Bundala National Park

Bundala National Park 

 

Bundala in the South East of Sri Lanka is a wonderful introduction to the country's National Parks. It is famous for its diversity and profusion of aquatic bird life which feed on the rich harvest provided by the numerous lagoons throughout the park. It forms the most important wetland sanctuary, outside of the Northern province, for migratory shore-birds including the Greater Flamingo. The park covers approximately 6000 hectares of brackish lagoons, salt pans, inter-tidal mudflats and thorny scrub jungle.

There is a small population of elephants which are fairly easy to spot in the open habitat, it is not unheard of to find one walking along the beach in perfect isolation. Leopards can also be found in the park preying on the numerous spotted deer, sambar and barking deer. Sightings are very rare but it is worth exploring several rocky outcrops where previous sightings have occurred. As well as leopards there are sloth bears, jackals, giant squirrels, Indian pangolin and civet cats. Marsh and estuarine crocodiles are both found in Bundala in addition to monitor lizards and a variety of other reptiles.

Of the 150 bird species listed in the park every species of water bird found in the country is said to visit here. The rare Black-necked stork and Great Thick-knee are particular birding highlights. It is easy to spot Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Spoonbill, Red Shank, Green Shank, Spot-billed Pelican, Blue-faced Malkoha, Brahminy Kite, Crested Hawk eagle and Brown Shrike, to name but a few. Migrants and vagrants make the journey from as far as Siberia, over 10,000 shore birds might be feeding at any one time between October and March.

Along the coastal road leading from nearby Hambantota, where you will be based, to Bundala is another haven for wildlife with several more bird species to be seen. This coastal area also attracts four out of Sri Lanka's five sea turtle species, which come ashore to lay their eggs. This park is much less visited than Yala so largely avoids the weekend crowds.

A couple of days spent here is ideal before heading off to the nearby Uda Walawe and Yala National Parks, or in conjunction with a beach stay at Tangalle or Mirissa. The park is approximately five hours drive from Colombo along the coast. The average annual rainfall is relatively low and the 'dry season' falls between May and September.

Gal Oya National Park 

Established in 1954 by the Gal Oya Development Board, Gal Oya National park is located 314 km away from Colombo in Inginiyagala district. The park covers an area of 25,900 hectare surrounded by ?Senanayake Samudra?. The park is treated as one of the major echo tourism destination.

The park is rich with flora and fauna. About 45% of the parks covered with the forest where about 33% is covered with savanna. About 32 species of mammals and 150 species of birds are home to this park. Among them elephants, wild boar, leopard, water buffalo, sloth bear are common.

Best time to visit Gal Oya National Park is between Marc and July. The park is popular for Elephant watching and about 150 elephants live here.

Anyone can enjoy the beauty of Gal Oya National park by either Boat or Jeep safaris. The boat safari is worthwhile and interesting as the reservoir has many small islands and it does not disturb the animals, you can have a closer look of the wild life. If you are doing a boat safari you will come across the ?Bird Island? which is full with bird species. The jeep safaris consist of tow tracks (one 5 km and other about 13 km). It is ideal for elephant, leopard watching and photographing.

Horton Plains National Park 

Horton Plains National Park "Maha-Eliya" in Sinhala is a national park in the highlands of Sri Lanka. It lies at a height of more than 2000 m in the central highlands, and its altitude means that it has a much cooler and windier Climate than the lowlands of Sri Lanka , with a mean annual temperature of 16 °C rather than the 26 °C of the coasts. In the winter months it is cold at night, and there can even be frosts, although it rapidly warms up as the tropical sun climbs higher in the sky.

The park covers 31.60 km², and is a mixture of highland forest and wet grassland. Annual rainfall is high with the area being affected by both monsoons as well as the inter-monsoonal periods; it is driest between January and March.

This is the only National Park in Sri Lanka in which visitors are allowed to walk. At 'Worlds End' the 2000 meters plateau comes to an abrupt end, plunging 700-1000 meters to the valley floor. This gentle walk takes two to four hours depending on how much time is spent identifying the impressive bird life seen along this route. It is worth starting early to avoid the crowds, the mist that drifts up the valley can often obscure the views as the day wears on. 'Little Worlds End' is another popular location, falling a mere 300 meters, along with Baker's fall.

