If you’re planning a holiday to Sri Lanka that’s equal parts relaxing and adventurous, put luxury camping in Yala at the top of your list. Glamping — camping with a touch of glamour — lets you enjoy real comfort in the middle of the Yala wilderness, and it has become popular enough to rival long-time favourites like Kandy, the trekking trails around Ella, and the sunny beaches of Hikkaduwa.

So what exactly is glamping?

The word is a mash-up of “glamorous” and “camping”, so think of it as camping with the hard parts taken out. It feels like a trend, but it has been around for years — those beautifully furnished safari tents you’ve seen on African wildlife documentaries are the same idea. Sri Lanka has simply caught up, and luxury camping is now a firm favourite with visitors.

If the thought of roughing it in the wilds of Yala doesn’t appeal, glamping is exactly what you need. You get a modern tent set up like a rustic little house: a comfortable bed, proper bedding, and the basic amenities you’d expect at home. Nobody hands you a bag of poles at sunset. Your tent is pitched, your bed is made, and your dinner is already on the fire.

Explore the wild on a guided safari

The real perk is what sits on your doorstep. Yala has the highest concentration of leopards found anywhere in the world, and nothing quite beats the moment you lock eyes with one of those elusive big cats — it stays with you for years.

Leopards aren’t the only reason to go. On a good drive you’ll also see:

• Elephants, often in family herds with calves in tow
• Sloth bears, especially when the palu fruit ripens
• Water buffalo wallowing in the waterholes
• Spotted deer, the leopard’s favourite meal — where they gather nervously, something is usually watching
• Peacocks, painted storks, bee-eaters and dozens more; Yala is superb for birdwatching

Because most glamping sites sit a short drive from the park entrance, you can be at the gate at daybreak when the animals are most active — instead of losing the best light to an hour-long transfer from a hotel down the coast. Your ranger reads the tracks, the alarm calls and the dust on the road, and explains every small detail as you cruise along.

Dinner under a sky full of stars

When you’re glamping, you don’t worry about setting up a tent or cooking a meal. Several of the glamping sites in Yala — Camp Leopard – Yala Safari Glamping among them — serve genuinely memorable dinners under the open sky, with a BBQ by the glow of the campfire and very little light pollution to spoil the view. Dining in the wilderness, listening to the bush settle for the night, is a thrill in itself.

In a nutshell

Glamping is made for people who love the idea of camping in the wild but have no interest in giving up the comforts of home. You get the leopards, the elephants, the campfire and the stars — and a proper night’s sleep before the next morning’s drive.