Go on a half or full day safari to Yala National Park in our own, safari ready jeeps. Our well-trained and experienced jeep drivers will take you through the trails of the big game – the elephant & leopard and ever elusive sloth bear. If bird watching is your passion, then there’s the Bundala National Park where an array of birds – local, endemic and migratory.
EXPERIENCES & EXCURSIONS
Explore the Natural Beauty
Take a salt water dip
Kirinda Beach
Being far from the beaches of the renowned down-south coastal stretch doesn’t mean you cannot soak-in the sea. Half an hour’s drive away from the camp, in our own jeeps, is the Kirinda beach. A perfect location for a sea bath on a hot afternoon. After cooling off, you may want to take a quick walk down the annals of history, and discover the facts behind the legend of Sri Lanka’s most revered King, whose story begins on Kirinda beach nearly two millennia ago, who grows up in the surrounding little kingdom of his father – the provincial king, before he marches the then seat of power, Anuradhapura, in the North Central province to defeat the mighty Chola armies of South Indian origin, after nearly a century of rule.
An ancient city revered by several religions
Kataragama
There are still remnants left of the palaces and the irrigation works and temples. Most significant and mysterious of these religious sites is Kataragama, which is a 45 minute drive from the camp, where, to date thousands of pilgrims flock to worship Lord Skanda (Murugesh), one of the key Hindu deities. Like today, mysteriously, the predominantly Buddhist Kings and armies of the Ruhuna kingdom first went to seek the blessings at the shrine of Lord Skanda in Kataragama, before marching on to fight the South Indian invaders, who were predominantly Hindu themselves. So, beyond the wild life there is a lot of mystery and history to explore, and discover how a tiny kingdom of not much significance went onto play such an important part in the glorious history and civilization of ancient Sri Lanka.
Visit the historic temples and sights in
Thissamaharama Temple
It is easy to forget that Yala and the region around it have a rich history and culture, because the area today is all about wildlife & safaris. But more than two millennia ago, this was a seat of power for a small provincial kingdom with a big & courageous heart, called Ruhuna (meaning South). With Anuradhapura & then Polonnaruwa, the ancient seats of power, in the North Central province being under attack & invasion from the massive armies of Pandava & Cholan Kings from South India, it is this little kingdom that always gave hope to and saw the rise of princes that would go onto re-take power, despite the massive odds in numbers.