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Noel Rodrigo's Leopard Safaris - Yala National Park

Our rating

8/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Tented multi-day safari adventure
- Game drives, abundant leopard population
- Sloth bears, elephant, water buffalo, jackals
- Nature walks, bird watching, cookery classes

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Overview

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris in Yala National Park offers an authentic multi-day safari experience in the most popular and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. The safaris were established back in 2006 by wildlife enthusiast Noel Rodrigo as a way of sharing his passion with others. He and his staff know the park inside-out and have a wealth of expertise to share while out on game drives. The campsite is very environmentally friendly, with efforts continuously made to reduce its carbon footprint and conserve both animal and plant life in the surrounding area.

Accommodation at Leopard Safaris’ Yala National Park campsite consists of South African-style canvas tents that are fully customised and mobile. They offer plenty of space and have a lounge area with a view of the park, so guests can spot wildlife without from the comfort of their tent. There’s a flushing toilet and an outdoor hot water shower, with linen and towels provided. Lights are solar powered and tents are kept cool thanks to the battery-operated bladeless fan. To make the whole safari experience convenient and enjoyable, basic amenities such as a battery charger and a stainless steel water bottle are provided. There’s also the Luxury Lodge, which is designed for couples and comes with a stylish four-poster bed, as well as a private deck area and access path. Those staying in the Luxury Lodge have the additional option of a private candlelit dinner.

Dining at Leopard Safaris is typically a communal experience, with traditional Sri Lankan food to enjoy. Although menus are set, chefs will cater for specific dietary requirements or requests. Meals are served three times a day and jungle barbecues are sometimes offered. One of the camp’s highlights is enjoying authentic local cuisine out in the open and under the stars.

Game drives take place twice daily and are a fundamental part of the Leopard Safari experience. Yala National Park is known for its abundant leopard population, though plenty of other animals can be seen including sloth bears, elephants, water buffaloes and jackals. There are plenty of enrichment activities available at the campsite. These include guided nature walks, animal identification sessions, cookery classes and bird watching walks - those who simply want to relax instead can grab a book from the library and relax in one of the hammocks.

Leopard Safaris welcomes children aged three and above. Most of the Mobile Family Tents sleep four, but there is one that sleeps six – all come with two separate sleeping areas connected by a common living space. There’s also a Luxury Lodge Family Tent which has one large room with a king-size bed for parents and a bunk bed for children and sleeps five. Special family-friendly safari packages with discounted rates for younger ones are available. Age-appropriate activities for children are on offer, including animal identification sessions, photography walks and wildlife footprint tracking games.

What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 534 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.

    Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.

    El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.

    Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.

    So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last

    MissingJuhae C reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 01 March 2024

  • Thank you, we had an absolute wonderful time, and everything was well-planned and as described. Carla was crying on the day of our departure from Ants Nest, she didn’t want to go home and for it all to end, and when I asked how much longer she would want to stay, she responded “four weeks”

    MissingLars B reviewing Best of South Africa for Families on 01 March 2024

  • We had the most amazing time. It exceeded all my hopes of what the trip would be. The guides, the hotels - everything was of such a wonderful quality. Thank you for organizing everything. I will absolutely recommend Tourdust and use you again.

    MissingClaudia L reviewing Luxury Desert Holiday on 11 January 2024

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