Block 1, the main tourist zone, holds the highest leopard density and the great majority of the vehicles. Sightings are frequent; so are jeep queues at a sighting. Going early, and choosing a driver who will leave a crowded sighting rather than join it, makes an enormous difference.

The rock outcrops and waterholes are the specific places to work. Leopards use the warm rock in the early morning and late afternoon, and the waterholes draw elephant, buffalo and spotted deer through the day.

The coastal lagoons and tanks hold the birds Yala is quietly famous for: painted stork, spoonbill, lesser adjutant and, on the shore, crab plover and migratory waders. Sri Lanka's endemics are better sought in the forests inland, but the water here is superb.

Block 5 and the less-visited zones offer a fraction of the vehicles for a slightly lower chance of leopard — a trade many experienced visitors make gladly.

Sloth bear is Yala's other prize, most likely in June and July when the palu fruit ripens.

February to July is the driest and best period, with the water concentrating animals. The park usually closes for part of September and October — check current dates.

Practicalities

Tissamaharama is the base, around four hours from Colombo. Entry is by jeep with a compulsory tracker, booked through your accommodation.

Yala's popularity is a genuine problem: vehicle crowding at leopard sightings has become severe. If that matters to you, consider Wilpattu in the northwest instead — larger, quieter, and with leopards that are harder but more rewarding to find.