Biggest and Most beautiful nation park in Sri Lanka. Specially for sloth bears and leopards. View and roads through the national park is amazing. Every day when we were there we have seen either leopard or bear.

Great safari! As compared to the safari we did at Yala NP, we enjoyed Wilpattu much more. The park is huge and allows for a more intimate safari experience. Simply drive around and enjoy nature without dozens of cars blocking your view. We saw loads of animals including elephants and leopards. Highly recommended!

Very beautiful place. Here you can travel with safaris. Opens 12 hours a day. You have to carry foods and beverages with you. Because there is no shops or anything. There are so many animals. Rare mammals and birds. In here leopards take more attraction of tourists. Should have a great luck to see them anyway. If you are interested in wildlife photography, this is a best place for you in sri lanka. Normally this opens at 6.00AM and close at 6.00PM. You have to book a safari to travel across this park. And safari driver will drive to leopards if you ask them. They try hard to find leopards. So try to find a good safari driver 😉. Carry a camera with you. Because there is so beautiful places and animals that you can capture here. 😊

Located approximately 1.5 hours from Kalpitiya town, and 4 hours from the city of Colombo, Wilpattu National Park is one of the largest and oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. The park is known as the Land of Lakes (“Willu” translates to “lake”), due to the presence of more than 105 natural lakes and tanks that are spread over it. These lakes are natural, sand-rimmed water basins that are often filled with rainwater. It’s also the best place of spotting the park’s residents; be it elephants or crocodiles, as they lounge in the refreshing waters to shake off the island’s heat. The park covers an area of more than 1,300 square kilometres and is world-renowned for the population of leopards residing within it. A survey conducted in the park in 2015 by the Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust showed that there were at least 49 individual leopards living at the park. The park was closed in 2003 due to the looming dangers of the Sri Lankan Civil War, before being reopened to the public more than a decade later. However, only 25% of the park is currently open to visitors. Park safaris are conducted throughout the year, but the best time to visit is between the months of February and October, during the dry season. This is where residents venture from the thick shrubs in search of food and water, which gives you a higher chance of spotting Sri Lanka’s beautiful creatures. There are more than 30 different species of mammals that have been identified as residing within the park, including elephants, leopards, water buffalos, spotted deer, mongoose and shrews. It is also the home of several species of birds such as owls, terns, eagles, and several wetland bird species.

You can see so many animals fun with safari jeep

We have seen many animals. Beautiful wildlife and flora. The trip was approximately 4 hours. Sometimes a little bit bumpy. Take water with you and binoculars are very helpful. If you are around a must

Nice landscape. But we saw hardly any animals during the 4 hours we drove through the park. Since it is basically one long road in and the same out, chances are smaller for spotting animals.

This was my very first experience visiting a national park in Sri Lanka. Previously, I went through the Yala National Park for Sithulpawwa and via the Buttala-Kataragama, but never had the chance to experience a wild life safari. Wilpattu National Park is the largest and one of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park lies in the dry zone. You could experience all the wild life varieties related to the dry zone. We entered the national park through the Hunuwilagama entrance. The tickets were quite expensive, but the experience was well worth the price. Luckily, we were able to see most of the animals that inhabit the area. We noticed a spotted changeable hawk-eagle that got injured at the entrance to the park. There were so many white butterflies flowing through our path. There were wild water buffalo roaming here and there. Herds of deer were also interesting to see. There are saltwater and freshwater lakes throughout this national park in different locations, which in Sinhala are referred to as Villu. We spotted herds of elephants at two different places. Fortunately, after eagerly and patiently waiting, we encountered the Sri Lankan leopard. A closer view of the crested serpent eagle was also seen. It should be mentioned that the animal encounters are random; that is what nature is all about. You have to be impatient and silent to witness the animals behaviors. Certainly, I would love to visit this national park again. As Sri Lankans, it is our utmost responsibility to save these endemic wild life reserves for the future.

It opens at 6:00 AM every morning and stays open till dark. You can go and start a Safari ride any hour between this. A half day safari takes 4 hours for the complete ride. Booking a whole jeep takes almost 32000 lkr these days. Deer and buffaloes are in abundance here. Birds and monkeys can be found easily. Rest if you get lucky enough then you may also encounter elephants or leopard. Best to visit on a cloudy day to avoid the heat and dust. You can also take your own vehicle for Safari but for that the vehicle should must have a working 4x4. Must bring some snacks and juices along as you won’t find anything inside the whole park. There are many private Safari companies around the park and you can also book your tour from the parks own website directly.

