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Sri Lanka safari – travel tips

Are you thinking to visit Sri Lanka in the near future and planning to do a Sri Lanka safari?

Here are some things you should consider so you can better prepare for your trip and have the best experience possible.

Yala National Park is the most popular Sri Lanka National Park, and also the most visited because of the high density of Leopard. It is an approximately 5 hours drive from Colombo.

The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm. You visit the park in a safari jeep.

Udawalawe National Park is well known for its Elephants. It is an approximately 4 hours drive from Colombo. The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm. You visit the park in a safari jeep.

There are many SriLanka hotels for safari located very close to the entrance, making a sweet spot for a safari in Sri Lanka.

Sri lanka safari travel tips for safari in Sri Lanka
Srilanka safari trip

Wilpattu National Park is one of the most beautiful national park Sri Lanka. It has some big lakes and it is full of thick jungle, being a very popular place to see Leopards.

It is an approximately 5 hours drive from Colombo. It is also very close to Anuradhapura at not more than 1 hour drive. Park is open from 6 am to 6 pm.

Minneriya National Park Sri Lanka is the place to go if you wish to see herds of elephants. Big herds of 350 to 400 elephants can be seen at once in this national park.

It is an approximately 4 hours drive from Colombo, and also less than 1 hour drive from Dambulla Caves.

It is very close to Sigiriya and Habarana, less than 50 minutes drive from these two. If you prefer to visit from Kandy, it is a 2 hours drive.

The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm. Closest hotels to Minneriya National Park can be found in Habarana and Sigiriya.

Kaudulla National Park is located in the North Central Province. If you visit from Colombo it is a 4 – 5 hour drive by car.

Kaudulla National Park it is unique because of the dry evergreen forest, which is an important bird nesting place.

It is close to Habarana, Sigiriya and Dambulla, being at about 50 minutes drive away from these locations.

Best time to visit Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is often considered a year-round destination. There are some distinct weather systems that will affect dramatically Sri Lanka from one coast to another.

Even considering the weather we can say that you can visit Sri Lanka at most times of the year because you can find one sweet corner or curl up in or explore a different part of the country.

Best time to do a safari in Sri Lanka

In conclusion, the best time to visit SriLanka for safari is December to March, but there are also some other best time to visit Sri Lanka safari depending on what you wish to see during your trip:

If you visit SLK in July to August is the perfect time to visit east coast beaches and also see the most famous elephant gathering in Minneriya National Park.

When you decide to visit Sri Lanka from February to April, this is the best time to do snorkeling with the blue whales, a once in a lifetime trip that is almost exclusively accessible to Natural World Safaris.

We still consider that the best time to visit Sri Lanka for safari is December to March, because this period provides the best time to visit the most popular beaches on the southern coast as well as on the western coast. Spotting wildlife like spotting leopards in Yala National Park or seeing Elephants in Udawalawe National Park as well as visiting cultural attractions or historical landmarks in the centre of SLK should be on your things to visit in SriLanka list if you decide to visit in March or anywhere between December to March or early April.

Sri lanka safari guide

When you plan for your safari in Sri Lanka guide we got you covered if it is either Yala National Park, Udawalawe National Park, Wilpattu or any other Sri Lanka Safari Park.

When you visit SriLanka your trip will not be complete without visiting one of the amazing Sri Lanka National Safari that you can do in this beautiful country.

Usually, when people imagine a safari, Africa comes to mind. However, embarking on a safari in Sri Lanka provides a unique and distinct experience, different from an African safari. Yet, it’s important not to underestimate the incredible potential of a safari in Sri Lanka.

You can easily put a Safari in Sri Lanka as one of the best things to do in SriLanka when it comes to deciding what safari in SriLanka you should opt for.

I thought I should make your life easier, so we created a Sri Lanka safari guide, that is covering all you need to know before you visit SriLanka so you can better plan you trip in order to have the best safari experience.

Sri Lanka hotels for safari

Sri Lanka has one of the best accomodation when it comes to safari in Sri Lanka. There are a lot of hotels and accomodation around the National Parks where you can find a nice place to saty overnight before doing a safari.

Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate some of the tented safari camps that can be found in the Sri Lanka National Parks, which place you in the middle of the action.

There are also some colonial houses or some tea estates that are full of character when it comes to Sri Lanka Safari.

The boutique guesthouses and the beach retreats will provide the ultimate relaxation accommodation for a safari in Sri Lanka.

We handpicked some of the best choices for you so it will be easier for you to properly organise your trip and find the proper Sri Lanka hotels for safari.

There is a diverse range of SriLanka hotels you can choose from so choosing the right one can make the difference between a great experience for your Safari Sri lanka and also help you improve your SriLanka itinerary.

We chose to stay at 98acres in Ella and from there we were very somehow in the center of the country and we had many possibilities to choose which Sri Lanka safari to do first.

Logistical tips and tricks for your trip

Book your accommodation
We always use Booking.com as they have the best price-quality ratio and they offer a wide range of hotels, guesthouses, apartments, and villas to choose from.

You will find here all types of accommodations, from the cheapest ones to the most luxurious.

Don't forget travel insurance
We never leave home without HeyMondo Insurance or Safety Wings Insurance as they offer the best services and a good value for money.

When we go for longer trips around the world we get Globelink Insurance as it offers a good cover for an affordable price.

Travel insurance will always protect you against unexpected costs caused by medical events like illness, injury, theft, or travel cancellation.

We never go on any trip without travel insurance and there were many cases when we had to use it.

Renting a car
We like to explore a country on our own and a car gives us the mobility and freedom to do that.

We always rent our car from Discovercars as they have free cancellation 48 hours prior to starting date and a wide range of car rental companies and options to choose from all over the world.

Tours and attractions
When we are looking for some adventure or we simply want to break up the monotony and discover new places, we always use GetYourGuide.

We love it because we always find the most amazing experiences, with free cancellation and a large variety of activities and tours to choose from.

Airplane tickets and holiday packages
Expedia is our ally when searching for the best price for airplane tickets as it works as an aggregator for a huge number of airlines and we always find the best price for our flights.

Travel tip: use Expedia when you are searching for holiday packages as they have many last-minute offers and great discounts for hotels, flights, and even the whole holiday packages.

Here are some more articles about the beautiful island of Sri Lanka