Yala Block 1 vs Block 5: Which Part of the Park Should You Visit?
5 min read · Updated
Almost every Yala safari you read about is Block 1. It deserves its reputation, but it is not always the right choice.
How the park is divided
Yala covers close to a thousand square kilometres and is managed as five blocks. Only Blocks 1 and 5 are regularly open to safari jeeps; Blocks 2, 3 and 4 are largely undeveloped, with limited or no vehicle access. Neighbouring Lunugamvehera National Park adjoins the western edge and is run as a separate park with its own entrance.
Block 1: the classic Yala safari
Block 1, entered through the Palatupana gate near Kirinda, is the Yala of the photographs: rock outcrops, lagoons, coastal scrub and the highest leopard density in the park. Most of the well-known individual leopards live here, and this is where the majority of our half day and full day tours run.
The trade-off is traffic. In peak season, and especially at a leopard sighting, jeep numbers can be high. We manage this by entering at gate opening, by working the quieter tracks and, when a sighting becomes a scrum, by pulling back and trying elsewhere.
Block 5: fewer jeeps, more elephants
Block 5, entered through the Galge gate on the Kataragama side, is far quieter. The habitat is more open, with grassland and reservoirs, so it is excellent for elephants, buffalo, birds and landscape photography. Leopards live here too but are seen less often than in Block 1.
It suits repeat visitors, families who want a calmer drive, and anyone visiting when Block 1 is closed or particularly busy. Park entrance fees are the same as Block 1.
When Block 1 closes
Block 1 usually closes for several weeks in September and early October for annual maintenance and to rest the park. Dates are set each year by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and can shift, so check with us before booking. During the closure we run safaris in Block 5 and in Lunugamvehera, both of which stay open.
Which should you choose?
- First visit, leopards are the goal: Block 1, morning drive or full day.
- Visiting in the September closure: Block 5 or Lunugamvehera.
- Second safari, or you dislike crowds: Block 5, ideally paired with a Block 1 drive on another day.
- Birding or elephant herds are the priority: Block 5, or Bundala National Park nearby for waterbirds.
