Yala or Wilpattu for an ethical safari in June
I am uncomfortable with the 200 jeeps surrounding leopards at Yala stories I keep reading on Instagram As an operator myself I want to advise visitors honestly Is the Block 5 strategy still working or has the crowd moved there Is Wilpattu genuinely more ethical or just less popular for now
5 Answers from travellers
Block 5 still gets only 15 to 20 jeeps a day because most operators chase the Block 1 hype Wilpattu is genuinely more spread out the park is huge with multiple villus and jeeps disperse naturally Density is around 40 jeeps over 130000 hectares versus 200 jeeps over 14000 hectares at Yala Block 1 For ethics Wilpattu wins right now Just confirm your driver agrees to no chasing rules before booking
Udawalawe is the most reliable for elephant sightings if leopards are not the priority more peaceful too
Kumana in the south east is another option full day safari starts at 5 AM ends 6 PM We saw 3 leopards and only 8 other jeeps the whole day Stay in Panama or Arugam Bay nearby
Minneriya peaks July to September with the great elephant gathering hundreds of elephants converge on the lake bed June is still too early for that
Look for operators displaying the SLTDA certified jeep sticker They sign a code of conduct including 30 meter wildlife distance no off road driving
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