Bundala National Park
Coastal park of lagoons and dry forest, known for waterbirds including flamingos in the migration season. Jeep safaris are the main way to see it.
Yala National Park
Visitors join jeep safaris in this popular south-eastern wildlife park to look for elephants, leopards and many kinds of birds.
Attractive locations
Kumana National Park
Quiet park on the eastern coast known for its birds, especially waterbirds that nest in a large lagoon. Jeep safaris are usual.
Kataragama Temple Complex
Sacred site visited by Buddhists, Hindus and others, centred on a shrine to the deity Skanda. Daily offerings are made, and visitors should dress modestly.
Kiri Vehera
Ancient white stupa in Kataragama, set in a calm precinct near the main shrine. It is an active Buddhist site, so visitors should dress modestly.
Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya
Ancient Buddhist monastery on a rocky hill in the dry zone, with a stupa and cave shelters. Pilgrims and visitors climb steps for wide forest views.
Yala National Park
One of Sri Lanka's best-known wildlife parks, in the southeast, with scrub forest, lagoons and rocky outcrops. Safari jeeps look for leopards, elephants, sloth bears and many birds.
Udawalawe National Park
A park of open grassland around a reservoir in southern Sri Lanka, where herds of elephants gather near the water. It is a common stop between the hill country and the south coast.
Airports
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport HRI
It is about 51 km in a straight line from Yala National Park.
Batticaloa International Airport BTC
It is about 130 km in a straight line from Yala National Park.
Koggala Airport KCT
It is about 144 km in a straight line from Yala National Park.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Sri Lanka page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan24.4 °C140 mm
- Feb25.0 °C105 mm
- Mar26.4 °C112 mm
- Apr27.1 °C188 mm
- May26.9 °C167 mm
- Jun26.5 °C91 mm
- Jul26.4 °C73 mm
- Aug26.5 °C94 mm
- Sep26.5 °C147 mm
- Oct26.1 °C250 mm
- Nov25.5 °C306 mm
- Dec24.8 °C247 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Oct, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 29% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 119. Ambulance 1990. Tourist police hotline 1912.
local government
Sri Lanka Tourist Police
Helps with: Sri Lanka Tourism's emergency page lists a Tourist Police number in Colombo for visitors, alongside the national police emergency hotline 118 / 119.
Who qualifies: Tourists and other visitors in Sri Lanka.
Phone: 011-2421052
local government
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national tourism authority. Its tourism hotline 1912 gives visitor information, and its website links to a tourist complaints page.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Sri Lanka or planning a trip there.
Phone: 1912
Email: [email protected]
Address: No. 80, Galle Road, Colombo 03
local government
Suwasariya ambulance service (1990)
Helps with: A national ambulance service that Sri Lanka's tourism authority lists for tourists. Dial 1990 for an ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka, including tourists, who needs an ambulance.
Phone: 1990
ngo
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national Red Cross society. Its national headquarters is in Colombo, with contacts for 25 district branches listed on its site.
Who qualifies: People in Sri Lanka who need to reach the Red Cross national headquarters or a district branch.
Phone: +94 11 2694487
Address: 106, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Sri Lanka
Helps with: The UN migration agency's country office in Colombo. Contact it about migration matters in Sri Lanka.
Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +94 11 2112 600
Email: [email protected]
Address: 9th Floor, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka Building, No. 80A, Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 08
embassy
Foreign embassies and high commissions in Sri Lanka (official list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or high commission. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry's Diplomatic Corps page lists missions in Colombo with addresses and phones.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or high commission.
local government
Disaster Management Centre (DMC)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national disaster management centre. Its call centre 117 is the public line for disasters, and it runs an emergency operation centre.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka affected by a disaster or reporting one.
Phone: 117