Sri Lanka is an island in South Asia. Renowned for a rich cultural and historic heritage, it also boasts magnificent lush scenery. The island’s amazing flora and fauna will give you the opportunity to see amazing landscapes and wildlife. Whether travelling as a family or going on your honeymoon, Sri Lanka is a destination full of surprises.
The island’s flora and fauna are exceptional. The ideal way to discover them safely is by going on safari in one of the national parks. Whether on foot or in a vehicle, a guide will be with you at all times during these visits. The abundance of nature and the wealth in animal species will amaze you.
Don’t miss the national parks!
Sri Lanka has a wide variety of nature sites, with a high number of national parks and reserves all over the island. Most of them are open to the public who can come and admire the rich flora and fauna.
– Yala National Park. You can visit Yala in a jeep with a guide from 6 a.m. One of the park’s strong points is that each guide prepares his own itinerary, so visitors don’t find themselves all at the same place at the same time. You can observe animals such as elephants, wild boars, buffaloes, antelopes, monkeys, crocodiles, deer, mongooses, leopards, peacocks and all kinds of birds.
– Minneriya National Park. This safari takes place in a 4WD. August and September are a good time to visit because in the dry season a unique and impressive gathering of around 300 Asian elephants takes place around Lake Minneriya. As well as elephants you will see in the scrublands emblematic birds such as the Ceylon junglefowl, the brown-capped babbler, the Ceylon grey hornbill and the black-capped bulbul. There are also many birds of prey such as the Brahminy kite and the grey-headed fish eagle. Mammals living in the park include toque macaques, grey langurs, giant squirrels, jackals and spotted deer.
– Kanneliya Forest Reserve. This reserve extends over lowlands and tropical forests. Wildlife is abundant, with endemic bird species such as the Serendib scops owl as well as endemic mammals. You can see giant squirrels, Layard’s palm squirrels and purple-faced langurs, a typical southern species. Along these lesser-known species you will see lizards and many kinds of butterflies.
– Uda Walawe National Park. This park is the best place to see elephants in the wild. Sprawling over nearly 30,900 hectares, it is supposed to look like the African savannah. Apart from elephants, amid wonderful scenery you will see many other species such as peacocks, lesser adjutants, monitor lizards, wading birds, eagles, buffaloes, deer and leopards. You can visit in a jeep with a guide.
Sri Lanka’s priceless heritage.
These are not the only parks or reserves on the island. Other renowned wildlife protected sites include Wasgamuwa, Horton Plains, Randenigala, Lunugamvehera, Kauduluwawa, Gal Oya and Lahugala.
Sri Lanka boasts an impressive flora and fauna, yet the country’s cultural heritage is just as amazing. A tour of the island enables you to see the greatest number of marvellous sites!
