Located in northwestern Sri Lanka, Wilpattu National Park is the safari park to spot wild leopards. Go on a full day safari in Wilpattu National Park with a very nice guide and spot these phenomenal animals. If you want to go on safari in Sri Lanka, Wilpattu is the best park to spot leopards these days. Below we tell you which guide to Wilpattu National Park you should book, what the costs are and what not to forget.
Content of this blog:
The best guide to Wilpattu National Park.
By far the nicest guide we have had during our month-long trip in Sri Lanka is Sineth. Sineth is a super enthusiastic, sweet man who communicates clearly and really knows how to make a party of it. We said to each other: even if we don’t see any animals at all today, we still had a great day.
However, it is wise to contact Sineth a few weeks in advance as he is very popular and therefore fills up quickly. You can reach him at +94 78 396 6538. Besides Sineth, Bashi (+94 77 866 1488) is also a very nice guide.
Always go for a full-day safari in Wilpattu
It is recommended that you always book a full-day safari in Wilpattu. This is because you are most likely to spot the animals in the morning just after sunrise and in the evening around sunset. During a full day safari in Sri Lanka in Wilpattu, you go much deeper into the park, which simply increases your chances of spotting more animals. If you do a half-day safari, then you have to leave the park pretty soon, making it a lot less likely that you can actually spot the animals.
What animals can you see at Wilpattu National Park?
You go to Wilpattu, of course, to spot beautiful animals. As we mentioned earlier, Wilpattu is the best place in Sri Lanka to spot leopards. Therefore, this is the biggest reason why you book a safari in Wilpattu. We ourselves were extremely lucky and saw no less than seven leopards, including 2 cubs. There are even more animals to see in Wilpattu, below is a list of the main animals you can spot:
- Leopards
- Elephants (don’t worry if you don’t see these, you will see them anyway in Sri Lanka, for example in Minneriya)
- Sloth bears.
- Water Buffalo
- Deer
- Boars
- Crocodiles
- Gray langurs
- Resus monkey (Macaques with a red face)
- Eagle
- Owls
- Peacocks
- Kingfishers
- Herons
- Hornbills
Cost of a safari in Sri Lanka
The cost of a safari in Sri Lanka is all about the same, so too in Wilpattu. On average, you pay between LKR 10,000 – 15,000 for the entrance fee (€30 – €45) and another 10,000 for a shared jeep and guide. So you will spend around €60 – €80 per person for a full day safari in Sri Lanka.
What should you bring when going on safari in Sri Lanka?
It is wise to bring at least the following:
- Sweater for the morning
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- A hat for the sun
- Plenty of cash
- toilet paper
- Camera + Zoom lens
- Possibly binoculars, but most guides carry them as well
The best time to visit Wilpattu
Wilpattu National Park is open year-round, so you can always go on safari here. The best season to spot animals is between February and October. This is when the animals are more likely to emerge to drink at the lakes. Want to see little, cute babies? Then go in April, just after mating season.
Is Wilpattu or Yala better for a safari in Sri Lanka?
We have been to both parks and can say that we liked Wilpattu better. We spotted leopards here and not in Yala, although of course that is no guarantee. Also, our guide Sineth made our safari in Wilpattu tremendously fun because of his enthusiasm. Yala is a lot bigger so sometimes you don’t encounter animals for quite a while.
We went to Wilpattu first and only later to Yala. In the meantime, we also went to Kumana National Park near Arugam Bay. Also read our blog on the best safari parks in Sri Lanka.
Below we name some of the differences between WIlpattu and Yala:
- Yala is generally a lot drier and less green than Wilpattu
- In Wilpattu, you are more likely to spot leopards.
- Both parks were crowded with us. In Yala, we encountered fewer jeeps because the park is much larger. We were here on the day after the elections, though, so it was a lot quieter than usual.
Of course, you can always visit both of them and decide which safari park you like better 🙂
The beautiful accommodations in Wilpattu
You can choose to stay in Anuradhapura (where you can visit the beautiful temples in the ancient city of kings). If you really want to get away from everything in nature, we recommend choosing one of the beautiful lodges near Wilpattu National Park. The first 2 accommodations we recommend are in Anuradhapura, the third is a lodge in Wilpattu.
