Wilpattu · The land of lakes
Stray from the
well-trodden path.
Small-group safaris with the trackers who know Wilpattu by its scars, scents, and silences.
01/ 05
Small-group safaris with the trackers who know Wilpattu by its scars, scents, and silences.
Wilpattu means the land of lakes — fifty-some natural depressions called willus that scatter across an unbroken stretch of dry-zone forest in Sri Lanka's north-west. Closed for nearly two decades during the war, it remains the country's quietest, most untouched park, and we like it that way.
We run small jeeps. We don't crowd a sighting. We wait, we read tracks, and we'd rather show you the track of a leopard at dawn than promise you the leopard itself. More often than not, both arrive.
From the elusive Sri Lankan leopard to the curious sloth bear, Wilpattu shelters a quieter cast than the southern parks — and on a still morning, you'll meet most of them.
Two full-days different stretches of forest. Our most recommended itinerary — long enough to settle into the quiet, short enough to leave you wanting another.
Mornings start at 05:30. Tea is hot. Pugmarks are fresh.