Yala Block 1 vs Block 5 vs Block 6: What Is Actually Different?

Before you book a safari in Yala, there is one thing we would really recommend checking first.

Which part of Yala are you actually going to visit?

For many visitors, this is something they don't even think to ask. They hear "Yala National Park", find a safari company, choose a date and assume that the safari will be more or less the same whichever part of Yala they enter.

It isn't.

Yala is a much larger protected landscape than most first-time visitors realise, and the different areas can offer quite different experiences. The landscape changes, the water sources change, the wildlife you are more likely to look for changes, and perhaps most noticeably, the number of safari vehicles can change quite dramatically.

There is also an interesting history behind this. Yala did not begin as the large collection of areas that we know today. It grew over many decades as additional areas were brought into the protected area system.

Understanding that history makes it much easier to understand why Block 1, Block 5 and Block 6 can feel so different today.

First, what exactly is a Yala block?

The word "block" can be a little confusing if you have never been to Yala. It can sound as though the whole park was originally one large area and someone simply divided it into six sections.

That is not really what happened.

The history of Yala goes back much further. The area was first protected as a reserve in 1900, and the original Block I was established as a national park in 1938. This original section is what we now know as Yala Block I. Over the following decades, other areas were added. Block II was established in 1954, Block III in 1967, Block IV in 1969 and Block V in 1973.

So Yala did not suddenly appear one day as a six-block national park.

It grew.

As more land was protected, the wider Yala landscape became larger, and different areas brought different habitats, water systems and wildlife into the protected area.

This is important because the different blocks are not simply six identical pieces of land.

Yala contains dry forest, scrub, grassland, rocky outcrops, wetlands, lagoons, lakes, tanks, waterholes and seasonal water sources. The balance between these habitats changes across the park.

And wildlife responds to those differences.

An elephant does not know that it has crossed from Block 5 into another block. A leopard does not follow our boundaries. Animals move according to food, water, shelter, temperature and the conditions around them.

The blocks matter to us because they are different managed areas within this much larger landscape, with different access arrangements, different visitor patterns and different wildlife characteristics.

That is why choosing the block can make such a big difference to your safari.

Why did Block 1 become so famous?

Block 1 is the original Yala national park area, and it is the part most international visitors have heard about.

The main reason is the leopard.

Yala has developed a very strong reputation for leopard sightings, and Block 1 is the area most closely associated with that reputation. From a visitor's point of view, if seeing a leopard is your biggest priority, there is a genuine reason to consider Block 1. The leopard density there is considerably stronger than in the quieter blocks.

This is why we would never tell someone who has travelled all the way to Sri Lanka mainly because they want to see a leopard that Block 1 is a bad choice.

It isn't.

There is a real advantage there.

But the same thing that made Block 1 famous for leopards also created another part of the experience.

More people came looking for them.

And when a large number of people are looking for the same animal, more safari vehicles naturally begin concentrating in the same areas.

This is where the Block 1 experience becomes more complicated.

What does a busy Block 1 safari actually feel like?

Simply saying that Block 1 is "crowded" doesn't really explain it.

The bigger difference is what happens when an interesting animal is found, particularly a leopard.

Imagine you are slowly driving through the park. You might be watching an elephant, looking at a bird, following tracks or simply enjoying the landscape when information comes through that a leopard has been seen somewhere nearby.

Suddenly, the focus of the safari can change.

The guides want to give their guests the opportunity to see the leopard, and other jeeps are doing exactly the same thing. Vehicles that were spread across different parts of the park can begin moving towards one location. Once they arrive, everyone is trying to find a position where their guests can get a good view.

This can become a very large gathering.

On particularly busy days, you can have a very large number of jeeps all trying to reach the same leopard and secure a good viewing position. It can feel less like several vehicles quietly observing a wild animal and more like a large crowd of safari vehicles all trying to get the best possible angle.

One vehicle moves forward.

Another is waiting behind it.

Another is trying to find a better position.

And another may be arriving from a different direction.

We don't say this to criticise other guides or safari operators. They are there for the same reason you are. If someone has travelled a very long way hoping to see a wild leopard, of course their guide will want to give them a good opportunity when one is found.

But we think visitors should understand what this can mean before choosing Block 1.

And there is another side to it that is easy to overlook.

