Sri Lanka’s largest and oldest national park, its terrain built around a network of natural lakes or “villus,” that draw leopard, sloth bear and elephant to their edges in a noticeably quieter, more remote atmosphere than the southern parks receive. It sees a fraction of Yala’s visitor numbers, which means a morning drive here can feel genuinely wild rather than shared with a queue of other jeeps at every sighting. We recommend it specifically to travellers who’ve already experienced Yala on a previous trip and want a different kind of safari, one built more around patience and stillness than guaranteed sightings. It features in a single itinerary built specifically around heritage and wilderness rather than a first-time safari experience.