Wilpattu

Wilpattu is the largest national park in Sri Lanka and the oldest, and for most of the war it was closed. It reopened in 2010 and still sees a fraction of the traffic Yala does.

The name means “land of lakes”, and that is what distinguishes it: around sixty villus, natural sand-rimmed depressions that fill with rainwater and draw animals into the open. The park is dense dry-zone forest rather than the open scrub of the south, so sightings take more patience — but you will not be in a queue of forty jeeps when one happens.

Leopards are the draw, and the density here is among the highest anywhere. Sloth bear are a genuine possibility in June and July when the palu fruit ripens. Elephant, spotted deer, sambar, mugger crocodile and well over two hundred bird species are all resident.

A half-day drive is enough to see the park properly. The best hours are the first three after the gate opens, so an early start is worth the sleep it costs.