A fine ecosystem. Many species can be observed compared to other national parks in Sri Lanka. Safari is very smooth.

Excellent National park… take a guide and driver. Probably worth a full day or two half days. If you are interested in wildlife, you will see so much and so much variety! We probably saw over 50 different species in two days. Including leopards and sloth bear as well as countless bird species. Bring water and check food is included though as nothing in the park, unsurprisingly!

If you are here to see Sri Lankan leopards this is the best place in Sri Lanka. We were lucky to have travelled the day after a leopard had hunted a buffalo and a wild boar and since they like to eat their carcass over the next couple of days we managed to drive to there and observe them walking from bush to bush with the cubs. In total we managed to see six different leopards along with a black bear, peacocks, deer, buffaloes and various other indigenous wildlife. Unfortunately we could not see any elephants as this national park is not well know for elephants such as Yala and Udawalawa. Also seeing leopards is sometimes can be a hit and miss. Previously we had times where we did not see a leopard for a while day of safari in the park. So if you can get some intel about when leopards have made a kill near the route that would be the best time to visit the park.

Fantastic wild nature area with many animals and birds. We were so lucky to see 5 leopards, 4 elephants, many monkeys and so beautiful birds! Unforgettable experience indeed! All you need - choose the right driver as it’s strictly prohibited to go down to the surface while watching.

The best and the biggest national park in Sri Lanka. If you are searching for somewhere to spend your holidays or need some relaxation in your life, this is the best place. I was addicted to the place at the first time I have visited there

Wilpattu National park is located in the Northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. The location approximately 188 km away from the commercial capital, Colombo. It is advisable to hire a safari jeep if you wish to go on safari. You must purchase tickets from the entrance office. If you badly want to see all the animals, you definitely have to start the safari early morning, at least before 6’o clock. Otherwise, it might be a waste of your time. We were able to see lot of dears, peacocks. They were abundantly available in the park. And also Leopard, fox, various types of birds, crocodile, but not a single elephant since we were late. Safari will heal your soul, the cool breeze and the forest will help to keep your grievances away for a little while. Please don’t pollute the environment or harm any flora and founa. Respect to all the lives in the forest and keep in your mind that the forest is not a garbage dumping place.

#Wilpattu sanctuary was decalred as a National Park in 1938, Wilpattu #nationalpark is located on the west coast close to the historical city of #Anuradhapura .The dry zone jungle is thickly grown. Wilpattu Natonal Park is home for many villus, or natural #lakes which dot the landscape in the Wilpattu National Park. Except for two, These lakes contain rainwater, thus are important for resident and migratory water-birds.There are approximately 30 species of mammals in the Wilpattu National Park which include the Sri Lankan #Elephant, Sri Lankan #Leopard, Lankan Sloth #Bear, Sri, Spotted #Deer, #Buffalo, #Sambar and #Mongoose.Wetland bird species found in the Wilpattu National Park include the #Garganey, #Pin tail, Whistling Teal, #Spoonbill, White Ibis, Large White #Egret, Cattle Egret and Purple Heron. Also, many species of #Gulls, #Terns, #Owls, Kites and Eagles are also lives here. The endemic Sri Lanka Jungle fowl, Little Cormorant and the Painted Stork can also Can be seen #everyone❤️ - Ｍʀ.Ｔɢ -

Wilpattu is the oldest and largest (1317 sq km) National Park in Sri Lanka and we explored it from the delightful Leopard Trails luxury tented safari camp. The camp is only a few minutes drive from the National Park’s entrance gate and our journeys to and from the park were partly taken on the wrong side of the road. The local rice farmers have worked out that by spreading their newly harvested rice over one carriageway, the rice dries twice as quickly (using the heat attracted by the black tarmac) as traditional methods. We took three drives (one full day and two half days) which saw us cover a good deal of the park’s forested, sandy and lake side areas. It was great to see many animals in their natural habit and spotted deer, water buffalo, jackals and wild boar made regular appearances. An elephant entertained us by standing in the lake, ripping vast quantities of water plants up, shaking off the mud and munching them for it’s tea. There were many species of birds to admire, with sea eagles catching their supper from the lake, serpent eagles and owls staring regally from their tree perches and our favourite, the brightly coloured varieties of bee eaters. Often our drives seemed like we were driving through snow, as white butterflies settled in mud pools to collect minerals and then burst into blizzard like flight as we passed close by. A picture postcard position beside the lake was perfect for a sumptuous lunch. A little drama was added by monkeys watching us closely for the chance of any left overs and us keeping a careful eye on the partly submerged crocodile twenty meters out in the lake. Further searching revealed many other sightings, even a brief glimpse of a Sloth Bear. Sadly the key attraction (leopards) remained elusive for everyone

