The Ruhuna Yala Group of National Reserves
Ruhuna Yala Group of National Reserves covering over 100,000ha is divided into 5 blocks of which only block 1 is open to the public. The five blocks together with Strict Natural Reserve, Yala East National Park, Kudumbigala sancutaury Buddhist monastery & LHT (Living Heritage Trust) Okanda Heritage Conservation Zone are surrounded by a long strip of buffer zone with the coast to the south. That's a pretty long range.

Henry, the Lone Ranger
It is recorded, in the course of his duties, Henry Englebrecht, the first Camp Warden (1907-1928) of the Ruhuna Yala Group of National Reserves used to traverse Panama, Okanda, Kumana, Yala, Buthawa, Palatupana, Kirinda, Tissamaharama areas finally arriving at Hambantota where he collected his pay packet from the Government authority & also bought his provisions & other necessities, returning along the same route. Did Leonard Woolf, husband of Virgina Woolf, the colonial government agent at Hambatota during 1908-1911 narrate on Englebrecht's journeys & his sexcursions where he saw his wild oats? He traversed his domain by bullocks (ox) cart. Do you dare? No worries, let's make the safari in soft-top jeeps throughout Yala West (Block 1). Easy. As easy as it comes.

Yala West (Block 1) (14,100 ha)
Ruhuna Yala National Park Block 1 on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka is the Island's most visited wildlife reserve of the island. Sri Lanka having been ranked 21st among the large bio-diversity hotspots in the world, eco-tourism in the island has pushed Ruhuna Yala Park to forefront of numerous wildlife reserves of the island