Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest national park and one of its most beguilingly beautiful, a vast wilderness of dry monsoon forest, ancient lakes and open scrubland in the island’s northwest that remains far less visited than Yala, lending every safari here an atmosphere of genuine solitude and raw discovery. An early departure from Colombo or Negombo is essential to reach the park gates at first light, when Wilpattu is at its most magical: mist drifting across the villus (natural lakes), herds of spotted deer moving through the dew-damp grass and leopards, the park’s most celebrated residents, found in impressive density, sometimes visible in the first golden hour of morning light. Sloth bears, water buffalo, elephants and an outstanding variety of waterbirds complete a wildlife lineup that ranks Wilpattu among the finest safari destinations in Asia.