The Yala National Park Safari is one of Sri Lanka’s most thrilling day experiences, an early morning departure from Colombo or Negombo that brings you to the gates of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated wildlife reserve just as dawn breaks over the ancient rock formations and lagoon-studded wilderness of Block 1. The safari itself is conducted in a purpose-built open jeep driven by an experienced naturalist who knows the park’s tracks, water sources and wildlife movements with the precision of long acquaintance. The pace is unhurried– we believe that wildlife watching rewards those who wait and observe, rather than those who rush from sighting to sighting, and your guide will take the time to explain the ecological relationships and natural history of everything you encounter, from the impressive dramas of large mammal behaviour to the subtle beauty of endemic birds perched in the scrub. This tour is best undertaken between November and July when wildlife sightings are most reliable.