Tissamaharama

Tissamaharama (Tissa) is a town in the Hambantota District of Southern Province. It serves as the main base for Yala National Park visits. Yala has the highest density of leopards per square kilometre of any national park in the world. The town itself has significant Buddhist heritage — the Tissa Dagoba (2nd century BCE) and the Yatala Wehera are important pilgrimage sites. Bundala National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, is also nearby.