The Yala National Park located on the South Eastern coast of Sri Lanka is the country’s best known wild life reserve. The area was designated as a wildlife reserve in 1900, by the British colonial authorities, though it was of considerably smaller size than it is at present. Though the Yala National Park has many locals and foreign tourists heading to it, to experience the country’s wildlife, this region was once the centre of a thriving civilization, the remnants of which can still be seen today.
According to historical sources, the region which includes the Yala National Park, was part of an autonomous kingdom during the Anuradhapura Era which dates from 3rd century BC to 12th century AD. This area was famous as a place of refuge for Sinhalese royalty as they defended it against attacks by the South Indian kingdoms. It was also an important agricultural region with thousands of acres of paddy land being cultivated and an intricate network of waterways being engineered by the ancient Sinhalese. Some of the remnants of pagodas and palaces dating back to this period can be seen in Sithulpahuwa and Magul Vihara areas inside the park.
The Yala National Park has several different eco-systems at work; one being that of the semi-arid plains that are home to, elephants, bears, deer and leopard; the other major eco-system is that of wetland marshes that sees many different species of endemic birds, lizards and crocodiles. Safaris out into Yala are rewarded with sightings of the elusive Sri Lankan leopard or Panthera pardus kotiya which is recognized as a separate sub species of leopard that is different to its African counterpart. The Asiatic Elephant and the Sloth Bear are also prized sightings by wildlife enthusiasts.
There are several campsites and hiking trails that more adventurous travellers staying at Yala hotels Sri Lanka are welcome to use; these enable them to get a more in depth understanding of the environment of Yala, which has scrub forests that are remarkably different to other parts of Sri Lanka which is covered by tropical rainforests. Guests can stay in a Yala hotel that is situated inside the wildlife park such as Chaaya Wild Yala which gives you the opportunity to truly experience the wilderness.