Unless you specifically tell your guide that you are interested in birds, reptiles, smaller mammals or the less obvious details of the park, the general focus of a Block 1 safari tends to become finding the leopard.

That is understandable. The leopard is what attracts so many visitors there.

But while everyone is looking for the leopard, you can sometimes drive past other small but beautiful sightings.

A colourful bird sitting quietly in a tree. A mongoose crossing the track. A bird of prey hunting over the grass. A reptile beside the road. Fresh tracks in the sand. An interesting insect or butterfly that most people would never notice.

None of these sightings may create the same excitement over the radio as a leopard.

But they are still wildlife.

If you are a serious birdwatcher, for example, and you tell your guide that birds are one of your main interests, the safari can be approached differently. You may stop for species that another guest would barely notice.

So we always think it is worth telling your guide what you actually enjoy before the safari starts.

If your main goal is a leopard, that is perfectly fine.

If you are a birdwatcher, wildlife photographer or someone who enjoys the smaller details of nature, say so.

Block 1 can still offer all of those things. It is a very rich wildlife area. But the strong focus on finding leopards can sometimes mean that other sightings become secondary, especially when information about a leopard starts moving between vehicles.

For someone whose dream is to see a leopard, that may be a perfectly acceptable trade-off.

For someone looking for a slower and more observant safari, it may not be.

And this is where Block 5 becomes interesting.

So what changes when you move to Block 5?

Yala Block 5 was added to the wider Yala National Park system in 1973. By the time you enter this part of Yala, you are experiencing a different section of the larger protected landscape, with its own combination of forest, open areas, water sources and rocky terrain.

One of the most important features of Block 5 is the Weheragala Reservoir.

We don't mention the reservoir simply because it is a geographical feature worth putting on a map. Water is one of the things that helps you understand why wildlife behaves differently in different parts of Yala.

In a dry-zone environment, water can become particularly important as conditions become drier. Animals may spend more time around dependable water sources, while other areas become less attractive as they dry out.

That does not mean that an animal will be standing beside the reservoir when we arrive.

Wildlife doesn't work like that.

An elephant can leave. A leopard can move through another part of the forest. Birds can move between water sources. A waterhole that was active yesterday may be much quieter today.

But water gives us places that are worth checking, and the reservoir is part of a wider landscape where different habitats come together.

This is one reason we don't like describing Block 5 simply as "the quiet Yala".

There is more to it than the number of vehicles.

The landscape itself changes how you approach the safari.

What wildlife can you realistically expect in Block 5?

Block 5 has a good variety of wildlife, but we would not want to turn that into a checklist because the experience can change quite a lot from one safari to another.

Elephants are certainly part of the wildlife experience here. We regularly look for them around water sources and areas with suitable feeding habitat. From our experience, though, we would give Block 6 a better chance for elephants than Block 5.

And even then, if elephants are the main reason for your safari, we would still put both Yala Blocks 5 and 6 below Udawalawe.

Udawalawe is simply the stronger choice when your main priority is elephants. So if someone tells us, "I have come to Sri Lanka mainly because I want to see elephants," we would not automatically send them to Yala just because we operate there. We would explain the difference and let them decide.

Block 5 becomes particularly interesting because there is still a possibility of seeing leopards and sloth bears.

The chances are much lower than the leopard chance in Block 1, and we would never describe either animal as reliable. But the possibility is there, and that is one of the reasons safari vehicles still choose to spend time in Block 5.

You can also come across wild buffalo, spotted deer, wild boar, mugger crocodiles, langurs and a wide variety of birdlife. Jackals are present too, although we would never tell someone to book a safari expecting to see one.

The same applies to sloth bears.

Block 5 has given us some good sloth bear sightings, and we find them one of the things that make this area particularly interesting. But a sloth bear can move through thick forest and disappear very quickly. Even if one was seen recently in an area, there is no guarantee that it will still be there when we arrive.

The same uncertainty applies to the leopard.

Yes, there are leopards in Block 5.

But if you are coming to Yala mainly because you want to maximise your chance of seeing a leopard, we would still recommend Block 1.

We would rather tell you that before you book.

Why do safari vehicles still come to Block 5?

This is where the lower vehicle numbers can sometimes seem confusing.

If Block 5 is much quieter than Block 1, why do vehicles still come here?

The answer is that there is still something worth looking for.