Wilpattu National Park (Willu-pattu; Land of Lakes) is a park situated on the island of Sri Lanka. The special element of this park is the presence of "Willus" (regular lakes) - normal, sand-rimmed water bowls or miseries that load up with water. Situated on the northwest coast swamp dry zone of Sri Lanka. The recreation center is found 30 km (19 mi) west Anuradhapura and 26 km (16 mi) north of Puttalam (around 180 km (110 mi) north of Colombo). The recreation center is 1,317 km2 (508 sq mi) (131, 693 hectares) and reaches from 0–152 m (0–499 ft) above ocean level. Almost 106 lakes (Willu) and tanks are discovered spread all through Wilpattu. Wilpattu is the biggest and one of the most established National Parks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is among the top public parks widely acclaimed for its panther (Panthera pardus kotiya) populace. A far off camera review was led in Wilpattu from July to October 2015 by the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust. An example of 49 individual panthers were photograph caught in the studied region and the center region thickness was between that of Yala National Park's Block I and Horton Plains National Park.

2 Days at Kokmote Bunglow. Great place by a river. Only disadvantage is that you are about 50km away from the entrance and there is lot of traveling to be done. This the furthest bungalow within the National Park. Ideal to sit and relax. Saw lots of animals including a leopard. The nature and the flora too cannot be compared to any other national park and unique to Wilpattu it self

It was unfortunately a rainy day (rather both days) on 6-7 January 2024. We couldn’t see the big ones, but we enjoyed the safari 😊😊. We enjoyed the stay at Claughton Wild, which is a superb place to stay.

One of the biggest wild life national park in Sri Lanka. Approximately 120km or more have to travel towards Puttalam district from Colombo. Best place for who is interested in Wild life photography. Mainly leopards, bears, deers, wild boars, monkeys and different types of birds can be found in here. A peaceful location. An area is available for relaxation with washroom facilities. Parking spaces available at the entrance for personal vehicles. Please make sure to keep the environment clean and do not feed the wild animals.

bumpy ride across this park, periodic stops and slow down whenever there is an interesting creature to observe,.

The largest national park which located in the northwest coast in sri lanka. Main entrance is 'hunuwilagama' and you can reach from anuradhapura and puttalam easily. There are several circuit bungalows in the national park and you can stay over night with an advanced booking. There are approximately 30 species of mammals in the Wilpattu National Park which include the Sri Lankan Elephant, Sri Lankan Leopard, Lankan Sloth Bear, Sri, Spotted Deer, Buffalo, Sambar and Mongoose.

One of the most beautiful place in Sri Lanka to enjoy wildlife. Wide range animals, birds and breathtaking views all over the park.

Wonderful experience in witnessing wild life. Totally recommended. Always be vigilant to do the full day tour. When you select a safari jeep always look for Mr lakshan (because he is a wildlife photographer and he never miss many. With him you will be having a wonderful experience in side wilpattu). For reservation please contact us on +94713835443(waterfront homestay and tours in anuradhapura)

The best place for safaris. We able to see A tiger and other animals such as deers peacock and several kinda birds. It was an unforgettable tour in my life. Recommend to go and experience the nature of sri Lanka and valued it.

Very sensitive environment. Basically this is home for Elephants, crocodiles, tigers and bears. Road through jungle is permanently closed . Safari jeeps enters from puttlam side only.I visited many times. Dry season and wet season both experienced.

Great national park located in the North west of Sri Lanka. Really glad I chose a safari here as much less overcrowded than other parks and I was fortunate enough to spot a leopard, although not so quick to get a photo. Seen lots of wonderful wildlife and there is a picnic area by the lake where you can get out the jeep and have a walk around. Was an amazing experience and definitely recommend visiting this park.

Largest national park in Sri Lanka. We visited in December so really enjoyed the lush greenery and cool breeze. Entrance fees for foreigners are steep but worth it for the experience. We went for safari with Hashan, a great guide, jeep has comfortable seats with home cooked food.

