Bundala

Bundala is a coastal national park and Ramsar wetland of brackish lagoons, dunes and scrub in the deep south, internationally important for migratory waterbirds and a designated UNESCO biosphere reserve. From September to March its lagoons fill with thousands of birds, including the famous greater flamingos that wade the shallows in long pink lines. Less about big cats than its neighbour Yala, Bundala still holds elephants, crocodiles and all four of the island's marine-turtle species nesting on its beaches. Quieter and more contemplative, it is a birder's-eye complement to a southern safari, with easy access from the town of Hambantota.