A guide who hears about a leopard in Block 5 may decide to go and look for it. The same can happen with a sloth bear. So Block 5 is certainly not an empty part of Yala where you will never see another jeep.

When something unusual or particularly interesting is found, vehicles can still gather.

The difference is the scale.

From our experience, there are many occasions when we are lucky enough to have a good sighting almost entirely to ourselves, or perhaps share it with just one or two other jeeps. Of course, this can change depending on where the sighting happens. If something interesting is found close to a main road, more vehicles can hear about it and gather in the same place. On one of the busier days, a sighting like this may have around twenty jeeps around it, but we would consider that more of an unusually busy situation rather than the normal experience in Block 5.

Twenty vehicles can certainly feel busy, and we would never describe that as a completely private wildlife experience. But on many occasions, you may have a sighting with only one or two other vehicles, or sometimes even have it to yourselves for a while. This is one of the differences we notice most clearly when comparing Block 5 with the much heavier vehicle concentration that can develop around major leopard sightings in Block 1.

This is why we describe Block 5 as a slower safari rather than simply saying that it is "uncrowded".

There can still be a crowd.

There can still be excitement around a leopard or sloth bear.

The difference is that the overall vehicle pressure is generally much lower, and you are less likely to spend the entire safari feeling that every interesting sighting could turn into a race for the best position.

What makes the Block 5 landscape interesting?

The wildlife is only one part of why we enjoy this area.

Block 5 has areas of fairly thick forest with larger trees, smaller watering holes and lakes, rocky outcrops and different types of vegetation. As you move through the area, the landscape can change quite noticeably.

You can also come across old temple ruins inside the park.

These are easy to overlook if your attention is only on finding animals, but they are an interesting reminder that this is not a landscape without history. People have been connected with this part of Sri Lanka for a very long time, and some of that history is still visible within the protected area.

Then there is the Weheragala Reservoir, which adds another important part to the landscape.

The reservoir, smaller lakes and watering holes give us different places to check depending on the conditions. If it has been dry, water can become particularly important. If conditions are wetter, wildlife may be spread more widely.

So we may spend time checking a water source, then move through the forest, look for tracks, scan a rocky outcrop or stop for birds.

Sometimes the most interesting thing we find will be a large animal.

Sometimes it will be something very small.

And sometimes we will spend a considerable amount of time looking and find very little.

That is also part of wildlife watching.

What are you actually giving up by choosing Block 5?

This is probably the most important part of choosing Block 5.

You are not choosing it because it has a higher leopard probability than Block 1.

It doesn't.

You are accepting a lower leopard chance, and a lower sloth bear chance, in exchange for a much lower level of vehicle pressure.

For someone who has never seen a leopard and considers it the one animal they absolutely want to see, we would seriously think about whether that trade-off is right for them.

But perhaps the leopard is not your only priority.

Maybe you have already seen leopards in Africa or somewhere else. Maybe you are a photographer who would rather have more space around a sighting. Maybe you are interested in birds and smaller wildlife. Maybe you simply don't enjoy spending a safari surrounded by a very large number of vehicles.

In that case, the decision changes.

You still have a possibility of leopard.

You still have a possibility of sloth bear.

But you are looking for them in a much quieter environment.

That is what makes Block 5 interesting.

It is not a secret place where leopards are easier to find.

It is a place where the possibility is still there, but the number of vehicles can be dramatically lower.

Yala Block 6 is a different story

Yala Block 6 has a particularly interesting history because it did not originally start its life as part of Yala.

The area was formerly known as Lunugamvehera National Park, which was declared in December 1995. It was established as an important habitat and part of the wider landscape connecting the Yala area with the Udawalawe region.

For many years, Lunugamvehera and Yala were treated as two separate national parks, even though they share similar dry-zone climatic conditions, biodiversity and environmental characteristics.

That changed in December 2021.

On 13 December 2021, the Sri Lankan Cabinet approved a proposal to declare Lunugamvehera National Park as Yala Zone No. VI, rather than continuing to maintain the two areas as separate national parks. The Cabinet decision specifically referred to their similar climate, biodiversity and environmental characteristics.

So when you see older information referring to Lunugamvehera National Park, and newer information referring to Yala Block 6, you are essentially looking at the same area under its newer designation.

The landscape did not suddenly become different in 2021.

The animals did not suddenly start following a new boundary.

What changed was the way the area was officially incorporated into the wider Yala system.

