Day 8 – Overnight in Cinnamon Wild Yala
We packed up and left for Yala after breakfast. We visited a few sites on the way to Yala which is 117km from Ella.
- Ravana Falls
- Buduruwagala
- Cinnamon Wild Yala Resort
- Yala National Park
Ravana Falls – This waterfall which is 20 minutes from Ella, does not require any hiking and can be seen from the roadside. We stopped for 15 minutes to enjoy the site of water dropping from a height of 25m(82ft).
Buduruwagala – is an ancient Buddhist temple complex consisting of seven statues and belongs to the Mahayana school of thought. The statues date back to the 10th century. The gigantic Buddha statue is 52 ft tall. The other carvings on either side of Buddha are figures of Bodhisattva (a Buddhist who has attained the highest level of enlightenment, but who delays their entry into Paradise in order to help the earthbound).
Remains of structures belonging to Buduruwagala monastery are scattered around the premises. There is also the beautiful Buduruwagala Lake in the premises.
Cinnamon Wild Yala Resort – Nestled in wilderness close to to Yala National Park, the hotel is designed to represent rustic luxury, resembling a game lodge. Our room was a large one with a front porch from where we could enjoy the serene surrounding.
Yala National Park – Sprawled over 979 square km, Yala National Park in southeast Sri Lanka is the nation’s largest and most-visited wildlife conservation zone. As Sri Lanka’s oldest wildlife sanctuary, Yala shelters a vast area of unspoiled jungles, grassland, and lagoons bordering the Indian Ocean. It is home to the highest population of leopards on the planet, alongside Sri Lankan elephants, crocodiles, and over 400 bird species. Our Safari at this park was scheduled from 2pm – 6pm. Although this park has a high concentration of leopards, we saw just one leopard which was sleeping on top of a tree at a distance. We enjoyed the drive around the park and got to see other animals and birds.
