Colombo Trip Overview
You will be picked up from your Hotel in Negombo and travel by air conditional vehicle to Wilpattu National Park. WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK is located approximately 136 km south-east of Negombo city. The park is 1,317 square kilometers (131, 693 hectares) and ranges from 0 to 152 meters above sea level. Nearly sixty 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 among the top national parks world-renowned for its leopard population. We provide water bottles and picnic during the safari. After your safari, enjoy a local lunch at the Hotel and return to your Hotel in Negombo.
Additional Info
Duration: 10 hours
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Day Trips & Excursions >> Day Trips
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What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
You will be picked up from your Hotel in Negombo and travel by air conditional vehicle to Wilpattu National Park. WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK is located approximately 136 km south-east of Negombo city. The park is 1,317 square kilometers (131, 693 hectares) and ranges from 0 to 152 meters above sea level. Nearly sixty 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 among the top national parks world-renowned for its leopard population. We provide water bottles and picnic during the safari. After your safari, enjoy a local lunch at the Hotel and return to your Hotel in Negombo.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Wilpattu National Park, off Chilaw Anuradhapura road, Saliyapura, Anuradhapura 50008 Sri Lanka
Located in a dry zone of Sri Lanka, Wilpattu National Park is unlike any other national park in Sri Lanka. Situated 30 km west of Anuradhapura, 25 km north of Putlam and 180 km north of Colombo, the Wilpattu National Park spans over an area of 131,693 hectares and hence is the largest national park of Sri Lanka. The park also ranges at a geographical height between 0 -152 meters from the sea level. Approximately 25% of the park remains accessible for visitors while the rest is covered with dense forests and scrubs. The accessible 25% of the land consists of a good network of gravel roads which increase the chance of spotting wildlife at Wilpattu. The most recommendable period to visit the park ranges between the months of February and October where comparatively higher wildlife activities can be spotted.
Named as a national park in the year of 1938, Wilpattu National Park received its name through the natural lakes abundant in the park. In Sinhala vocabulary, Wilpattu translates to natural lakes and hence that is what you will find at the park in addition to the exotic wildlife. Accordingly, there are close to sixty different lakes and tanks distributed throughout. These lakes, also known as ‘Villus” are natural and also man made which makes the Wilpattu National Park an Eco-system like no other.
The topography of the park also consists of a 5 – 10 km coastal belt which is covered mostly with low scrubs and grasses such as salt grass. Further in towards the park, rather tall wooded forest can be found while a portion of ¾ is covered with dense forest and shrubs which is not accessible.
In terms of its wildlife, Wilpattu National Park is a major destination for the wildlife enthusiasts who are eager to capture a glimpse of one of the largest populations of leopards in the world. A remote camera survey conducted during October of 2015 identified nearly 50 individual leopards roaming the park and hence it is world renowned for its leopard density. In addition to the leopards, Wilpattu is also a habitat for 31 species of mammals. Among these mammals the Sloth Bear stands out while Asian Elephants, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Jackals, Sambhur, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Wild Pig, Water Buffalo, Mugger Crocodiles, Peacocks and many other migratory birds give the park a unique diversity of its own. Butterflies recorded in the park include the Great Eggfly, Blue Mormon, Common Mormon, Common Rose Great Orange Tip, Glad-eye Bushbrown, and Crimson Rose.
When compared to the other national parks of Sri Lanka, Wilpattu stands out among them due to its untouched nature. The park remains less congested with humans when compared to other national parks of Sri Lanka which makes it somewhat harder to spot these animals in their own habitats.
Duration: 4 hours
