This is a huge national park, with so much to see. It doesn't reveal all its glories at once, you have to be patient, but if you want to visit somewhere that still has a real feel of unspoilt wilderness then this is the place. We rarely saw other jeeps, and when we did it was easy to head off down another path. Plenty of wildlife to discover, we were lucky to see Leopards. But Leopards are shy so if you don't see one its fine. And we saw bear, deer, elephant, crocodiles, eagles, owl, water ox, and so much more. Even though a full day 6am to 6pm  is a long one. Half a day is about 4-5 hour tour. I suggest half a day tour. You need to find a good safari driver who is keen on showing wild animals to you. Wilpattu is located 30 kms north of Puttalam, approximately 190 kms from Colombo. Covering 425 sq miles approximately. The Park office and the main entrance where one can obtain a ticket and enter the park is at Hunuwilgama, 7 km from the turn-off from Puttalam - Anuradhapura road. Park opens at 6.00am to 6.00pm Though this National Park can be visited throughout the year, February to October is the prime time. lovely park. Enjoyed.

Definitely less crowded and frantic than Yala and Udawalawe, however possibly with good reason, as , apart from lots of deer, a few birds and some monkeys at the picnic area, we didn't see any wildlife on our half day tour until finally, on the way back out, we came across about ten jeeps stopped to look at a leopard sleeping under a bush (which we needed binoculars to see). In fact we were told halfway through our tour that to see elephants you need a full day tour because they are in a further away area! Very pleasant but disappointing as had planned our trip around this.

At the end of December 2023 I was lucky enough to spend 8 hours doing a safari in this beautiful national park. We arrived at 6.30am to take a safari organized by my wonderful Sri Lankan friends. The jeeps are well maintained, seats are really comfortable ( I have done many safari's in different parts of India.) As we left the HQ the various jeeps headed off in different directions so we were alone for almost all of our safari. Our principle focus was birds and the guide was very knowledgeable, we saw 82 species of birds, various mammals including 3 species of deer, water buffalo, elephant & primates etc. We also saw mugger crocodiles, flap shell turtle. No sign of leopards however we were not really looking for them. The driver was great at spotting, stopping and turning off the motor. With just 4 of us on the jeep photography was easy. We experienced so heavy rain which required the side and front curtains to be rolled down. As soon as it stopped the driver would roll them up again. Our group included 2 of us with strong interest in wildlife, and natural areas and i would come back to Wilpattu at every opportunity. Thank you to my friends and to the park staff for an excellent day in nature. It's important to understand that in nature nothing is guaranteed, if you understand that then you will enjoy whatever experience that you get. You can rest assured that the driver/guides will find as much as is possible on any safari as their role is to find and show as much as possible to their passengers in a safe way for both us humans and the animals. Just loved my day.

On a 19 day tour we visited the park and had a jeep safari with our tour guide along. It really was a good safari around 4 hours of bumping around. Close encounters with the wild life and our driver was expert at spotting animals and birds.

To get the fullest experience I would recommend a two night stay in the area so you can spend the maximum time in this huge wildlife park. Needless to say the vehicle used is a typical 4x4 which gets you through the mud roads and flooded area. Nature is what it is and there is never a guarantee to see anything specific, however the guides have extremely keen eyesight and will stop for photos etc. The prized sighting is that of the elusive leopard and with all the guides looking and communicating hopefully you will sight one as we did. If you are a keen bird watcher you will not be disappointed. If you hope to see elephants here some of the other parks may prove better

We got a keep through our driver, and 90% of who we saw on the trails seemed to have done the same. The scenery is nice but we only saw some smaller animals like deer, peacocks, etc. Still a good ride. It was afternoon so fewer animals but also less crowded. Like whale watching it’s a risk, but if you enjoy the scenery (and don’t mind forking out 40k LKR per head for four hours) it’s alright. Go for it if you know you’ll enjoy the ride, which it’s a safe bet you will.

There is few operator on this zone for the jeep and guides of different price ranges. We opted for driver only and we personally felt the entry of the national park was fairly expensive (lkr 11000) for what we have spotted, but I can’t compare to any other national park. We were apparently very very lucky to spot a leopard, coyotes, peacock fighting, spotted deerssss, wild boar and giant squirrels. What I like was the different type of terrain and sceneries from the sandy lake to the first lazing by rocks. Recommended for family with older kids or for people who don’t like hiking.

I had been to Minneriya NP almost a decade ago but this was far better. A lot of time was wasted at the administation complex filling out a form. The tour lasted almost four hours. I loved the forest glades that shielded from the sun while our six passenger Toyota negotiated unmade roads including some beach tracks. Not many animals were seen: an elephant and calf bathing, a mongoose at a concrete water basin, a distant leopard sunbaking, sambar and spotted deer plus water buffalo that are common in southeast Asia was all. With birds we saw kingfishers and beeeaters plus numerous smaller birds and waders such as stilts. Butterflies were numerous. There was a toilet stop about 65 per cent into the tour replete with monkeys that steal anything. The driver had good English. His assistant lacked any. Take a hat and water plus sunglasses. Overall for Sri Lanka, a good experience and not too crowded.

There are plenty of wild life but couldn't see Elephants but over hundred out side the park. As usual lots of birds . We saw six leopards. Less crowded than of Yala and what we really admire was the coordination of Jeep drivers, They don't mind to give other jeeps to see leopards, bears etc after about five mints. It really helps each other and specially the visitors.

This place is about testing your luck... i'd say i was 90% lucky first off this is a national park with some 130000 hectares of land, don't come thinking that it is a must that you will get to see the famous leopard or bear. I was lucky to see a leopard cub, although sleeping, it was already cool, a bear digging for food, tonnes of variety of bird, i'm already thankful. Book a private jeep so that you won't be cramped with other people fighting for spots to take photos.