You can visit the Wilpattu park all around the year but the best time to see wild animals abundantly is from May to September where is it dry season to the park . Because of the dry season more animals gather around the waterholes for drink. Late October to early January is the rainy season and the climate will be wet and rainy and some parts of the park will be inaccessible.
The best time to see animals is the dry season where lots of animals gather around waterholes. Which is from May to September and best time to see animals within a day is early in the morning and in the afternoon where animals gather around villus for drink. From May to September is where the hottest climate comes to Wilpattu National Park. During this time the temperature will be around 35 degree Celsius during the day and 28 degree Celsius during the night.
Normally you should wake up around 5:15 am in the morning and you will be having some light snacks and a hot cup of tea or coffee. The Safari jeeps will leave the premises around 5:50 am and at 6:00 am the National Park is opens for the guests and you will be seeing the park and the morning wildlife and wake up calls of the animals. The morning safari will end around 10:30 am and you will come back to the camp and have your lunch. Around 2:30 pm you will be leaving for the evening safari to witness the wild animals preparing for the evening. You will be leaving the park around 6:00 pm and call it a day.
The straight answer will be “No” because any of the safari service providers are not capable of controlling movements of animals but if you are lucky you will be able to spot a leopard or two. Apart from that you can witness birds and elephants near waterholes. Most of the safari service providers are having years of experience about where animals territories are and they would try their best to witness you most of the wildlife in Wilpattu National Park.
The distance between Bandaranayke International Airport to Wilpattu National Park entrance will be around 157km and it will take approximately 3 to 4 hours to visit the park from airport depending the road conditions and traffic. The road leads from Airport to Wilpattu National Park is a comfortable one.
Wilpattu National Park is located at a distance of approximately 55kms from Anuradhapura. It is almost a drive of 1 hour.
Yes all the safari jeeps are in sharing basis and there can be maximum eight (08) guests for a single safari jeep. Other than that you can have your own vehicle for the safari by priory informing your safari service provider.
There are two main safaris that you can enjoy in Wilpattu National Park one in the morning which starts from 6:00 am to 10:30 am and evening safari from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm apart from that you can enjoy a full day safari stating from 6:00 am and finishes at 6:00 pm. you will be staying the whole day inside the Wilpattu National Park and you will be provided a picnic lunch during the middle of the day. This full day safari allows you to explore most of the Wilpattu National Park.
You should bring effective sunscreen, a hat and shades to avoid sunrays. Other than that you can bring a mosquito repellent. It will be good if you could wear some khaki color clothes during your safari and avoid wearing bright color clothes.
Both Wilpattu National Park and Yala National Park are unique in their own way but Wilpattu has higher chance of spotting Leopards than the Yala National Park.
The good thing is that there are some amazing places to stay near the Wilpattu National Park. You can select your accommodation based on your budget. If you are travelling with your friends or family, then this will be the best thing to do. After you book a hotel or safari camp you have much time to explore wildlife within the park.
It is best to book a place to stay at the Wilpattu in advance. If you want your desired place to stay, you should book it online in advance. Below listed are some of the hotels and accommodations that you can book when visiting Wilpattu National Park.
'The Ibis' – Wilpattu - Overlooking and bordering a local Lake and nestled on a 2 ½ acre land surrounded and hidden by greenery sits The Ibis, a four bed roomed exclusive and private 'Villa' styled property which lets you experience the absolute peace and serenity of rural Sri Lanka only to be broken by the twittering of over a hundred species of birds by day and at night it gives you the impression that you could touch the moon and the stars making you feel that you are one with nature.
Read more about Ibis Wilpattu
Hotel Sinharagama is located in Sinharagama only 8km away from Wilpattu National Park and 20 Km away from Anuradhapura ancient city; The accommodation welcomes guests with an outdoor swimming pool and a friendly front desk. A Zone of free internet access is available rooms feature modern furnishings and air conditionings, each room is fitted with a Television, A Mini Bar and a Private Bathroom with both hot and cold water including a hair dryer and free toiletries.
The view of a natural paddy field which may say you many things about nature may help you to cool down your stress at your room balcony, enjoy a best treat with a natural cool and delicious king coconut which may takes you to an awesome world disappearing your tired.
Read more about Hotel Sinharagama
Wilpattu National Park is a popular leopard watching destination and having a full day safari in Wilpattu National Park allows you to explore most of the famous wildlife destination.Wilpattu National Park is located about 180km north from Colombo. It boarders the northwestern coast of the country. Full day safari in Wilpattu National Park allows you to explore the largest wildlife sanctuary of Sri Lanka. Full day safari in Wilpattu National Park allows you to explore the Sri Lanka’s oldest wildlife park with a historical past behind it. According to chronological accounts, it is believed that Prince Vijaya (who came from East India in 543 BC and landed in Sri Lanka by accident) at Thambapanni near Mannar, now known as Kudrimale Point (Horse Point) was the founder of the Sinhalese nation.