 

The plains appear to have a lot more in common with the moors and highlands of Britain than with the rest of Sri Lanka's National Parks. The extensive grasslands are bleached brown by the frosts at this altitude and the herds of sambar are reminiscent of red deer roaming the Scottish Glens. This large sambar(Srilankan Sambar Deer) population, along with the Purple-Faced langurs, wild boar and barking deer support a small number of leopards, although seeing them requires a huge amount of luck. Your best chance is offered by driving around the park late in the evening and listening for the alarm calls of the sambar.

This is also one of the top destinations for birders who visit the area to look for several of Sri Lanka's endemics; these include the Yellow Eared Bulbul, the Ceylon Hill White Eye, Sri Lankan Bush Warbler, Black-throated Munia, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Ceylon Whistling Thrush and the Ceylon Blue Magpie.

The diversity of vegetation is also impressive from grasses to ferns, shrubs and large flowering trees. The montane forest is very distinctive with all the trees reaching a similar height to protect themselves against excessive precipitation, the western slopes support the most extensive area of cloud forest in the country.

At Horton Plains the central mountain massif is shaved into a tabletop of rolling patna punctuated by rhododendron and bracketed by sporadic swathes of evergreen forest. Temperatures at night drop to 0C. Yet while the air and the water in the streams are bracing, the .sun is fiery. On a magnificent day the dawn is misty; noon is the time of blue skies and limitless vision; sunset is orange and burgundy; and twilight, a quiet, purple hour.

Every seventh to twelfth year the jungle paths become a mosaic of pink and purple and blue when the nilloo bursts into bloom in periodic splendour before it seeds and dies. Flowing streams and their rocky banks are lined with delicate ferns, while beneath the clear waters lies a fine tracery of flora which is constantly woven into an ever-changing pattern. The forest-clad escarpment of Hortons is source and watershed to Sri Lanka's two mightiest rivers - the Kelani and the Mahaweli - as well as many other streams, rivers and lakes, providing water to the western, southern and northeastern sectors of the island.

Kaudulla National Park 

Kaudulla National Park is a 6,656ha section of dry evergreen monsoonal forest centered on the Kaudulla tank in the Polonnaruwa District.  Opened on September 21, 2002, it is one of Sri Lanka’s newest parks and forms the central link in the chain of protected elephant (Elephas maximus) habitat that extends from the long, western arm of Somawathie Chaitiya National Park in the north to Minneriya National Park in the south. 

September and October are the best times to visit Kaudulla for it is then, at the end of the dry season, when the forest has been forced to shed its verdant cloak and stands naked and emaciated, and water sources have become concentrated into fewer and deeper depressions, that the elephants congregate. The numerous small herds that inhabit the surrounding region for most of the year gather together on the open bed of the main tank to graze, drink, bathe and socialize. When the numbers have swelled and the evening sun filters through the cloud-flecked sky, glinting off the surface of the wewa and bathing the assembled herds in its gentle glow, it is a heart-swelling, dizzying sight like no other.  At other times of the year Kaudulla offers different wilderness experiences to savour.  Always an excellent area for bird-watching, the usual dry zone denizens of forest, field and stream are to be seen. 

Kumana National Park

Kumana National Park covers an area of about 18, 149 hectare of land. It is located in the south-east part of Sri Lanka. This bird sanctuary is an attraction for bird watchers. This national park was previously known as the Yala East National Park and it came to be known by its present name from September 5, 2006. The park was reopened in March 2003 after it was closed since 1985 due to Civil War in Sri Lanka.

There is a swamp lake of about 200 hectare known as Kumana Villu in Kumana National Park. During the months of May and June numerous species of water birds nest around the swampy area.

At Kumana National Park, birds like herons, egrets, white ibis, spoonbills, painted storks and pelicans can be easily spotted in Kumana National Park. Very rare species of black necked storks, great thick knee, Eurasian spoonbill etc are also found in this national park of Sri Lanka. The fauna of Kumana National Park is mainly of mangrove variety. Kumbuk trees and karan fern trees also grow in this region.

