Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka: travel guide
The lakeside staging town for Yala National Park safaris
The staging town for Yala National Park: a lake-and-dagoba town on the A2 where almost every Yala safari starts, 20 km from the park's Palatupana gate.
About Tissamaharama
Tissamaharama, usually called Tissa, is a small town in the south-east and the usual starting point for a Yala National Park safari. Its main appeal is practical: guesthouses, jeeps and trackers are all based here, around a lake and old dagobas.
Early morning safaris head to the Palatupana gate, around twenty kilometres away, where leopards, elephants, crocodiles and a rich range of birds are seen in the dry scrub. Between drives, you can walk the lakeside, visit the town's large white stupas and look for birdlife on the water.
It suits wildlife lovers and photographers on a safari-focused trip. The park is generally at its best in the drier months, roughly February to July.
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Currency
- LKR
- Time zone
- Asia/Colombo
Last updated
Top places to visit in Tissamaharama
Yala National Park
national-park · 4.2 rating · about 4 h · check the fee at the gate
Sri Lanka's flagship game park on the south-east coast, holding one of the densest leopard populations on earth alongside elephant, sloth bear and crocodile. Visited by 4x4 on a fixed park circuit; Block 1, behind the Palatupana gate, is…
Things to do
- Yala Jeep Safari Wildlife · 4 h
Getting to Tissamaharama
Nearest airport: Colombo (CMB), about 185 km away in a straight line. The road or rail journey is longer.
Getting around
- Car With Driver
- Tuktuk
- Walking