We went wilpattu national park with our German friends. We saw lots of animals and birds. Specially our target leopard and bear done✅. We can recommend this place highly. Hope to go again again 🤞.

At Wilpathu National Park Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 📷 Canon EOS 1Dx Mark ll Lens Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary Please View on Full Screen for Best results 02/12/2020

Sri Lankan Expeditions, is a specialist Safari Game Drives facilitator and tailor made Safari Tour organizer in Wilpattu. We are the one stop safari tour operator for all your requirements in organizing Safari Tours in Wilpattu. Our team of wildlife experts and Wildlife photographers frequent Wilpattu and knows Wilpattu well and our own fleet of vehicles based in Wilpattu will take care of your transfer requirements to and from any destination. Our intimate knowledge in Wilpattu Safari Hotels, Bungalows and Guest Houses will surely help you to pick the right accommodation option, right room and the best location for your Safari Tour in Wilpattu.

Best place for natural lovers

Wilpattu National Park is a park located on the island of Sri Lanka. Attractive park for kids.

4 stars

The forest has been cut down and destroyed by fools. As a result, the temperature in the country has risen and it has become impossible to live

The biggest national park in Sri Lanka. A must visit.

One of the two best national parks for leapord sightings. If you get a chance try to stay inside the park by reserving a wildlife bunglow.

Unmatched experience. What a lovely place to see the wildlife.

It's a beautiful place. Enjoy that beauty. A herd of native animals. A group of innocent creatures enjoying their maximum freedom. Look at that beauty with the third eye. Let's protect that resource.

Wilpaththu National Park is starting at the northwest coast and sprawling across the north-central province. In here animals you stand a good chance of spotting include elephant, spotted dear, sloth bear, barking deer, mongoose, water buffalo and possibly leopard. It remains a relatively uncrowded park filled with a network of ‘Villu’ reservoirs, dense scrub jungle and grass-covered clearings. The Park office and the main entrance where one can obtain a ticket and enter to the park, 7 km from the turn-off from Puttalam - Anuradhapura road. There are few circuit bungalows inside the park owned and maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Bookings can be made for any person but remember high demand exists for the said bungalows all over the year.

Protect beautiful nature and animals from all visitors by following the rules

The most beautiful animal at the park Elephant,tiger,crocodile,bear special

Supperb location to see wild life

Wilpattu National Park Located on the northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka.Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka.There are many types of vegetation to be found in Wilpattu. 31 species of mammals have been identified within Wilpattu national park such as Srilankan leopard and Sloth Bear. Wilpattu is one of the best place to see many birds species and Reptiles in Srilanka. Wilpattu is my favourite national park in Srilanka. Highly recommended.

Largest national park in srilanka. Great place for safari . Can see lot of lepords, elephants, deers, eagle , bear .

Nice place... But be carefull and don't use the route via Puttalam given in the google maps.it is closed for the last 40 or so kilometers from Eluwankulama up.you will have to turn around and use alternative roads,which will lenthen your journey 100km+...use the other two routes insted..

A beautiful national park with lots of animals. We did a half day tour on a rainy and overcast day and we didn't see any leopards, other than that we had a great time. Be prepared for bumpy ride.

Wilpattu National Park (Willu-pattu, "Land of Lakes") is a national park in Sri Lanka. The unique feature of this park is the existence of "Willus" (natural lakes) – natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. Located on the northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka, the park is 30 km (19 mi) west of Anuradhapura and 26 km (16 mi) north of Puttalam (approximately 180 km (110 mi) north of Colombo). The park is 1,317 km2 (508 sq mi) (131,693 hectares) in area and ranges from 0–152 m (0–499 ft) above sea level. Nearly one hundred and six lakes (Willu) and tanks are found spread throughout Wilpattu. Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is world-renowned for its leopar population. A remote camera survey conducted in Wilpattu from July to October 2015 by the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust captured photographs of forty-nine individual leopards in the surveyed area, the core area density of which was between that of Yala National Park's Block I and Horton Plains National Park. Mek Hifha is a trip for someone who likes adventure. You can get a good experience by going in a four-wheel vehicle

5 stars!absolutely loved the experience. was lucky to see a leopard, a bear, scores of deer and boars and a lot of other animals. totally worth the experience!

My all time favorite park in SL for safari and adventure! From leopards to foxes to bears to elephants, you can find all these wild animals, a vast variety of bords and capture the heart of wildlife itself in here. The park also consists camping sites, historical landmarks, off-roading paths for all intrepid adventurers.