And this history is actually useful when understanding Block 6 today.

It helps explain why Block 6 feels different from the older and more commonly visited parts of Yala. You are visiting a different section of the wider landscape, with its own habitats, water systems and wildlife patterns.

What makes Block 6 different?

One of the first things you are likely to notice in Block 6 is the amount of open space in parts of the landscape.

It feels different from the thicker forest areas of Block 5 and very different from the busier safari environment associated with Block 1.

The Lunugamvehera Reservoir is a major feature of this wider landscape.

Again, we would not describe a reservoir as a guaranteed wildlife viewing location. It is simply an important source of water in a dry-zone environment, and animals respond to that water depending on the season and current conditions.

This is where Block 6 becomes particularly interesting for elephants.

From our experience, we would give Block 6 a better elephant chance than Block 5.

But there is an important comparison to make here.

If elephants are your main priority, we would still recommend Udawalawe before either of these Yala blocks. Block 6 can give you some very good elephant experiences, but we would not put it ahead of Udawalawe for someone who simply wants to maximise their opportunity to see elephants.

So why choose Block 6?

Because you are getting something different.

The open landscape, lower vehicle pressure and possibility of elephant sightings can make it a very enjoyable place for someone who is more interested in the wider wildlife experience than in chasing leopards.

What about leopards and sloth bears in Block 6?

This is where the difference between Block 5 and Block 6 becomes important.

The chances of seeing a leopard or sloth bear in Block 6 are lower than in Block 5.

So if you are particularly interested in either of those animals, we would give Block 5 the preference.

This is also one reason Block 5 generally attracts more safari interest than Block 6. There is still a possibility of those two species, particularly leopard and sloth bear, even though the chances remain much lower than in Block 1.

Block 6 moves the balance more towards elephants, open landscapes and a quieter safari environment.

Again, none of this means that an elephant is guaranteed in Block 6 or that a leopard is impossible.

Wildlife does not follow those rules.

It is simply about relative probability based on the habitat and our experience of these areas.

Why we often like combining Blocks 5 and 6

This is one of the reasons we often prefer combining Blocks 5 and 6 when the guest has enough time.

The two areas complement each other.

Block 5 gives us a better possibility of leopard and sloth bear.

Block 6 gives us a better elephant opportunity (if not the best chance in Yala) and a more open landscape.

Neither block is as strong as Block 1 for leopard probability.

Neither is as strong as Udawalawe for elephants.

But together, they give us more habitat and more possibilities to work with.

That matters because wildlife is unpredictable.

One part of the park can be quiet while another is more active. A waterhole can be empty when we arrive. An elephant herd can be somewhere else. A leopard can disappear into thick forest.

Having more time and more than one type of habitat gives us more flexibility.

It also means we can enjoy the safari for what it is rather than spending the whole day trying to force one particular animal to appear.

So how do the three blocks really compare?

By this point, the difference is probably easier to understand.

Block 1 is the strongest choice if your main priority is a leopard. You are accepting a much higher level of vehicle pressure, particularly around a good leopard sighting, because many people are looking for the same thing.

Block 5 gives you a lower leopard and sloth bear probability than Block 1, but the possibility is still there. At the same time, the number of vehicles is generally much lower. The habitat is also interesting in its own right, with thick forest, larger trees, waterholes, lakes, rocky outcrops, temple ruins and the Weheragala Reservoir.

Block 6 moves further away from the leopard-focused safari. Leopard and sloth bear chances are lower again, while elephant chances are generally better than in Block 5. The open landscape and Lunugamvehera Reservoir give the area a different character, and the vehicle pressure is generally lower.

And if elephants are the main reason for your safari, we would still put Udawalawe ahead of both Blocks 5 and 6.

That is not because Yala is bad for elephants.

It is simply because different parks are stronger for different things.

Yala Block 1 vs Block 5 vs Block 6

The table is only the short version.

The important thing is understanding what you are accepting with each choice.

Which block would we recommend to you?

If you tell us that you have never seen a leopard and this is the animal you most want to see, we would probably recommend Block 1.

We would also tell you honestly that the safari can be busy. When a leopard is found, there can be a very large number of vehicles trying to reach the sighting and get a good view. If you are willing to accept that because seeing the leopard is your priority, we think that is a perfectly reasonable decision.

If you tell us that you would love to see a leopard or sloth bear but you really don't want the same level of vehicle pressure, we would look closely at Block 5.

