Sri Lanka reopens least-visited national parks to tourists

Sri Lanka's national parks are some of the wildest, most beautiful places on earth. They hold many secrets, ancient rock caves, forgotten stupas, and other yet to be discovered fragments of ancient civilizations. And as the island reopens to tourists, here are some of the least-visited parks where tourists can see wildlife without the crowds. 

The Gal Oya National Park in the Eastern Province is a wilderness of forested mountains and ancient woodland surrounding a huge, island-filled lake. The small numbers of tourists that come here are rewarded with unique experiences like boat safaris where you can spot crocodiles, turtles and swimming elephants, and walks around the forest guided by members of the local Veddah community.

Also, the forests are teeming with butterflies, geckos, monkeys and beautiful birds like golden orioles and paradise flycatchers. For true nature lovers, Gal Oya is idyllic. It is said that Sambar deer is found only in Sri Lanka. 

The other park worth visiting is the Angammedilla National Park which became a national park only in 2006. It is surprisingly beautiful with its dense forests, lily-covered lakes and a large ancient reservoir, the Parakrama Samudra. At the southern end is an 800-year-old stone weir, and a small campsite, mainly used by locals.

The park merges with the northern tip of Wasgamuwa, and elephants can occasionally be seen. The Polonnaruwa is a 30-minute drive away along the edge of the reservoir, making this park a good choice to combine history and nature in a day.