Sri Lanka is small enough to cross in a day, yet it shares its place among the world's recognised biodiversity hotspots with India's Western Ghats. Rainforest, cloud forest, grassland, dry jungle, lagoons and coral reefs all lie within a few hours of each other, and many of the plants and animals you will meet live nowhere else on earth.
Leopards of Yala and Wilpattu
The Sri Lankan leopard is the island's top predator, and Yala National Park in the south-east is one of the best places in the world to see one. With no lions or tigers to compete with, leopards here often hunt by day and rest on rocky outcrops in full view. Wilpattu, in the north-west, is larger, quieter and dotted with natural lakes, perfect for travellers who prefer fewer jeeps.
Good to know: Yala usually closes for part of the dry season (often around September). Check before you plan.
The great elephant gathering
Sri Lanka has one of the largest populations of Asian elephants in the world. From roughly July to October, as the dry season shrinks the water sources, hundreds of elephants come together on the grassy shores of the reservoirs at Minneriya and Kaudulla, one of the largest gatherings of Asian elephants anywhere. Udawalawe, on the way to the south coast, offers excellent sightings all year round.
Blue whales and dolphins
Off the south coast, the continental shelf drops away close to shore, bringing deep-ocean life within easy reach. From about November to April, boats from Mirissa search for blue whales, the largest animals that have ever lived, along with sperm whales and spinner dolphins. On the east coast, Trincomalee takes over between roughly March and August.
Rainforest, birds and sea turtles
The Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the island's last large stretch of lowland rainforest. Walk its trails with a local guide to look for some of Sri Lanka's more than 30 endemic bird species, such as the Sri Lanka blue magpie and the red-faced malkoha. In the highlands, Horton Plains is home to sambar deer and misty grasslands ending at the dramatic drop of World's End.
Five species of sea turtle nest on Sri Lankan beaches. Ethical hatcheries and night-time nesting watches along the south and west coasts let you see them without disturbing them.
Travel responsibly
Choose licensed guides and jeep drivers who keep a respectful distance, never feed wild animals, and avoid attractions that keep wildlife in captivity for entertainment. Staying in locally run lodges near the parks also means your visit supports the communities that live alongside the wildlife.