In Kumana National Park different varieties of animals like wild boar, elephant, European otter, golden jackal and fishing cat are found. Indian black turtle, flap shelled turtle, mugger crocodile can be also seen here.

Lahugala National Park

The Lahugala Park was initially declared a sanctuary on 1 st July 1966 and then upgraded to a national park on 1 st October 1980. Although this is one of the smallest national parks in the country, this is a popular location for elephant enthusiasts and bird watchers.

There are 3 tanks within the park. They are, Lahugala (243ha), Kitulana and Sengamuwa. The water from these tanks flow in to the Heda Oya. These tanks are largely silted up and support an abundance of Beru grass, which is a delicacy for elephants. These lakes also support a large variety of birds, local as well as migratory.

Being in the dry zone, the land is generally flat with occasional boulder formations. In addition to the elephants, the park is home to the endemic toque macaque, common languor, sloth bear, jackal, rusty spotted cat, fishing cat, leopard, wild bear, Indian muntjac, spotted deer, sambar, pangolin and black naped hare. The tanks and the surround area has become nestling places for wetland birds like pelican, purple heron, painted stork, lesser adjutant stork, white bellied sea eagle, grey headed fishing eagle, common kingfisher, stork billed kingfisher and white breasted kingfisher. Endemic comb duck, rare red-faced malkoha and Sri Lankan Spur fowl too can be seen the park.

There is no accommodation in the park it self, but Pothuvil and Monaragala can be used as the base when visiting the park.

On the nor then edge of the park is the Magula Maha Viharaya, an ancient temple built by king Devanmpiyathissa in the second century BC. This is said to be the location the king married princess Vihara Maha Devi. The foundations of the “Magul maduwa” where the wedding ceremony took place can still be seen in the vihara premises. The entire Vihara complex had covered an extent of around 10,000 acres where ruins of a palace, moonstone, monastery, bo-maluwa, stupas, ponds etc. are found scattered all over. The moonstone here is said to be unique in the country as this is the only location where elephants are carved with their mahouts in the moonstone.

 

Lahugala National park lies in the basin of the Heda Oya, 16km inland from the coastal town of Pottuvil in the Monaragala District. The Pottuvil-Monaragala trunk road runs through the south-eastern sector of the park. It is 2 km off the main Monaragala – Pottuvil road some 5 km from Pottuvil.

Minneriya Kumana National Park

 

The Minneriya National Park is located 182km from Colombo on the main road to Polonnaruwa via Habarana. The main entrance to the Park is situated at Ambagaswewa, 8.8km from Habarana on the Colombo Polonnaruwa road.

The core of Minneriya National Park is in an uninhabited area of the country’s most diverse natural systems, with intermediate forest, baboo stands, patanas and talawas. Nowhere else does it seem that such diversity is represented within a single protected area, particularly on such an intact state.

The park is famous for the huge gathering of Elephants. The gathering begins from the middle July and ends around the middle of the October, with number at their peak in August and September. It is a seasonal movement of Elephants not quite a migration in the sense of what biologists mean by a migration. A one kilometer quadrate can have over 300 elephants gathered on the receding of the shores of the Minneriya Tank.

Minneriya tank was built by King Mahasen in the 3rd century AD. A small temple was built in his memory inside the park. From November to March, Minneriya tank usually fills up with the northeast monsoon rains. In the following months the water recedes through draw down for cultivation, thereby exposing the rich shoreline where the grasses sprout attracting elephants and other herbivores.

Udawalawe National Park

Uda Walawe lies South of the central hills of the island, and it surrounds the man made reservoir of Uda Walawe, which is part of the park. It is a mixture of abandoned teak plantation, scrub jungle & grassland. The dry season is best to watch the many herds of elephant that roam the park; which is usually between May & September.

Almost the entire park is covered with tall, reedy Pohon grass, which grows all year round, except during the months of June and October.

