Wilpatu National Park is the hot new wildlife destination in Sri Lanka, home to significant populations of leopard, sloth bear and wild elephants, but still miles off the tourist trail. Only recently re-opened after having been shut throughout Sri Lanka's civil war, the park offers wonderful opportunities for seeing some of Asia's most endangered wildlife but without the crowds. The park is also conveniently situated within striking distance of the best of Sri Lanka's cultural sites so can be easily combined with a visit to the country's more well known areas.

WHY?

Amongst those in the know, Sri Lanka already has a deserved reputation as being one of Asia's up and coming wildlife destinations. The seas off the east and south coast offer incredible opportunities for spotting blue whales (as well as lively schools of dolphins), the scrubby dryzone of Yala National is home to significant populations of leopard, and the beautiful lake parks of Minneriya and Habarana are packed with huge herds of wild elephants. So this is a country that can already boast a plethora of superb wildlife.

The 'new kid on the block' is Wilpatu National Park. This is in fact Sri Lanka's oldest national park and easily its largest but it was closed for years due to the conflict in the north of Sri Lanka, which abuts the northern edge of the park. However, the war is now over, the park has re-opened and it offers the most fabulous wildlife viewing for those looking for something new and exciting. For those looking for big game, there is an extensive leopard population (although in truth no-one really knows exactly how large this is as no census has been conducted since the end of the war), as well as significant numbers of the Sri Lankan sloth bear, herds of wild elephant, many varieties of deer, land monitors, crocodiles and wild pigs. Bird watchers will also be happy with many different species including the painted stork, eagles, kites, buzzards, egrets and more.

The scenery in the park is also gorgeous with thick shaded forest that slowly gives way to a more open landscape of flood plain lakes that are fringed by white sand and filled with rainwater.

WHERE?
Wilpatu is located north of the international airport and is close to the cultural triangle (the same cannot be said of Yala National Park which is a full day's drive away). The ancient city of Anuradhapura is nearby and the Lion's Rock at Sigiriya and painted caves at Dambulla are only a few hour's drive away. The park therefore fits very well into a cultural itinerary of Sri Lanka, and you could perhaps tack on one of the recently opened east coast beaches which are perfect for a visit during UK summer holidays.

HOW?
As tourists are only just starting to find their way to Wilpatu the accommodation options in the area are still quite limited so this is not a place to go if you need the finer things in life. However, if you have a thirst for adventure and would like a good chance of seeing a leopard, and being the only jeep for miles around to witness it, this could be the place to go.

Stubborn Mule Travel offer a 15 day itinerary, starting and finishing in Colombo, and including a safari in Wilpatu, a bike ride around the ancient ruins of Polonaruwa, a jeep excursion to get up close to the wild elephants in Minneriya, a homestay in Kandy, time on the beach near Trincomalee (with whale watching and snorkelling), Lions Rock (Sigiriya), the Buddhist caves at Dambulla, and a wonderful few days in a remote coconut plantation where you can explore the surrounding area by bullock cart.

All tours are tailor made but the itineraries are designed to be suitable for families. This 15 day itinerary would cost £5,500 for a family of four, excluding international flights but including an English speaking chauffeur, all accommodation, excursions, entrance fees and some meals.

For more details contact Liddy on 07825 667 083 or call the office on 01728 752 751.

Stubborn Mule Travel specialise in arranging tailor-made tours for families to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Having travelled extensively with children ourselves, we use that experience and knowledge to create unique itineraries that are tailored to the specific ages and interests of each family. To keep the kids engaged we arrange travel not only by bus but also by tuk tuk, train, boat, canoe, elephant, donkey, bamboo raft or camel; we use hotels with pools wherever possible so that there is somewhere to cool off after a day exploring; we include activities that fire the imagination such as cycling around a lake in Burma, climbing to a remote cave in Cambodia to watch the sunset, tracking lions on safari in Tanzania and riding a bullock cart around a village in Sri Lanka. For more details see www.stubbornmuletravel.com