Yala National Park has the world's highest concentration of leopards and it is the best place to spot them. The 979 sq km Yala park is also home to Asian elephants, sloth bears, wild buffalos, deer, wild boars, crocodiles,primates and both endemic and migratory birds. (90 mins)
Kalamatiya Bird Sanctuary is a brackish water body fringed by mangroves and salt marshes and separated from the sea by a narrow strip of beach. Kalamatiya lagoon is home to over 180 species of endemic and migratory birds and supports a variety of smaller mammals.(15 mins)
Uda Walawa National Park with an estimate of 500 wild elephants, is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to observe these noble giants. Uda Walawa also has an elephant transit home, where injured or orphaned elephants are cared for and then released back in to the wild. (90 mins)
Mirissa is blessed with a healthy population of resident and migrating blue whales and sperm whales. The concentration of whales like in this area is not seen elsewhere in the world. The spinner dolphins steal the show in between whale sightings. (90 mins)