Uda Walawe is a superb place to watch elephants. An estimated 500 elephants in herds to up to 100 live here. One of the reasons is the elephant-proof fence that surrounds the perimeter of the park, which keeps the elephants in and the cattle (and humans) out

Wasgomuwa National Park

There is historical evidence to that this area had been inhabited by man during the ancient sinhala kingdoms in BC. Giant canal of kalinga (Kalinga Yodha Ela) built in the reign by king parakramabahu in the 12th century while the remains of Malagamuwa, Wilmitiya, Wasgamuwa and Dasthota tanks bear witness to the past prosperity of the area. Kalinga island (Kalinga Duwa) too is an interesting place to visit.

Kadurupitiya, Dagoda, Baduruwayaya Buddha Statue, Malagamuwa stone pillars and other ruins also bear witness to the past glory of the area.

Yudanganapitiya where the armies camped during the battle of kings Durugemunu and Elara is yet another place of historical importance within the Wasgamawa National park.

Willpattu National Park

We at Sri Lankan Expeditions made a full day safari to Wilpattu National Park with the objective of bringing you the first hand information of what is on offer in Wilpattu Wilderness. This was in mid March 2011.

The park is situated in the North-Western province of Sri Lanka bordering the Indian Ocean on the west. There is only one entrance to the park at present (6th April 2011) that is from Nochchiyagama. If you are coming from Colombo the best route is Colombo – Puttlam road and from there Puttlam - Anuradhapura Road where you will see the turn off to the park on the left hand side of the road at Wilpattu Junction when you pass 43kms from Puttlam. The road is newly done and carpeted up to this point. From Wilpattu Junction to the park entrance it is exactly 7.7kms.

The Wilpattu National park is huge compared to Yala National Park and it is a thick Jungle consists of network of small to large lakes called “Willus”. These lakes are important bio diversity hotspots frequented by many varieties of birds.

Roads are challenging to handle hence the drive is very bumpy. As the jungle is thick it is difficult to spot the animals compared to Yala and Udawalawe National Parks.

Yala National Park 

Yala West (Ruhuna) National Park is well recognised as one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards. The park covers an area of over 100,000 hectares and is divided into five blocks. Block one is the most visited area since it contains the highest density of leopards. However other areas of Yala such as Yala East had been closed to visitors for some years and it will take time to research leopard numbers in these areas. Yala West consists of scrub jungle, brackish lagoons and stunning rock monoliths scattered throughout the park, its eastern edge is bounded by the South East coast.

An excellent 'Natural World' wildlife documentary was filmed here featuring the 'Leopards of Yala', by Gordon Buchanan. Two local leopard experts, Jehan Kumara and Ravi Samarasinha assisted with the research and filming, Ravi continues his study of the park and its residents. One of the main findings of the film was that Yala has well over thirty leopards, probably the highest density anywhere in the world. It is also thought that Sri Lankan leopards are a distinct sub-species from their Indian neighbours, and the largest leopards in Asia.

It is possible to take full day jeep safaris or to split your day into morning and afternoon drives. Your best chance to see a leopard is generally early in the morning and then again at dusk. You can stay until just after dark inside the park, thus maximising your chances of a leopard encounter. The male leopards in Yala are very confident and are often seen walking the tracks during the day. Young males in particular seem to have no fear of the jeep, which can lead to some excellent photographic opportunities. There are similarities between Yala and the best National Parks in India for photographing tigers, in both cases the big cats have become habitualised to the jeeps thus enabling us to enjoy a privileged view of these magnificent animals.

There is also a substantial elephant population along with spotted deer, sambar, wild buffalo, sloth bear, jackal, mongoose, pangolins and crocodiles. The bird life comprises over 120 species, and ranges from lesser flamingos to Paradise Flycatchers, Crested Hawk Eagles, and Black Bitterns. Outside of the park are several other fascinating birding locations, including the ancient hermitage of Sithulpahuwa, Debarawewa wetland and Palatupana saltpans. The coastline forms a major nesting ground for marine turtles.

Jeeps here have 'soft-tops' to provide a degree of camouflage to humans, as well as cover from the regular showers. The drier season falls between May and August and the park closes for a short time during September and October.

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