It's a magical place. Rich in wildlife as well as history. It's a giant park and requires ( and deserves!) several days of exploration in the least. Wilpattu- a land of lakes in the dry zone.

Highly recommended we spent a whole day spotting animals in the park and have seen 3 lepards, fox, elephants, crocodiles and many more. But yes of course its nature, you have to patient and come with low expectations - we are extremely grateful for all the animals which showed up for us.

One of the best national parks in Sri Lanka and One of the most beautiful national park in the world and also you can get a best safari experience... You can see these wonders of nature very closer. (Elephants, Tigers, Bears, Deers, Elks, Wild bow, Mongoose, Peacock, Wild Foul, Crocodiles, Land Monitors, Eagles and many kind of birds) Amazing wildlife experience in Wilpattu National Park !

There are leopards and lot more animals that are only to be found in this national park.

Always something new. Most beautiful dry zone national park in the island

Favorite place on earth! Expect a Peaceful, tranquil and a priceless wildlife experience

One of the best places which i have visited and you can see many wild animals. As wel as the stunning road network is giving fabulous experience to you.

This the South Lung of SriLanka. Such a Wonderful place. If you wish visit this forest don't forget to come between May to September because this time is Dry season. Also this is the Largest National Park situated in Srilanka. You Can See Bears, Leopards, Elephants, Endangered Birds etc. This Place Paradise for Wildlife Photographers. If you are a photographer don't forget to visit this beautiful Place at your life time.

Beautiful place & We all want to save it

We are so unlucky as Sri Lankans. Wilpattu will be Sahara when 2025. Sri Lankan government didn't take any decision yet to stop this Forest genocide. Anyway you can get a nice journey but not sure about the camping inside the forest coz the current situation. please do not bring any plastic or polythene inside. Save Wilpattu ❤️

Very very good place for safari

Amezing nature gift for watching leopards, bears. Deers, elephants. and many more wild animals.. Eye catching birds are make the forest beautiful..

Had the rare chance of seeing a Leopard while visiting this park.

Wilpattu National Park is among the oldest and the largest (131, 693 ha) National Parks in Sri Lanka. Key tourist attractions of this National Park is its large network of Villus (Natural Water Tanks) and it is famous for visiting Leopards and wild bears.

One of the largest national park in Sri Lanka. Famous for unique landscapea wjere cannot be seen in otjer parts of the country. Sri Lankan Leopard, Sloth bear and Elephant are key animal species you can see here.

One of the national park with most leopard sightings in SL. Although a good number of leopards reside in this park, it is rather difficult to spot one of those magnificent carnivores due to their stealthy behavior. Not only leapards; sloth bears, deers, foxes, elephants and many other wildlives can be seen here. Although in compassion with other national parks, elephant sightings are rather low in Wilpattu. Keep that fact in mind if you are an elephant lover.

Wilpattu National Park is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka. The topography is dominated by fifty wetlands. With low scrubs and deep forests, the park is home to numerous species of flora and fauna. The biggest attraction for tourists is the spotting of leopard and sloth bear. The other animal species that can be found in this area are Asian Elephants, jackals, Sambar deer, water buffalo, crocodiles, spotted dear and many more. With its impressive array of bird species, the area is a haven for bird watchers. Best for: The avid and serious safari-goers can see the elusive leopard and sloth bear. Location: 25km north of Puttalam or 30km west of Anurdhapura. It is 4 hours drive from Colombo. Best time to visit: February and October are the best time to visit. Price: Full Day Jeep Safari price is LKR 10,000 per jeep. Timing: Full-Day Safari 5.30am to 06.00pm.

Find a safari jeep before you go there ,Or you will have to pay extra under hand money to Government officials who are working there .Really unethical behavior of the officials .we have to re plan our visit due to unavailability of safari jeeps and we ended up with inconvenience

Its great to wildlife photography and very beautiful national park

Love this place

(Translated by Google) Experience overnight. (Original) රැයක් ඉදලාම අත්විදින්න.

Good

(Translated by Google) Super nice destination (Original) Super schönes Ausflugsziel

Its a must visit place in Puttalam District

Nature at its best. Great place for a visit.

Its a tropical wild experience in this adjacent Wilpattu National park area..

