The South - Sri Lanka - page 306

NATIONAL PARK TOUR ESSENTIALS
Tours of Yala and Bundala National Parks are by jeep. Most people opt for half-day tours
that start with a Tissa hotel pick-up at 5.30am followed by a one-hour drive to the park for
a dawn start. You are usually back by 11am. Dusk tours run about 3pm to 7pm. Full day
tours run 5.30am to 5pm and include stops at beaches and other sights.
You can arrange for drivers at your accommodation, at the Independent Jeep Associ-
ation ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) car park by the lake or at the park entrances. Expect jeep oper-
ators to find you as they look for business.
Standards between the jeeps vary greatly, although almost all are open-sided, with a
high roof for shade. Broadly, the operators and their jeeps fall into three groups:
Normal Often very old vehicles, these often have inward-facing seats along the sides
which is very bad for animal spotting. Rates average Rs 4500 per half-day.
Luxury Usually three rows of two forward-facing seats that are stepped up towards the
back so you can see over the heads of those in front of you. The seats may be worn or in a
few cases broken. Rates average Rs 5000 per half-day.
Super Luxury The newest jeeps are usually Range Rovers or Toyotas and have two or
three rows of comfortable seats. Rates average Rs 5500 per half-day.
The differences between luxury and super luxury can be minor; the most important
consideration is the jeep is in good shape (new models have better suspensions which
are essential as you go racing across the countryside) and that the seats are comfortable.
Avoid any jeep with middle seats. Shop around as prices are negotiable. Other considera-
tions:
Are the services of a guide included? This is not always necessary as many of the drivers
are very good at animal-spotting. You will also usually be offered the services of a tracker
inside the park; these guys work for tips (for a half-day tour, tip the driver and any guide
Rs 500 per person).
Does your prospective driver seem in a rush? One common complaint is about drivers
who zip across the countryside reducing the tour to a gut-wrenching blur.
Does the driver provide binoculars? Ask also about water and snacks.
Hoping for tips, drivers aim to please, perhaps too much so. The merest hint of a large an-
imal can spark a stampede of jeeps. You can do your part to keep things calm by asking
your driver to refrain from madcap chases. The resulting quiet is more conducive for
spotting anyway.