The full day safari in Wilpattu National Park starts at 6 AM in the morning and it starts from the Hungawila entrance of the Wilpattu National Park. A full day safari in Wilpattu National Park is a must have experience when you travel to Sri Lanka. A full day safari in Wilpattu National Park is a private safari ride which includes a comfortable safari jeep with a driver, park entrance fees, park taxes and you will be getting light refreshments during your safari ride in Wilpattu National Park such as water, cookies and fruit juice. The full day safari in Wilpattu National Park finishes at around 6PM in the evening at the main entrance.
During your full day safari in Wilpattu national park you will have chance of spotting elusive leopards which plays the top part in the food chain. The next in line will be the sloth bear. Apart from these there are other animal species such as Spotted Deer, Crocodiles, and Elephants, Samber deer and many varieties of birds.
Sri Lanka has around 26 wildlife sanctuaries dotted in the country.Wilpattu National Park is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka and its haven for the Sri Lanka’s apex predator the elusive Leopard.
Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest national park with an area of 130,000 hectare. It is also the oldest national park which has beenreopened after several years of closure due to the armed conflict in the country. A few decades ago it was Wilpattu that was known ahead of Yala for its Leopard population. A unique feature of Wilpattu national park is that the entire park is dotted with large sand rimmed natural lakes known as “Villus”. The Villus collects rain water and tends to attract wildlife especially during the times of drought.
Wilpattu derives its name from the Tamil language, which translates as the ‘Land of Lakes’. This is due to a number of ‘villus’, or natural water-basins found all throughout the park. These water-basins are literally the fountains of life here, as they sustain its eclectic wildlife. The main draw in Wilpattu is the leopard and sloth bear. It is also one of the better parks to see barking deer. Wilpattu is bounded to the north and south by 2 main rivers, the Modara Gamaru towards the north of the park and the Kala Oya to the south of the park.
Wilpattu is not only famous for its wildlife but also for its archaeological and historical importance. About 500 years before the birth of Christ it is believed that Prince Vijaya from India and his followers landed in a place called Thambapanni in the North West corner of Wilpattu and formed the Sinhalese kingdom. There are still many archaeological ruins and stories to be told about this and many other fascinating historical events that took place within the borders of what we now call Wilpattu.
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is the smallest of the four big predatory cat species in the genus Panthera. Though smaller, they are perfectly well able to take large prey, because their massive skulls facilitate powerful jaw muscles. Leopards occur in rainforests as well as in deserts, in all parts of sub-saharan Africa and the southern half of Asia and the Russian and Manchurian Far East. This is the largest distribution of any wild cat.
Though the Sri Lanka leopard is classified as endangered, leopards can be more easily observed in Sri Lanka than in any other Asian country. One reason is: leopards tend to be more hiding due to the existence of larger predators. But there are neither tigers nor lions in Sri Lanka that could frighten leopards. Visitors of Sri Lanka taking part in a safari in Yala or Wilpattu should be aware, that watching leopards differs from elephant safaris. Observers have to stay at a distance in order to gain some trust of the animal. The most important advice is: to be quiet.
The leopard density in Wilpattu National Park is higher than the Yala National Park but because of the dense thicket you cannot spot leopards often.
The leopards in Wilpattu and in Sri Lanka is a comparatively large subspecies. This is due to there is no competing big cats that are more dominant. There is no tigers or lions in Sri Lanka so Leopards in Wilpattu and in Sri Lanka is in the top of the food chain and it’s the apex predator.Sri Lankan leopard is much larger in size when compared to their relatives in India. But they are not as big as the Persian leopard. The male Sri Lanka leopard can grow to a length of 110 up to 150 cm and a weight of 55 up to 70 kg. Very big males can reach up to 77 kg. Adult females are significantly smaller, about 32 kg.
The estimated number of leopards currently inhabiting Sri Lanka is 600 or 700 individuals and most of the sightings are from the Wilpattu National Park. Due to their flexibility concerning prey, Sri Lanka leopards inhabit both dense forests and scrubland savannas. They are also found in montane rain forests in the central highlands (Horton plains) and tropical lowland rain forests (Sinharaja). This means, leopards occur in all three major climate and vegetation zones of the island: The highest numbers of Sri Lanka leopards can be found in the dry zone, where almost all wildlife parks are situated. This is the area of tropical mixed dry-zone forests and semi-arid scrub jungles in the north and east.