The largest national park which located in the northwest coast in sri lanka. Main entrance is 'hunuwilagama' and you can reach from anuradhapura and puttalam easily. There are several circuit bungalows in the national park and you can stay over night with an advanced booking.

Best place for leopard watching

Wilpattu National park is an enormous and spectacular for it's visitors. The unique feature of this park is existence of "willus" (national lakes). Wilpattu is the largest and oldest National Park in Srilanka . The closest town to the park entrance are Nochchiyagama , Puttalam and Anuradhapura. This park is located approximately 80 km north to Colombo. Wilpattu National Park was established as a wild sanctuary in 1905 and as a National Park in 1938. The annual rainfall is about 1000 km and annual temperature is about 27.2 degrees. Two main sources of rainfall are inter-monsoonal rains in March and Northeast monsoon are in between December and February. The Wilpattu National Park is situated in dry Zone but most of the time flora is very greenish and has many water sources around the park . Wilpattu is the home for many species of flora and many types of vegetables such as salt grass, Palu, Milla, Satin, Weera and Wewama. 31 species of mammals can be found from the park include the Srilankan elephants, Srilankan leopards, Sloth beer, Spotted Deer , Buffalo, Sambar and Mongoose. Wetland bird species are found in Wilpattu National Park are Garganey , Pin tail , Whistling Teal, Spoonbill , Purple heron and many other species. And many Reptiles and Amphibians are also found from Wilpattu National Park. National Park can be visited throughout the year but February to October is the best time to visit. Best time of the day to visit the park is 6.00 am to 10.00 am and 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm . Visitors can visit the park only through safari jeeps. There are many safari hotels, bungalows and guest houses that will surely ensure the visitors to find the right accommodation options, right rooms and best location for visitors to safari tours in Wilpattu So, don't forget to list this place down in your travel journal as a place you should visit one day!

One of a largest national park in Sri Lanka. Number of birds reptiles and mammalians including elephants leopards deers.Elephants and deers are very common.One day trip will cover whole area and it will cost 8000 LKR. You have to prepare breakfast and lunch and dinning area is available with water and rest rooms. Please do not bring polythene or drop those.

Nice place to see.

Wilpattu National Park is simply a paradise.. A must visit for all the nature lovers!

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Exiting experience

It was excellent sitting of bear and leopard on both days and elephants on one day.

Valuable experience. There are 10 bungalows. Have to book from Battaramulla. If you want to see more animals go at 6 am or in the evening.

Wilpattu National Park (Willu-pattu, "Land of Lakes") is a national park in Sri Lanka. The unique feature of this park is the existence of "Willus" (natural lakes) natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. Located on the northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka, the park is 30 km (19 mi) west of Anuradhapura and 26 km (16 mi) north of Puttalam (approximately 180 km (110 mi) north of Colombo). The park is 1,317 km2 (508 sq mi) (131,693 hectares) in area and ranges from 0-152 m (0-499 ft) above sea level. Nearly one hundred and six lakes (Willu) and tanks are found spread throughout Wilpattu. Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is world-renowned for its leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) population. A remote camera survey conducted in Wilpattu from July to October 2015 by the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust captured photographs of forty-nine individual leopards in the surveyed area, the core area density of which was between that of Yala National Park's Block I and Horton Plains National Park. From December 1988 to 16 March 2003, the park was closed due to security concerns surrounding the Sri Lankan Civil War, before being reopened to visitors sixteen years later. Visitor access is currently limited to approximately 25% of the park, the remainder of which is dense forest or scrub. Popular visiting periods span between the months of February and October, although there are a number of private ecotourism groups that conduct safaris year-round. The Mahavansa records that in 543 BC Prince Vijaya landed at Tambapanni now known as Kudrimalai Point (Horse Point), established the Sinhalese kingdom in Tambapanni and founded the Sinhala nation. In 1905 the area was designated a sanctuary and in 1938 it was upgraded to the National Park status.' Kudrimalai, or Horse Point, was visited by a subject of Emperor Claudius in 47 AD, who was blown off course by the monsoon. The local king later sent his own envoys to Rome during the time of Pliny The annual Rainfall is about 1,000 mm (39 in) and the annual temperature is about 27.2 °C (81.0 °F). Inter-monsoonal rains in March and the northeast monsoon (December - February) are the main sources of rainfall. There are many types of vegetation to be found in Wilpattu, including littoral vegetation, such as salt grass and low scrub monsoon forest with tall emergents, such as palu (Manilkara hexandra), and satin (Chloroxylon swietenia), milla (Vitex altissima), weera (Drypetes sepiaria), ebony (Diospyros ebenum) and wewarna (Alseodaphne semecapriflolia). 31 species of mammals have been identified within Wilpattu national park. Mammals that are identified as threatened species living within the Wilpattu National Park are the elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus), leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). sambhur (Rusa unicolor unicolor), spotted deer (Axis axis ceylonensis), mongoose, mouse and shrew are more of Wilpattu's residents. The painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, Sri Lankan junglefowl (Gallus lafayetii) along with many species of owls, terns, gulls, eagles, kites buzzards are to be found at Wilpattu National Park. Wetland bird species that can be seen in Wilpattu are the garganey (Anas querquedula), pintail (Anas acuta), whistling teal (Dendrocygna javanica), spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), black-headed ibis (Threskiornis malanocephalus), large white egret (Egretta alba modesta), cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) and purple heron (Ardea purpurea). The most common reptiles found in the park are the monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis), mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), common cobra (Naja naja), rat snake (Ptyas mucosus), Indian python (Python molurus), pond turtle (Melanonchelys trijuga) and the soft shelled turtle (Lissemys punctata) which are resident in the large permanent Villus.

