People often ask us why we don't offer safaris in Yala Block 1.
It's a question we completely understand because Block 1 is by far the most well-known part of Yala National Park. If you've been researching safaris in Sri Lanka, it's probably the block you've come across most often. It's featured in countless travel blogs, documentaries and social media posts, and there's a very good reason for that.
Block 1 has one of the highest leopard densities anywhere in the world. Compared to the other blocks, your chances of seeing a leopard are generally higher there, which is why it has become so popular over the years.
At the same time, that's only one part of the story.
For us, choosing to operate in Block 5 and Block 6 was never about trying to avoid Block 1 or suggesting that one part of Yala is better than another. It happened quite naturally over time. The more time we spent exploring different areas of the park, the more we found ourselves returning to Block 5 and Block 6. They were simply the places where we enjoyed spending our own time, and eventually we realised they reflected the kind of safari we wanted to offer our guests.
One of the biggest differences between the blocks is the number of safari vehicles.
Because Block 1 attracts the vast majority of visitors, it's naturally much busier, especially during the main tourist season. On some days, hundreds of safari jeeps enter the park. Most of the time they're spread across different roads, but whenever a reliable leopard sighting is reported over the radio, it's completely natural for many drivers to head in the same direction. After all, every guide wants to give their guests the chance to see one of the park's most elusive animals.
When several hundred jeeps are all trying to reach the same place, you can probably imagine what sometimes happens. Traffic builds up, vehicles begin queuing along the roads, and a lot of the morning can suddenly become focused on reaching that one sighting.
We completely understand why that happens.
If you've travelled halfway around the world and have dreamed of seeing a leopard for years, of course you'd be excited if someone announced that one had just crossed the road a few hundred metres away.
The truth is, we'd probably react as well.
If we receive reliable information that a leopard or even a sloth bear has just been seen nearby, we'll usually make our way there too. Our guests have come all this way to experience Yala, and we'd genuinely love them to have that opportunity if nature allows it.
The difference is that we don't want the entire safari to revolve around that mindset.
We'll pick up the pace a little if there's a realistic chance of reaching the area in time, but we'll always stay within the park's speed limits, remain on the designated roads and never drive off-road just to get somewhere faster or to find a better angle for a photograph. To us, one wildlife sighting is never worth putting unnecessary pressure on the animals or damaging the habitat.
That slower approach is really what led us towards Block 5 and Block 6.
These blocks are quieter, but we'd also like to be honest about something because we don't believe in creating unrealistic expectations.
Quieter doesn't mean empty.
Our guests still have the opportunity to see remarkable wildlife if luck is on our side, while spending most of the day on roads that feel quieter and more relaxed.
Leopard sightings do happen here as well, and when they do, other safari jeeps will often arrive. That's simply part of guiding inside a national park. The difference is usually one of scale. Instead of dozens upon dozens of vehicles, you might find a handful of jeeps or perhaps twenty on an unusually busy day. It can still become busy around a special sighting, but in our experience it's generally much more manageable than what can sometimes happen in Block 1.
For us, that's a balance we're happy with.
It means our guests still have the opportunity to see remarkable wildlife if luck is on our side, while spending most of the day driving through roads that feel quieter and more relaxed. Instead of constantly waiting for the next radio call, we can slow down and appreciate everything else happening around us.
Sometimes that's a herd of elephants feeding quietly beside the road.
Sometimes it's a Changeable Hawk-Eagle watching from a dead tree.
Sometimes it's simply sitting beside a reservoir, listening to birds and enjoying the silence for a few minutes.
Those moments are a huge part of what makes Yala special, and personally we don't think they should become secondary simply because everyone is waiting for a leopard.
Of course, that also means being honest about the wildlife.
Leopards live in both Block 5 and Block 6, but compared with Block 1 they're generally seen less often. We'd rather tell you that before you book than promise something we can't control. At the same time, these blocks are home to elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, jackals, an incredible variety of birds and countless other species. Every safari is different because nature doesn't work to a schedule.
We'd also never suggest that we're the only operators who care about wildlife, because that simply wouldn't be true.
There are many excellent safari operators in Yala who genuinely respect the animals and do their very best to minimise their impact on the park. Like any destination, there are different styles of guiding and different ways of approaching a safari. We've simply chosen the approach that feels right to us.
Planning a safari in Yala Block 5 or Block 6?
We plan everything personally and reply on WhatsApp, usually within a few hours.
That's really why we've dedicated ourselves to Block 5 and Block 6.
Not because we believe they're better than Block 1.
Not because we think everyone should avoid Block 1.
Simply because this is the kind of safari we enjoy ourselves. A safari where, if an opportunity to see a leopard presents itself, we'll certainly do our best to give our guests that chance. But if it doesn't, we still go home feeling we've spent a wonderful day in one of Sri Lanka's most beautiful wild places.
At the end of the day, there isn't a right or wrong choice.
Every visitor arrives with different expectations, and every part of Yala offers a different experience. Our role isn't to convince you that one block is better than another. It's simply to explain, as honestly as we can, what our safaris are like, so you can decide whether they feel like the right fit for you.
Still deciding whether Block 5 or Block 6 is right for you?
Tell us what you are hoping for and we will let you know if Blocks 5 and 6 are the right fit.