Sri Lanka's Department of Wildlife Conservation has temporarily closed campsites at Kumana and Gal Oya national parks because of the prevailing severe drought conditions.
At Kumana National Park, existing bookings for five campsites have been cancelled:
- Ada Kumbuka I
- Ada Kumbuka II
- Gal Amuna
- Heraligaskara
- Moyakata
Further reservations for the affected campsites have been suspended until conditions improve.
At Gal Oya National Park, campsites associated with the Hathpotha entrance have also been closed.
Existing bookings have been cancelled and new reservations suspended.
The Department has said alternative dates will be offered to visitors whose reservations have been affected.
The drought is also affecting future accommodation availability at Yala National Park.
Tourist bungalows and campsites in Zones I and II of Yala will not be made available for October through the raffle draw scheduled at the Department's head office on September 7, 2026.
The Department said those facilities would be reopened for booking once drought conditions ease and arrangements have been made for visitors whose existing reservations were cancelled.
The campsite closures form part of the wider effects of Sri Lanka's continuing dry-weather conditions.
They are nevertheless a distinct operational development affecting wildlife tourism and visitors with existing national-park reservations.
This article should therefore be read as related coverage rather than replacing Sineth News's existing broader drought coverage.