For the wildlife enthusiast visiting Sri Lanka, Yala is indeed a place that must be visited as it is well known for the diverse variety of flora and fauna. The massive herds of elephants as well as leopards and their cubs are indeed a sight that no visitor will ever forget.
Yala is not just a forest, but a declared National Park boasting of a range of ecosystems. They are; dry monsoon forests, semi deciduous forests, moist monsoon forests, thorn forests, fresh water and marine wetlands, grasslands and even sandy beaches. Therefore, one can find a wide variety of flowers, plants as well as animals, birds, reptiles all in one place.
However, this national park is much visited by both locals and foreigners in search of leopards and elephants as well as birds that flock here by the thousands from all over the world particularly during the migratory season. This area is considered to be one of the seventy important bird areas in the country. There are as many as 215 bird species here and amongst them six are considered to be endemic to the country. They are Brown-capped Babbler, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Black-capped Bulbul, Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon, Sri Lanka Jungle fowl and Crimson-fronted Barbet.
Amongst the 44 species of mammals found in this park, the most popular is indeed the Sri Lankan elephant. In addition some of the other important and rare mammals that can be spotted here are wild water buffalo, Sri Lankan leopard and Sri Lankan sloth bear.
At the coastal end of the national park, one can spot all the five globally endangered sea turtles; Olive Ridley, Leatherback turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Green turtle and Loggerhead Sea Turtle. Therefore it is indeed a paradise for any nature lover or wildlife enthusiast as one is sure to catch a glimpse of a wide variety of animals, birds and other amazing creatures of nature here.
For the nature lover who wants to spend a few days close to this park and go on safari here in the morning and evening or even at night, Chaaya Wild Yala is the most ideal safari hotel Sri Lanka to stay at when visiting the area. This Yala hotel is truly one of a kind and offers a truly memorable holiday experience.
