Home to the world’s highest recorded leopard density, alongside elephants, sloth bears, mugger crocodiles and an outstanding range of resident and migratory birdlife across its coastal lagoons and dry scrub. Private jeep safaris here follow park guidelines strictly, staying on track and keeping a respectful distance from any sighting rather than crowding it for a better photograph. Dawn entries consistently produce the best sightings, when the park is coolest and at its most active, though an optional late-afternoon second drive often catches different animals in golden-hour light. It appears across three of our collections, a testament to how central a genuine leopard safari is to most travellers’ idea of Sri Lanka.

Host to “The Gathering,” one of Asia’s largest wild elephant congregations, when hundreds of elephants converge on the shrinking reservoir shoreline as the dry season progresses, typically peaking between July and October. Outside that window, Kaudulla National Park nearby offers a similar, year-round alternative with smaller but still reliable herds. The spectacle of so many elephants sharing a single stretch of shoreline is genuinely unlike anything else on the island and worth timing a trip around wherever a traveller’s dates allow it. It appears in two of our nine tours, both built with enough flexibility to make the most of the gathering season when it aligns with travel dates.