Yala National Park

Yala National Park is one of the largest - and certainly the most visited - park complex in Sri Lanka, and is regarded as a must-see by many visitors to the country.

The beautiful expanse - covering almost 380 square miles - was made into a National Park in 1938, in order to protect the special ecosystems and rare wildlife found here. It is a great place to spot elephants, boar and leopards, along with many other rare flora and fauna. Now divided into a number of different sections, the park contains many varied landscapes including marine wetlands and even monsoon forests - both of which are especially surprising given that much of the region sees very little rain.