You are accepting lower chances.

But you are not giving up the possibility completely.

And you get a much more interesting balance of forest, waterholes, lakes, rocky areas, reservoir habitat and a generally slower safari.

If you tell us that elephants are more important to you than leopards, we would first ask why you are choosing Yala at all.

If your priority is simply elephants, we would probably recommend Udawalawe.

If you specifically want Yala and would also like a quieter experience with a better elephant possibility than Block 5, then Block 6 becomes interesting.

And if you want the combination of leopard and sloth bear possibilities from Block 5 with the stronger elephant possibility and open landscape of Block 6, then we would consider combining both.

There isn't one answer that works for everybody.

What about photography and birdwatching?

This is something we think is worth mentioning because the best block can change depending on what you are actually photographing.

If your main goal is a leopard portrait, Block 1 gives you the strongest probability simply because leopards are more common there.

But if you are a wildlife photographer who enjoys photographing animals in their environment, Blocks 5 and 6 can offer something quite different.

Block 5 gives you forest, rocky areas, waterholes, lakes and reservoir landscapes. You may find elephants, birds, crocodiles, buffalo, deer or smaller wildlife in settings where the surrounding habitat becomes part of the photograph.

Block 6 gives you more open landscapes, which can be particularly interesting when elephants are out in the open.

And if you are a serious birdwatcher, tell your guide before the safari.

This is something we think is important in any part of Yala, but especially in a place like Block 1 where the general safari focus can easily become the leopard.

If we know that birds are your priority, we will pay attention to things that another guest may not even notice.

A bird sitting high in a tree, a raptor hunting over the grass, a kingfisher around a water source or a small species moving through the vegetation can all become part of the safari.

You don't have to wait for a leopard to make the day interesting.

Is Block 5 or Block 6 a more ethical choice?

When people hear the words "ethical safari", they sometimes imagine that it simply means finding a safari company with a good set of rules. For us, it is a little more complicated than that. A safari can be operated with very good intentions and, honestly speaking, still cause some disturbance to wildlife, especially when an interesting sighting becomes crowded. At the same time, we don't think the answer is to stop doing safaris altogether.

Tourism also plays an important role in conservation. National parks need funding, people living around these areas need ways to earn a living, and safari tourism can give local communities a reason to benefit from keeping forests and wildlife protected rather than clearing land for cultivation, farming or hunting animals. So for us, the question is not simply whether safaris are good or bad. It is about finding a better balance, where wildlife benefits from tourism more than it suffers from it.

That means accepting that some disturbance is sometimes unavoidable while doing everything reasonably possible to reduce unnecessary pressure on the animals. Imagine that we are driving through Block 5 and find a leopard. We stop at a respectful distance, keep the engine under control, don't try to push another vehicle out of the way, don't ask the driver to drive off the track to get a better angle and don't chase the animal. From our side, everything can be done properly. But if other vehicles hear about the leopard and start arriving, we may suddenly find ourselves surrounded by several jeeps. We cannot control that. Even the most responsible guide in Yala cannot control every other vehicle in the park.

This is something we think is important to be honest about. Ethical wildlife tourism does not mean that you will never see another jeep. It does not mean that every animal will be observed in complete silence. And it certainly does not mean that we can guarantee a private sighting. Wild animals do not understand which safari company you booked.

Then why can Block 5 and 6 be a better ethical choice?

The difference begins before the sighting even happens. Block 1 receives much heavier visitor pressure because it is where the highest concentration of safari vehicles goes looking for leopards. If you choose Block 1, you are entering the area where that demand is already concentrated.

That doesn't make your individual safari unethical. You may be travelling to Yala specifically because you want to see a leopard, and Block 1 gives you the stronger probability. We completely understand that. But if your priority is to enjoy wildlife while keeping your own contribution to vehicle pressure lower, choosing Block 5 or Block 6 can be a more suitable choice.

In Block 5, there are many occasions when we can have a sighting to ourselves or share it with only one or two other jeeps. Sometimes a sighting can become busier, especially if it happens close to a main road and information spreads quickly. Block 6 is generally even quieter. So by choosing these areas, you are not being promised a private safari. You are choosing an area where the overall pressure is generally lower. There is a difference.

