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Yala National Park and other favorite places in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka - culture - adventure - travel
Sri Lanka has a lot to offer. Rich wildlife and exciting culture are just some of the things. Here are my favorite places in Sri Lanka
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Yala National Park and other favorite places in Sri Lanka is written by Trine Glovemaker.

Sri Lanka - Mountains - Travel

Sri Lanka is a holiday destination that many Danes are opening their eyes to.

Sri Lanka is still a relatively unspoilt country in terms of tourism and the infrastructure is also still evolving. People travel slowly due to poor road conditions. In the mountains, the trains take off at 5-15 kilometers per hour, so there is plenty of time to photograph the green tea plantations out of the train's open windows.

Until 2009, Sri Lanka was plagued by a 26-year civil war, but today there is peace, and travelers from all over the world travel to Sri Lanka to experience the no less than eight places in UNESCO World Heritage List.

Since I first visited Sri Lanka, I have been overwhelmed by nature and especially by the wildlife that exists in Yala National Park, for example. On my blog, Sri Lanka is the country I have written most about and I have traveled back again and again.

There are so many beautiful places and opportunities for wild, exotic experiences, and although it is hard to choose, here are my 5 favorite places in Sri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka - Leopard - Nature - Travel - Yala National Park

Yala National Park with the wild leopards

Yala is located in the southeastern part of the country and is best known for Yala National Park, which is one of Sri Lanka's biggest tourist attractions. 

In Yala National Park you go on a jeep safari in the same way as you do in Africa. The area is habitat for leopards, lip bears, Asian elephants, crocodiles, monkeys and rhinoceros birds, and it is an insanely exciting area. 

For a nature nerd like me, a jeep safari with all the other tourists is just not enough. That is why I have lived in the area on the outskirts of Yala National Park several times.

There are no fences around the national park, and therefore you can experience many of the same animals as inside the park itself.

Sri Lanka, Habarana, elephant, travel

From Yala National Park to Habarana - the ideal base for excursions

Habarana is a small town located right in the middle of Sri Lanka.

The city itself is not a tourist attraction, but it is an ideal base for excursions to a wide range of Sri Lanka's best sights. From here you can reach the old royal cities in a few hours Anuradhapura og Polonnaruwa.

You can also get to the lion cliff in Sigiriya and to the cave temples of Dambulla. These are all sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Among the lesser known attractions are the Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks, where huge herds of elephants gather at certain times of the year.

We talked about more than 90 elephants walking and enjoying themselves by the lake shore. A sight you do not just forget.

Click here for cheap hotels in Habarana

Sri Lanka - Nature - Elephants - Travel - Yala National Park

Sinharaja - Sri Lanka's tropical rainforest

Unlike Yala National Park, the Sinharaja rainforest is for the more adventurous nature lovers. Sinharaja is located in a mountainous region in southwestern Sri Lanka. The first challenge is to get here. The roads are bad and winding, so even the best get sick of driving. Not all private drivers love to drive this road with their fine cars.

The next challenge is the leeches, which on humid days just stand and wait for the tourists who are silly enough to go into the woods for them.

The reward is a wild and untamed nature, and the opportunity to find exotic animals, such as snakes, scallops, spruce spiders and scorpions. The rainforest is also home to many of Sri Lanka's endemic bird species, including the beautiful blue magpie.

Sri Lanka, Beach, Fisherman, Travel

The palm beaches on the south coast of Sri Lanka

Once you have seen exotic animals in Yala National Park and experienced wild nature in Sinharaja, it is time for a relaxing walk on the beach. If you want long, beautiful palm beaches, head to the south coast of Sri Lanka. The beaches also do incredibly well in pictures.

The further away from Colombo you go, the more places you can experience having the entire beach to yourself. Or, if you're lucky, along with a sea turtle coming up havet to lay her eggs in the sand.

From the port city Mirissa you can sail out on havet in the early morning hours. Here you can see dolphins, sperm whales and blue whales. Sri Lanka is said to be the place in the world where there is the greatest chance of seeing the blue whale, the world's largest animal.

See this travel offer for round trip in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka - Beach - Travel - Yala National Park

The mountain village of Ella

Since I came to Ella for the first time, I have had a very special feeling of "coming home". Ella is a mountain village in the central part of the south of the country. The town is surrounded by green tea plantations and has some absolutely wonderful mountain views. The atmosphere is relaxed. Village life and mountain air mean that you get to breathe all the way down into your lungs. Ella is a really nice place to be.

If you dream of beautiful nature experiences, exotic animals, white sandy beaches or beautiful views, then you can have it all in Sri Lanka. Whether you choose Yala National Park or one of the many other national parks in Sri Lanka, a wild experience is guaranteed.

Have a good trip to Sri Lanka!

Read more about Sri Lanka here

About the author

Trine Glovemaker

Web designer and travel blogger, Trine Handskemager's work simply requires a camera, a computer and an internet connection. This allows her to live life as a digital nomad and to work while on the go.

Many of Trine's trips are solo trips that are booked spontaneously a few days before departure. The backpack is packed quickly, because she only travels with hand luggage. Also on the long trips. The family comes along as often as possible when permanent work and education need to be taken care of. The destinations are many, and they may provide experiences that go deeper than a beach holiday.

Sri Lanka has so far become the country she has traveled the most in. It is a country with mountains, rainforest and beaches, culture, nature and wildlife. And then it's a country that keeps surprising. On Trine's blog miss-world.dk has she i.a. a big theme about Sri Lanka and an associated Facebook group, for Danes, Swedes and Norwegians who are going to Sri Lanka on holiday or who are permanent residents down there. But it is certainly not the only country on the blog that is filled with pictures of wildlife, beautiful nature and a lot of palm trees.

You can follow Trine's travels on her facebook page: https://facebook.com/MissWorld.dk/

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