Yala & Udawalawe Star rating [to confirm]
Cinnamon Wild Yala
Cabins in the scrub at the edge of Yala, where the wildlife wanders through the property.
Partner rate on request
Ask for our rate
Where to stay
Where to stay for Yala and Udawalawe
Two parks, two very different days: elephants almost guaranteed at Udawalawe, leopards possible at Yala.
About 5 hrs from the airport
Two nights
2 experiences nearby
Everything for Yala in one quoteHotel, driver and experiences together
Is Yala right for you?
Udawalawe is open grassland and elephants are close to certain. Yala is thicker scrub, busier with jeeps, and the draw is the leopards, which you may or may not see. Doing both on consecutive days is the honest way to handle that.
Where you sleep matters more here than anywhere else on the island, because the good safari is the first one of the morning and the gate opens at first light. Staying at the park edge is the difference between a 5am start and a 4am one.
Good for
Wildlife, families with older children, and early mornings.
Not ideal for
Lie-ins, and anyone who will be disappointed without a leopard.
Worth knowing
Yala is busy. Ask your driver for the morning gate rather than the afternoon one, and expect other jeeps at any sighting.
Which part of the area to stay in
| Base | Best for | To the park gate |
|---|---|---|
| Kirinda, at the Yala edge | Making the first gate at Yala, and wildlife in the grounds. | [Drive time] |
| Tissamaharama | A choice of hotels and somewhere to eat, a short drive from the gate. | [Drive time] |
| Udawalawe | The elephant park and the Elephant Transit Home, on the way in from the hills. | [Drive time] |
Hotels in Yala
Partner hotels our team has stayed in. Rates are quoted for your dates, never published.
Getting here, and getting around
Drive times are approximate and depend on the road and the hour. Every one of them is included when you travel with us.
From The airportIncludedabout 5 hrs
From EllaIncluded[Drive time]
From GalleIncluded[Drive time]
Your driver brings you here from your last hotel and takes you on to the next one. Stops along the way, for lunch or a temple, are fine. Just ask. How the driver works.
Map: Yala & Udawalawe with partner hotels and sights pinned
Partner hotels
Sights and experiences
Things to do near Yala
Private experiences run by our own team, added to the same quote as your hotel.
Photo needed: elephants at Udawalawe, or a feeding time at the Elephant Transit Home
Udawalawe safari and the Elephant Transit Home
- Duration
- Half day
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Yala National Park safari
- Duration
- Half day
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Routes that stop in Yala
Prefer a whole trip? These routes include nights here, with the driving included throughout.
Suggested route 10 nights
Sri Lankan Essential
Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Yala and the south coast
sigiriyakandyellaYalaweligama
Planning Yala? Tell us your dates.
We will check our partner rates for the hotels here and build the rest of the trip around them.
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Send your dates and who's travelling. We'll reply with a plan and real prices.
Start a chatUsually within the hour, 7am to 10pm
Email us
Prefer email? Tell us what you have in mind and we'll write back with a full plan.
travel@genuinesrilankans.comReplied to the same day
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Plan it face to face with a planner, and see the hotels and routes on screen together.
Choose a timeNext-day slots usually available
The planning team at Genuine Sri Lankans, answering from Sri Lanka