And we think that is a more realistic way of looking at ethical wildlife tourism. We don't want to remove people completely from the equation. We want the relationship between people, tourism and wildlife to work in a way where the animals and the protected landscape continue to benefit.

Ethical does not mean avoiding wildlife sightings

There is sometimes an idea that an ethical safari should simply drive past an animal whenever another vehicle is present. We don't think it is that simple either. If there is a leopard sitting naturally beside the track and several vehicles are watching from a reasonable distance, leaving immediately does not necessarily make the situation more ethical.

What matters is how we behave around the animal. Is it relaxed? Is it trying to move away? Are vehicles blocking its route? Are people making unnecessary noise? Are jeeps getting too close? Is the animal being surrounded? These things matter much more than simply counting vehicles.

If an animal is relaxed and we can observe it without putting unnecessary pressure on it, we may stay. If we feel the situation is becoming uncomfortable for the animal, we should give it space. And sometimes the best decision is simply to leave. That is part of guiding responsibly.

Sometimes we have no control over the crowd

This is probably the part we would emphasise most because it is something guests rarely think about. You might be watching an elephant peacefully with one other jeep. Then another vehicle arrives. Then another. Within a few minutes, there may be several vehicles around the same animal.

We cannot tell every other operator where to go. We cannot control what information they receive. We cannot guarantee that another driver will behave exactly as we would. What we can control is our own behaviour. We can keep a respectful distance, avoid blocking the animal, avoid chasing it, avoid unnecessary noise and give the animal space when it needs it.

And if the situation becomes too crowded, we can choose to move away rather than becoming part of the pressure.

At the same time, we don't believe that one crowded sighting means safari tourism itself has failed. The wider picture matters too. If tourism creates an income for people living around protected areas, supports guides, drivers and other local businesses, and gives communities a reason to see living wildlife and protected forests as something valuable, that can be an important part of conservation.

So the goal is not to remove tourism from the equation. It is to make tourism work better for wildlife.

Why we call our approach a slow safari

This is also why we use the idea of a "slow safari". The purpose isn't to see as many animals as possible in the shortest possible time. We would rather give you time to actually observe what is happening.

If we find an elephant feeding peacefully, there is no need to rush away simply because we haven't found a leopard yet. If we find an interesting bird, we can stop. If we see tracks, we can investigate them. If a leopard appears, we can watch its behaviour instead of immediately thinking only about getting the closest photograph.

And if nothing particularly exciting happens for a while, that is okay too.

A national park is not a place where we can control the outcome. Sometimes we are lucky. Sometimes we aren't. The important thing is that the animals are not treated as if they are there for us on demand.

So is Block 5 or 6 always the more ethical choice?

No. We would not make such a simple claim. An ethical safari depends on how the guide, driver and guests behave, regardless of which block they are visiting. A badly managed safari in Block 5 can still put pressure on wildlife. A respectful guide in Block 1 can still conduct a responsible safari even when other vehicles are present.

The difference is that Blocks 5 and 6 generally start with much lower vehicle pressure. So if you care about keeping your safari quieter and reducing your own contribution to the concentration of vehicles around wildlife, these areas can be a better fit.

And if you are willing to accept the lower leopard probability that comes with leaving Block 1, we think that is a very reasonable choice. You are essentially saying, "I would still love to see a leopard, but I don't need the highest possible probability if getting that probability means being part of a much larger crowd."

For some people, that is exactly the kind of safari they are looking for.

And for us, that is where the idea of an ethical safari becomes meaningful. We cannot promise you a crowd-free Yala. We cannot control every jeep. We cannot promise that an animal will appear. But we can control how we behave when it does, and we can help you choose an area where the overall pressure is generally lower in the first place.

At the same time, we can recognise that responsible safari tourism has a wider purpose too. If people can earn a living from protecting wildlife rather than destroying the habitat around them, that matters. For us, ethical safari is about finding that balance. Not pretending that tourism has no impact, and not pretending that tourism has no value either.

Why we don't promise wildlife sightings

You will find safari websites that talk about guaranteed leopard sightings or give very precise percentages for the chances of seeing particular animals.

We understand why that sounds attractive.

You are paying for a safari and naturally you want to know what you are likely to see.

But we don't think wildlife should be sold that way.

A leopard can move into thick forest.

An elephant herd can leave a water source.

A sloth bear can cross a road before you arrive and disappear into the vegetation.

