Minneriya National Park and Surroundings:
About Jeep Safari Tour

The Minneriya National Park area has a unique feature that makes it unlike any other national park in Sri Lanka.
The advantage is that there is a good chance of seeing herds of elephants all year round, regardless of the season.

For example, in Yala National Park, the chances of encountering animals can drop dramatically outside of the peak season from January to June.

This is because the rainy season or other factors cause the animals to go deep into the forest, off the jeep routes, or conversely, because they become so thirsty that they move to other areas in search of water.
From the perspective of nature conservation, safari jeeps cannot take any route but must follow set courses, so if the animals move too far from the course, it will be impossible to observe anything from the jeep.

As an aside, about 10 years ago, it was still very rainy in early December.
It was still early season at Yala National Park, but a visitor from Europe expressed a strong desire to join us on a safari tour. Based on past experiences, we explained to them that it would be extremely difficult to see animals, and they decided to join us. Unfortunately, after driving for three hours, we were only able to see a few peacocks...a bitter memory.

Due to the schedule, it was difficult for the customers to participate in the safari only on that day, and since they came to Sri Lanka, they really wanted to try it, so we couldn't just say "it's impossible" (and we couldn't completely dismiss the possibility of encountering them...)
This was a great disappointment for us, as we always try to arrange our events so that participants have the opportunity to see as many animals as possible.

As mentioned above, if the season is off or the weather is bad, it is not uncommon for the harvest to be poor.
Since it is a natural phenomenon, it is natural that it will be affected by the weather, but that does not mean that the wildlife will suddenly disappear.

Minneriya National Park is surrounded by three other nature reserves: Kaudulla National Park, Eco Park and Wasgamuwa National Park.
Herds of wild elephants not only live widely in these areas, but are also said to migrate there in search of watering holes.
So even if the season in Minneriya National Park is over, it is still possible to spot herds of elephants in these adjacent areas.

However, Minneriya National Park also has its best seasons.
On average, the elephant gathering season in Minneriya National Park runs from early July to mid-September every year.
You can expect to encounter herds of hundreds (!) of elephants.