Sanka, our General Manager in Sri Lanka, tells us how he discovered the quiet safari experience of Kumana National Park.
"My journey began amidst the madness of Yala National Park's overcrowded jeeps, where the sight of a leopard was obscured by the clamour of competing vehicles and this ruined my appetite for wildlife safaris in Yala National Park, Block 1. In my search for a better wildlife experience, I discovered Kumana National Park which everyone thought was only for bird watching. Even growing up we heard stories of Kumana being famous for birds which didn't interest me that much.
During my first safari in Kumana national park in the early 1990s the place blew my mind. It had all big game animals like leopards, sloth bears and wild elephants. Plus it was very quiet and there were only a couple of other jeeps inside the park.
After many repeated safaris, I visited Kumana national park as a part of the "Lesser Known Areas of Sri Lanka" project with Sri Lanka Tourist Board and was amazed to discover the cultural sites that are hidden away inside the park.
Bambaragasthalawa ancient temple is one of the best forest cave temples where you can witness a large reclining Buddha statue. Locals still visit this forest temple to worship the Buddha in the wild. There are many cultural and heritage sites such as ancient veddha (forest dwellers of Sri Lanka) paintings in caves. Plus part of the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie was shot inside the park back in early 1980s starring Harrison Ford, directed by Steven Spielberg.
Just an hour's drive from the small surf town of Arugam Bay, Kumana offers visitors an amazingly quiet safari experience. Visitors are treated to unrivalled wildlife encounters, with leopards, bears, and elephants gracing the landscape. Yet, it's not just the big game that captivates; Kumana is a birdwatcher's paradise, boasting an array of endemic and migratory species."
