Kumana National Park is a great place for birdwatching in Sri Lanka. It is an wild place that is home to a lot of birds and animals. This park used to be called Yala East. It is thirty-five thousand hectares big. Kumana National Park has a mangrove swamp called Kumana Villu. This swamp is very important for birds that come from places to have babies.
Kumana National Park is a place to go on a wildlife safari. You can see leopards, elephants and birds without a lot of people around. It is better than going to Yala Block One. You can see these animals in a place with lagoons, salt marshes and old ruins.
The Ultimate Birdwatching and Wildlife Safari
The best part of Kumana Park is the mangrove swamp. It is two hundred hectares big. During the time when birds have babies from May to June you can see a lot of birds in this swamp. You can see black-necked storks, adjutants, Eurasian spoonbills, great thick-knees and glossy ibises. It is a place to take pictures of birds. There are over two hundred kinds of birds in Kumana National Park. You can see painted storks and sea eagles flying around.
Kumana National Park is also a place to see big animals like elephants and leopards. You can see elephants eating near the water holes. You can also see water buffaloes and mugger crocodiles. Sometimes you can see Sri Lankan leopards and sloth bears. They like to come out when the palu trees have fruit.
Ancient Heritage Hidden in the Wilderness
Kumana National Park is not a place for animals. It also has a lot of history. There are caves with rock writings and a big Buddha statue. This cave is called Bambaragasthalawa. It is very old from the century Before Christ.
Kumana National Park is also a place for people who like to walk. Every year people walk from Jaffna and Trincomalee to the jungle shrine of Kataragama. They walk through the park. It takes them a few days. They think the whole forest is a place.
Essential Travel Logistics
To get to Kumana Park you have to go to the part of Sri Lanka. The town of Arugam Bay is the place to start. The park is thirty kilometers south of Arugam Bay. You can drive there in forty-five minutes. If you are coming from Colombo you can take a car or a plane to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. Then you can drive to the park.
The best time to visit Kumana National Park is from March to September. This is when you can see a lot of birds and animals. The park has a lot of rain from October to January. This can make it hard to get around. The best time to go on a safari is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is when the animals are most active.
You should pack clothes and good binoculars when you go to National Park. You should also bring a lot of water and a good camera. There are no shops or restaurants in the park. So you should bring food and water with you. You can also arrange for a jeep and food from your guesthouse, in Arugam Bay or Panama.
