. For wildlife spotting, Yala is superb, though be aware it's an extremely popular park.
©Matt Munro/Lonely Planet
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.48 MILES
This 357-sq-km park, once known as Yala East, is much less frequently visited than its busy neighbour, Yala National Park. Consequently, it's a far less…
21.81 MILES
Bundala National Park is a fantastic maze of waterways, lagoons and dunes that glitter like gold in the dying evening sun. This wonderland provides a home…
14.26 MILES
This large much-restored dagoba looming between Tissa town centre and the wewa is believed to have been originally built around 200 BC by Kavantissa, a…
14.25 MILES
The centrepiece of the town and its surrounds is the lovely Tissa Wewa (Tissa Tank), a huge artificial lake. In the evening, check out the flocks of…
15.04 MILES
Lotus ponds surround this site, which has a wealth of elephant details in the carvings (note the footpads). It was built 2300 years ago by King Mahanaga…
10.18 MILES
This is Kataragama's most important shrine. It contains the lance of the six-faced, 12-armed Hindu war god, Murugan (Skanda), who is seen as identical to…
25.7 MILES
Among the trees of verdant Maligawila lie the extensive remains of Pathma Vihara, including two graceful Buddha statues, carved by devotees in the 7th…
27.44 MILES
The superb 47-sq-km site of Kudumbigala Forest Hermitage is a marvellous jumble of forgotten Sigiriya-style outcrops set in dense jungle. Over 200 shrines…
Nearby Yala National Park attractions
1. Ranminithenna Tele-Cinema Village
9.9 MILES
This studio located halfway between Tissa and Kataragama is only mentioned because some drivers and tours will suggest you visit. Structures meant to…
10.01 MILES
A riverside Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesh, and the first structure you encounter as you enter the holy complex.
10.04 MILES
The second holy site you see as you pass through the holy compound. This beautiful mosque features intricate coloured tile work and wooden lintels, and…
10.08 MILES
This archaeological museum inside the complex has a collection of Hindu and Buddhist religious items, as well as huge fibreglass replicas of statues from…
10.18 MILES
This is Kataragama's most important shrine. It contains the lance of the six-faced, 12-armed Hindu war god, Murugan (Skanda), who is seen as identical to…
10.36 MILES
An impressive 29m white dagoba in the north of the sacred compound. It's thought to have been built during the reign of King Mahasena (AD 276–303) who…
14.25 MILES
The centrepiece of the town and its surrounds is the lovely Tissa Wewa (Tissa Tank), a huge artificial lake. In the evening, check out the flocks of…