A waterhole can be full of birds one day and much quieter the next.

Even if we have been seeing a particular animal regularly for several weeks, we cannot honestly promise that it will be there when you arrive.

What we can do is use our experience to decide where it makes sense to look.

We can read tracks and signs.

We can understand the habitat.

We can pay attention to water, weather and conditions.

We can adjust the route when something changes.

But we cannot control the animal.

And we don't think pretending otherwise is fair to you.

How we approach a safari in Blocks 5 and 6

We also don't like giving guests an itinerary where every hour is supposed to contain a particular animal.

Wildlife doesn't work that way.

We can decide where to start, how much time we have and which areas make sense to explore. From there, the safari needs to remain flexible.

If we find fresh tracks, we may spend time following them.

If we find elephants behaving naturally and there is no pressure from other vehicles, we may prefer to stay and let you watch them properly instead of rushing away because the itinerary says we should be somewhere else.

If a waterhole is quiet, there is no reason to sit there for an hour just because somebody wrote "waterhole visit" into a schedule.

We move.

If something interesting is happening elsewhere, we adjust.

This is particularly important in Blocks 5 and 6 because you are choosing these areas partly for their slower pace.

There is no point choosing a slower safari and then trying to rush through it.

Why a longer safari can make sense in Blocks 5 and 6

One thing visitors sometimes underestimate is that a quieter area can require more patience.

In Block 1, there are many vehicles looking for leopards, so information about a sighting can spread very quickly.

In Blocks 5 and 6, you may have longer stretches where you are simply exploring.

You may drive through the forest.

Check a water source.

Look for tracks.

Watch birds.

Scan the open landscape for elephants.

Then suddenly something appears.

You may spend twenty minutes watching it.

Then you continue.

This is why we don't like promising that something major will happen every ten minutes.

A national park is not a zoo.

The animals are free to move wherever they want.

Sometimes the quiet part of the safari is what allows you to notice something you would have missed if you were constantly rushing towards the next sighting.

Why the midday hours can still be useful in Blocks 5 and 6

This is one of the practical differences between a longer safari in Blocks 5 and 6 and a typical half-day safari in Block 1.

Block 1 closes for a few hours around the middle of the day, generally from around 12 pm until 2 pm. This means that if you are doing a normal morning safari there, you have to leave the park around midday, while the afternoon safari only starts again after the park reopens.

Blocks 5 and 6 work differently.

When we are doing a longer safari in these areas, we don't have to stop simply because it is midday. We can continue exploring through those hours and use the time to look for wildlife.

That doesn't mean we believe midday is always the most active time.

It isn't.

The heat can make many animals less active, and some species will naturally spend more time resting or staying in shade. But elephants are active throughout the day, and other wildlife can also appear at any time. If we are already inside the park and the conditions are right, there is no reason for us to simply throw those hours away.

There is also an interesting practical advantage.

By around midday, many of the morning half-day safaris have already finished. At the same time, the afternoon safari groups have not yet fully started. This can create a temporary period when there are fewer vehicles moving around the park.

We have been lucky enough to have elephant sightings during these hours where we were completely alone with the animals, or had very few other vehicles around us.

But I want to be very careful about how we explain this.

We cannot tell you that going into the park between 12 pm and 2 pm will give you a private elephant sighting.

Sometimes luck is on our side.

Sometimes it isn't.

An elephant may be somewhere else, another vehicle may already be in the area, or we may simply have a quiet couple of hours.

The point is not that midday is magically better.

It is that we still have those two hours available to us.

While a Block 1 morning safari has to leave the park around midday and an afternoon safari has not yet begun, we can continue exploring Blocks 5 and 6, checking water sources, looking through the forest and open areas, and taking whatever wildlife opportunities the day gives us.

And sometimes, those hours can turn out to be surprisingly rewarding.

Where should you stay for a Block 5 or 6 safari?

When planning a safari, it is always worth thinking about where you are staying the night before.

This can make a bigger difference than people expect.

If you stay too far away and then try to reach the park very early in the morning, a good part of your time can disappear simply because you are travelling to the entrance. For a safari in a quieter area such as Blocks 5 and 6, we would much rather have you arrive with enough time and energy to actually enjoy the park.

For Block 5 and Block 6, we generally recommend staying around Thanamalwila if you are spending one night in the area.

There is a practical reason for this.

