Africa, and to a lesser extent, India, are touted as the world’s premier destinations for big game safari — with very good reason. There is simply no place on Earth where you will encounter the sheer diversity of species of large mammals in truly mind-blowing numbers meandering across the landscape as you would in Africa.

The spectacles of giraffes silhouetted against the setting sun; the mesmerising pattern of zebras running into each other as a contiguous, hypnotic mass; stately elephants with the stunning peak of Kilimanjaro rising from the savannah; and of course the abundance of big predators — lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and hunting dogs to name a few — are unmissable.

Africa is in little danger of being dethroned as the premier big game wildlife destination of the world.

India weaves a slightly different, but no less enthralling narrative. Where else can you see regal Bengal tigers flanked by the imposing ruins of some of the world’s oldest civilizations and leopards sharing space with humans in far flung villages? The subcontinent is not lacking in its offering of large game either — with elephants, gaur, Indian rhinoceros, and all manner of deer making up its fauna list. For the bird watcher, India is heaven. The wide and varied climates, topographies, and habitats — from the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas in its northern border to the coastal mudflats on the Indian Ocean in the south — provide refuge to over 1,300 species.

But both Africa and India, and other noted wildlife destinations such as South America, all have one inescapable problem. They are enormous spaces. Travelling from one corner of Africa to the other, over land, would take days. A similar case presents itself in India. For all the rich and varied offerings, the incredible wildlife of the world’s top two destinations are spread generously across their lands.

While this speaks abundantly of the niches and habitats on offer, it certainly makes life difficult for the wildlife enthusiast who is probably on a week-long vacation from their job and has only a few days to cover as much ground as possible. Worse if they are operating on a shoestring budget which effectively rules out flying from place to place.

This is where Sri Lanka comes in to the picture.

The whole island is a fraction over 65,000 square kilometres. Its northernmost point and southernmost point lie a paltry 430 kilometres from one another, as the crow flies, and across its width its a shade over half that. Rookie numbers compared to the thousands of kilometres demanded by Africa and India. A good car and a fast driver and you’ll get yourself from any point to another in 5–6 hours.

Now that we have established Sri Lanka is accessible, why should you be accessing it in the first place?

Well, in terms of wildlife, Sri Lanka punches well above its weight. Despite its fist-sized landmass, it packs in a tremendous amount of habitats, ranging from coastal waters, lagoons, and estuaries to rainforests to scrubland to evergreen woodlands and high montane forests. Water is abundant in the island which is watered twice a year by monsoons and sporadically inbetween them. Rivers and lakes are a dime a dozen and create lush habitat even in the drier regions of the country.

This rich habitat diversity comes with an incredible collection of fauna and flora.

About 10,000 elephants roam the forests of the island, spread from the deep south to the floodplains of the north-central regions. While the number of tusked males in the Sri Lankan population is noticeably lower than in comparable populations across Asia, the rare tusker is a sight to behold and gives the wildlife enthusiast a thrilling search to find one. Furthermore, receding waters of gigantic, two thousand year old reservoirs during the dry season expose lush grasslands that attract mega-herds of over 300 elephants — a phenomenon noted by Lonely Planet as one of the most awe-inspiring wildlife spectacles on Earth.

The island’s apex land predator, the Sri Lankan leopard, stalks the forests and jungles, hunting spotted deer, sambar, wild boar, young wild buffalo calves, and langurs. Removed from the competition its cousins face in Africa and India, the Sri Lankan leopard grows to much larger proportions and is far bolder.

Sloth bears are a firm favourite among wildlife enthusiasts for their elusive nature. These small bears, armed with vicious claws to break into termite mounds, are found throughout the drier regions of the island.

For those with an inclination towards ornithology, the island boasts of over 500 recorded species. Sri Lanka is a hotspot for migrant birds that follow the funnel of the Indian subcontinent southwards and end up on the island. From flamingoes on the saltpans of Mannar to harriers making their temporary homes in paddy fields to stunning song birds, some making their way from the lower slopes of the Himalayas and Pakistan, Sri Lanka is a birdwatchers paradise.

All this can easily be covered on a vacation of a week with an experienced guide. Public transport crisscrosses the island — if you are brave enough to take your chances on them. Hotels and villas are to be found throughout the country and when you are bored of wildlife, there is a bottomless list of archaeological marvels, cultural attractions, and incredible food around every corner to keep you occupied.

Oh, and make sure you keep a few hours free to take a quick boat ride off the island’s south coast to see the world’s only non-migratory population of blue whales.

Sri Lanka really does have it all.