KUMANA (yala east)

Also known as Yala East, Kumana is the best place in Sri Lanka to see large numbers of migratory birds and aquatic birds including flamingos, herons, ibis and many others nesting in the mangrove swamps. You can also see herds of elephants and sometimes spot leopards and are bears too.

Minneria

Sitting in the centre of the cultural triangle, Minneria is a good alternative to the busier parks in the south and it's easy to weave in a day here between visiting the ancient cities. The dry season, preferably from June to September, is the best time to visit the 8,890 hectare park when the ancient tank, the lake that dominates the area, dries out and the grasses and shoots push through. During this time it is possible to see herds of up to 150 elephants feeding and washing, as well as toque macaques, sambar deer and leopards. The hungry bird flocks include cormorants and painted storks. Minneria, closest by car to the ancient city Polonnaruwa, was upgraded from a nature reserve to a national park because of the increased number of tourists coming to see the elephants.

kirinda viharaya

The small port of Kirinda is on the south coast of Sri Lanka about 270 km from Colombo, 10km south of Tissamaharama. Kirinda is a harbour town, with the town center populated predominantly by Muslims. On the periphery are a number of Sinhalese villages.

Kirinda is a beautiful place visited by thousands of pilgrimmers each year. There is a rocky outcrop from which one can obtain magnificent views of the desolate coast with its long stretch of sand dunes and the ocean beyond. On a clear day the light house on the Great Basses reef ppears like a needle in the far distance.