Wilpattu National Park, established in 1938, is Sri Lanka’s oldest and largest national park. Its defining feature is the presence of over 60 natural lakes or “villus,” which seasonally fill with rainwater and sustain diverse ecosystems. These water bodies attract elephants, deer, crocodiles and flocks of birds, ensuring wildlife encounters year round. 

The park is particularly renowned for its leopards, which thrive in its mix of scrub forests and glades. Though sightings require patience, they are often more intimate, thanks to the park’s quieter atmosphere. Sloth bears, jackals, sambars and wild boar also roam widely, while migratory birds visit the villus in vast numbers. 

Wilpattu’s landscapes alternate between dry scrub, thick forest and open plains, creating an ever changing backdrop for safaris. The silence of its vastness enhances the sense of discovery, a leopard’s sudden appearance by a villu or an elephant’s silhouette at sunset. 

Located in Sri Lanka’s northwest, Wilpattu is less visited than southern parks, preserving its raw wilderness character. For travellers who value space, patience and authenticity, Wilpattu delivers safaris that are slower, quieter and infinitely rewarding, a true embodiment of Sri Lanka’s wild frontier.