Yala National Park (accessed via Tissamaharama town) is Sri Lanka’s most famous wildlife reserve and one of the best places in the world to see leopards in their natural habitat. The park is home to diverse wildlife including elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, spotted deer, and over 200 bird species. Take an early morning or late afternoon safari jeep tour through varied landscapes of scrub jungle, grasslands, lagoons, and beaches. Tissamaharama itself is a historic town with ancient Buddhist stupas and a large tank (reservoir) where you can watch spectacular sunsets.