Nice place for a day !😊

Beautiful park with a lot of animals. We were very lucky to see leopards :) then crocodiles, deers, pigs, many kinds of birds, jackals... just perfect safari tour :)

🐻 🐆 🐊 🐗 🌳 One of the dry zone national parks in Sri Lanka. Safari jeeps take you all the way in. Animals like leopard, sloth bear, mugger crocodile, wild boar are commonly seen.

We had an amazing time at Wilpattu national park and spent three nights at the panikkavila bungalow. Probably the best national park in Sri Lanka.

Finally made it to Wilpattu. Great experience waited for sometime to spot the leopard but he would have none of it but we saw huge bear. Enjoyed Govenors Camp Excellent food.

One of best and biggest wildlife park in Sri Lanka Hosting endemic and migrating animals Including Birds, Leopards, Sri Lankan Elephant, and bunch of SL Mammals Nature lovers and wildlife photographers should visit this place

A must visit for nature lovers. The park has a diverse variety of birds and animals. It also had several places of historical interest such as Kudiramali, where price Vijaya landed.

One of the superb National park in Sri Lanka ,most of the time we can watch elephants, bears, serpent eagles, leopards & deers🦚🦚🦚

Best National park with best Safari trackers.National park with various forest systems,you can see Leopards with cubs,Birds,Crocodiles,Deer species,Bears etc.

All credit to the Warden and his team. This park is just run better than the others, and it's purely because the boss does his job, makes sure his team does, and enforces the rules. Is it a good or a bad thing that it's harder to get sightings here? I'd say it's a good thing. The fact that more mobile signal is creeping in, and that visitors with more money than sense or time are being more demanding without regard for jungle ethics, in search of their prize photo, does appear to be changing behaviour among the jeep drivers though. Hope that doesn't go as far as it has in Yala

Sri Lanka has a national park called Wilpattu National Park. The presence of "Willus" (natural lakes), which are sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that naturally fill with rain, is what makes this park special. Situated in Sri Lanka's northwest coast lowland dry zone, the park is roughly 180 km (110 mi) north of Colombo, 30 km (19 km) west of Anuradhapura, and 26 km (16 mi) north of Puttalam. The park spans between 0–152 m (0–499 ft) above sea level and is 1,317 km2 (508 sq mi) (131,693 hectares) in size. There are roughly 106 lakes (Willu) and tanks dispersed across Wilpattu.

Wilpattu is an iconic forest located in the northwestern province of Sri Lanka. It boasts a broad range of animal diversity, unique species, and distinct trees. A Wilpattu safari, lasting 3-4 hours, offers visitors a chance to explore breathtaking locations and immerse themselves in the forest's beauty. Such an experience is rare in Sri Lanka, making it truly worth the visit.

Visiting the park was one of the highlights of our trip. We had visited a few other parks on our trip but none matched Wilapattu in terms of the beauty of the landscape and the diversity of animals we saw. The park is also far less crowded than other parks creating a much more authentic feel. We were unlucky and didn’t see the leopard which we had hoped to see, but despite that it was still a memorable experience. We also only did half a day so reduced our chances. The park is very professionally managed feeling more like a park than a tourist attraction.