Yala National Park Safari Tour From Hambantota port

We had a great guide. We saw lots of animals. We managed to see a leopard which wasn’t easy. They were very accommodating and offered to bring us back to the park after lunch at no cost if we wanted.

Everything went smooth and as described in the description. We could see a lot of animals thanks to the driver which was very nice by the way.

Our tour guide Yasanka gave us a wonderful experience of a morning safari. He was kind and patient and his English was great. He clearly knew the park well and all of the right places to go at the right times to avoid crowds and see animals. We saw elephants, leopards and much much more! We didn’t have to wait in any jeep lines, and had a wonderful Sri Laken breakfast with a view of grazing animals in a watering hole. He was incredibly knowledgeable about all of the animals and the landscape, and made us feel safe and comfortable. We highly recommend a tour with Yasanka!

Five hours tour: one hour from the port to the park, another hour to return, one hour driving inside the park, and two hours sitting in a café waiting for the driver because he said it was the rule that they have to stop between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. What a waste of time! No one told us, and it’s not written anywhere, that we would have to wait two hours in the only café they want us to stay in. In the end, you don’t see much — just the animals that happen to show up on the park’s main road, which is all we did. Snacks and cool drinks were not given too.

This tour was our absolute favourite. 2 other couples we were travelling with joined us in this experience. We all climbed up into a tall converted Toyota pickup with 6 very comfortable seats, with plenty of room each and excellent visibility, shaded overhead from the sun. Our driver/ guide, Jacintha, was very considerate over the bumpy tracks in the national park. He stopped and pointed out wildlife and birds and gave us time to watch and photograph before moving on. We understood that spotting a leopard would be a bonus, sadly we didn't get that opportunity. However we saw so many birds, elephants, crocodiles, water buffalo, monkeys. On our return to port Jacintha sent me a lovely set of photos he had been taking on safari, beautiful professional ones, to share with the group. We can't recommend him and this tour highly enough. The tour more than met our expectations. We would all do this excursion again on a further visit to Hambantota.

We had a lovely and eventful day. It all worked out great. We were picked up at the port and drove in an open jeep to Yala National Park. At the beginning of the trip we received 1 bottle of water and cookies. The drive to the park took about 1.5 hours. Our drivers already showed us some animals on the drive. ( Monkeys, Carrots...) In the park, too, he went to great lengths. Unfortunately, we haven't seen any leopards. But many other animals. An all-round successful day.

This was an amazing experience!! It's a must do!! The elephants were incredible to see!! If you are on a cruise and stopping in Hambantota then you should sign up for this excursion. It was so easy to do!! I loved this excursion!!

One of the highlights of our holiday was visiting Yala National Park. We were picked up just outside the cruise terminal gates with two other couples, and off we went. It was about a 70-minute drive to the park, and riding in the back of an adapted Toyota pickup, the cool breeze was a welcome treat. Our brilliant guide took us around at a relaxed pace, pointing out animals and sharing fascinating facts, even spotting creatures we would have never noticed on our own. There were plenty of animals in their natural habitat and an incredible variety of colourful birds. The most memorable moment was watching a leopard resting in a tree, then climbing down and stealthily moving through the bushes to retrieve its earlier kill. An unforgettable experience and a must-do trip if you get the chance.

Devani was incredible and made sure we saw all the critters! Very persisitent and had so many snacks:) Highly recommend the full day to really enjoy the park. 2hr break midday at a lovely beach spot so bring a book!

Our guide Denis was great, he made sure we saw all the wild animals including monkeys, elephants, water buffalos, spotted deer and a leopard. He also took photos for us and shared his! Denis is an excellent driver! Make sure you don’t miss your chance to see this paradise safari!!!!!!!!! Highly recommend!!!!!!!!!