Kumana safari from Arugam Bay

Kumana safari from Arugam Bay is Majeste's day tour. It takes about 9 hours door to door and costs $69 per person for two, including a private jeep with a safari driver and the park tickets. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.

Birds, elephants and the odd leopard, with few other jeeps.

Lily-covered lake with nesting water birds in the trees at Kumana
Photo: Wenuri via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Hoursabout 9 hoursDoor to door
Distance80 kmRound trip

About this tour

A five-hour private jeep safari in Kumana, the park south of Arugam Bay known for its nesting water birds, with elephants, crocodiles and leopards on some drives. Jeeps are few compared with Yala. The Okanda temple and beach are at the gate, and the Kudumbigala hermitage can be climbed on the way back. The good months here are roughly April to September.

  • Private 4x4 jeep with park tickets (Category II) included
  • Kumana villu bird colonies, nesting roughly April to July
  • Okanda temple and beach; optional climb at Kudumbigala

Your day

Planning times from Arugam Bay, not promises.

  1. Pickup in Arugam Bay; via Panama to the Okanda gate.

  2. Kumana safari, about five hours.

    About Kumana half-day safari (private jeep)

  3. Okanda temple and the beach at the park gate.

  4. Kudumbigala forest hermitage: a short, hot climb to the rock summit, if you have the energy.

  5. Lunch at Panama or back in Arugam Bay, paid directly.

  6. Drop-off at your hotel.

What is in the price

Included

  • A private 4x4 jeep with a safari driver, for your party only (up to 6 people), collects you and brings you back. It is in the safari price, so no car of ours is charged.
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Arugam Bay or Pottuvil
  • Every jeep and activity listed under tickets and fees

Not included

  • Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
  • Breakfast box from your hotel
  • Tips, at your discretion
  • Drinks, snacks and personal spending

Tickets and fees

Amounts are for two adults. Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.

Entrance fees last checked 7 November 2026. Activity prices last checked 7 November 2026. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026).

Good to know

  • Two operator lists quote USD 25 or 27 per adult for the park; the gazette puts Kumana in Category II at USD 12, which is what we budget and pay.
  • Leopards are seen on some drives, not most.
  • Most of Arugam Bay shuts from November to March, and the park tracks flood in the north-east monsoon.
  • The jeep collects you at your hotel, so no separate car is charged for this day.

Good months: April, May, June, July, August, September.

Harder months: October, November, December, January, February, March.

Optional extras

Not in the price. Add them in the price box.

Read more

Where the figures come from

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