Sri Lanka - Yala National Park

Buddha statue

On the way to Yala National Park took a detour to what seemed like an abandoned dusty car park, next to a building that was either half built or half fallen down and what looked like a closed down café. Wondering where we were we followed our guide, who led us to a small desk to pay entry to a hidden gem. We walked down a wooded path into a clearing, to find a huge Buddha figure carved into the rock face. There were more figures, which our guide explained were the ‘second Buddha’ and his escort, representing a sort of second coming of the Buddha that is present in some Buddhist traditions. The figures were unusual in that they were carved out of the rock, rather than into it. The clearing had a quietness about it, with an air of reverence much like a cathedral, but the quietness lay outdoors, across the grass and stone. On our way back to the car we our guide stopped and hushed us excitedly towards him. We were treated to the sight of a spectacular Paradise flycatcher, harassing an Indian cuckoo. We were told it is rare to see an Indian flycatcher and it was one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen, with a dark head, a bright blue eye and a tail so long and red it had phoenix-like qualities.

The best photo I could manage of the PAradise Flycatcher

On arrival at Yala National Park, we were greeted with another Sri Lankan speciality drink, called ‘sweet lassie’. Lassie is a cold, shaken milk and, as the name suggests, sweetened. Along the entrance road to the hotel, we saw yet another of Sri Lanka’s fine, colourful birds, the green bee eater, along with water buffalo, crocodiles and a lot of elephant poo! We stayed at Cinnamon Wild Yala, which was a hotel with a safari theme; the guides were dressed like safari guides in khaki trousers and shirts, and the bedrooms were individual cabins, raised from the ground by a series of wooden steps. What excited me most about Cinnamon Wild Yala, was the fact we had to call an escort to and from dinner due to the possibility of coming across elephants and boar on the path in the night. Swimming in the pool whilst watching grey langur monkeys in the surrounding trees was also a great experience. From the top of the restaurant building, it was possible to look over the lake that bordered the Cinammon Wild Yala complex, the forest and savanna-type landscape of the National Park and the neighbouring beach. We went for a walk along the beach, which was scattered with boulders and cacti, and marvelled at the force behind the waves crashing on the beach – it was not a sea to swim in.

The beach at Yala

The main purpose of our visit to Yala was a wildlife safari. The highlight of Yala is the chance to see a leopard, which sadly, and much to the surprise of the safari guides, escaped us that afternoon. Nevertheless, we saw a fantastic variety of wildlife, including crocodiles, water buffalo, Sri Lankan axis deer, wild boar and a variety of birds from black headed ibis, whistling ducks and the sinuous Indian darter, to wild peacocks and junglefowl. At one point our driver put his foot down and started speeding down the track - another driver had told him there was a sloth bear in the vicinity! I tried not to get too excited, but how could I not? Unfortunately, much like the leopards, the sloth bear eluded us and we returned to the hotel having had a great experience, but feeling slightly defeated by the Sri Lankan mammals.

Green bee eater