Thanamalwila is very well placed for these safaris, and if you stay around there, we can offer pickup and drop-off from your hotel without an additional charge.

This can make the whole arrangement quite easy, especially if you are travelling through Sri Lanka rather than staying in the Yala area for several nights.

Kataragama is another good option.

It is also relatively convenient for Blocks 5 and 6, and we can arrange pickup and drop-off from there as well.

If you are staying in Tissamaharama, Weerawila, Kirinda or around the usual Block 1 accommodation area, we can still arrange the pickup and drop-off. However, because these places are further away from the Block 5 and 6 side, there will be a small additional charge for the extra driving.

So if you are planning to stay only one night before your safari, we would generally prefer Thanamalwila first, followed by Kataragama.

It makes the logistics simpler and gives you more time to enjoy the safari itself.

Why Blocks 5 and 6 can fit surprisingly easily into a Sri Lanka itinerary

There is another thing many visitors don't realise when they first look at a map of Yala.

Blocks 5 and 6 are much easier to include in a wider Sri Lanka itinerary than you might expect.

If you are travelling between Ella and the southern coast, the route already takes you through the wider area around the eastern side of Yala. Blocks 5 and 6 sit close to this route, so visiting them can fit naturally into an itinerary that is already moving between the hill country and the south.

This is quite different from thinking of the safari as a separate trip where you have to travel a long way out of your way, stay somewhere else, do the safari and then backtrack.

For many travellers, it can work much more naturally.

For example, you may spend a few days around Ella and then travel towards the southern coast.

Instead of simply driving straight through, you can stay around Thanamalwila, spend the night there and do a Block 5 or 6 safari the following day before continuing towards the coast.

Or you can come from the southern side, stay around Kataragama or Thanamalwila and continue towards Ella after the safari.

This is one of the reasons we think Blocks 5 and 6 are worth considering when planning a Sri Lanka itinerary.

They don't always require you to build your whole trip around Yala.

They can fit into the journey you are already making.

You don't need to buy two separate park tickets

There is also a practical point that can be easily misunderstood when combining Blocks 5 and 6.

Because Blocks 5 and 6 are both part of the Yala National Park system, we don't have to treat them as two completely separate national park visits.

If the safari is planned as a Blocks 5 and 6 experience, we can move between the two areas as part of the same safari rather than arranging two completely separate safari days.

This is another reason we like the combination when guests have enough time.

You are not choosing between two completely unrelated parks.

You are exploring two different parts of the wider Yala landscape, each with its own strengths.

Block 5 gives us the better possibility of leopard and sloth bear.

Block 6 generally gives us the better elephant possibility and a more open landscape.

And because we can combine them into the same safari, we can use the day according to the conditions rather than deciding in advance that we must spend exactly half the time in one block and half in the other.

If Block 5 is more interesting on the day, we can spend more time there.

If Block 6 has better conditions or something interesting is happening there, we can adjust.

Again, there are no guarantees.

But having both areas available gives us more flexibility.

There is no perfect Yala block

After explaining all of this, we don't think it would be honest to finish by saying that Block 5 is better than Block 1, or Block 6 is better than both.

Each one has a genuine strength.

Block 1 gives you the strongest leopard opportunity, but it also comes with the highest vehicle pressure and a safari culture that can become very focused on finding the leopard.

Block 5 gives you a quieter environment while still keeping the possibility of leopard and sloth bear sightings. It also has a very interesting landscape, from thick forest and rocky areas to small waterholes, lakes, temple ruins and the Weheragala Reservoir.

Block 6 gives you an even quieter experience in many areas, with a more open landscape, a better elephant opportunity than Block 5 in our experience and the Lunugamvehera Reservoir. But the chances of leopard and sloth bear are lower.

And if elephants are the main priority, Udawalawe remains the stronger choice.

So when someone asks us, "Which Yala block is the best?", our first question is usually:

Best for what?

If you tell us what you actually want from the safari, we can give you a much more useful answer.

If it is a leopard, we will tell you where the probability is stronger.

If it is elephants, we will explain the difference between Yala and Udawalawe.

If it is birds or photography, we will take that into account.

If it is a quiet safari with as few vehicles as reasonably possible, we will explain what you gain and what you give up.

And if we genuinely think another park or another type of safari would suit you better, we would rather tell you that before you book.

Because wildlife is unpredictable enough. At least your expectations should not be.

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