Tissamaharama: Your gateway to Yala and Sri Lanka's wild south-east.

Tissamaharama, known locally as Tissa, is a small town surrounded by ancient reservoirs and scrubby jungle on Sri Lanka's south-east coast. Almost everyone who comes here is on their way to Yala National Park, the country's most famous wildlife reserve and one of the best places in the world to see wild leopards. But Tissa has its own quiet appeal: the ancient Tissa Wewa lake glows at sunset, painted storks nest in the trees along its banks, and the 2,000-year-old dagoba in the town centre is one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in Sri Lanka.

What to see and do

• Yala National Park safari. Book a morning game drive for the best chance of leopard sightings.
• Tissa Wewa lake at sunset. Walk the bund wall and watch the water turn gold.
• Birdwatching at Bundala National Park. Flamingos, pelicans, and hundreds of migratory species.
• Visit the Tissamaharama Raja Maha Viharaya. A 2,000-year-old Buddhist temple and dagoba.
• Kirinda beach, 15 minutes south. A wild, windswept stretch of coast near Yala's boundary.
• Night safari at Yala. Some operators offer evening game drives for a different perspective.

Tips from locals

• Book your Yala safari the day before through a local operator in Tissa. Avoid the touts who approach you on the street.
• Morning safaris (5:30am departure) are best for leopards and cooler temperatures.
• Tissa is inland and hot. Bring water and sunscreen for any temple or lake walks.