Yala

As we drove down to Yala on the South-East coast, the sun came out and it got warmer and warmer, much to our delight! Our hotel was lovely - right in the middle of countryside and I was like an excitable child when I saw the pool, so as soon as we were checked in I jumped in. The weather was finally perfect, hurrah! That afternoon we got in a big jeep to visit Yala National Park. It's a huge place on the coast, and is quite stunning. We saw lots of elephants, peacocks (and peahens, the less beautiful females...), birds, iguanas, crocodiles and a jackal. Oh and a "leopard" but more on that later...

Crocodile

2 male elephants having a slightly lazy punch-up

Iguana

Peacock doing his dance display (centre of the photo)

The ride around the park wasn't quite the same as an African safari - everyone sticks to the well-worn tracks around the place and you drive around for about 3 hours. It's very bumpy at times but good fun. We saw so much wildlife, and it's absolutely huge. I loved seeing the elephants, especially the baby ones. I don't think the adults really liked having the photos taken though because they would often turn their bottoms to the camera. 

At one point we appeared to reach a long traffic jam of other safari jeeps. Word got round that there was a leopard in a tree so everyone was lining up to take it in turns to have a look. Absolute chaos ensued as all the jeeps piled in to get a good look.

Not sure how the leopard managed to get any sleep with this racket going on next to him

We waited about half an hour and when our turn finally came we pulled up in the right position and could we see a leopard? No. It was "asleep on the second branch of that tree"

Spot the leopard...

Everyone was snapping away, at what I have no idea because I am almost certain it was not there at all. I looked for it using binoculars and we even went back for a second look about an hour later and what a surprise, still no leopard. Even our driver admitted that he couldn't see it, so I think everyone was imagining it. Oh well, there was probably a leopard sat in the tree behind looking at us all and laughing.

Next our final stop for some down time in Hikkaduwa.

Love,
Eleanor xx