Wildlife and Nature

Day 1

On arrival in the airport, you will be given a warm welcome and garlanded with orchids by your very own chauffeur who will transfer you to your hotel in Sinharaja. On arrival in the hotel, you could relax and recover from any jetlag.

Day 2

Today after an early breakfast, go for a morning Sinharaja forest exploration. Sinharaja Rainforest is a world heritage site, which can also be described as a Tropical Lowland Rainforest orTropicalWetEvergreenForest. Whatever its ‘technical’ name, it is undoubtedly a rich treasure trove of nature with a great diversity of habitats and a vast repository ofSri Lanka’s endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Bird Watching in this ecosystem is particularly interesting because it is home to 95% of the endemic birds ofSri Lanka! Named as a world heritage site in 1989, this lowland evergreen rain forest is steeped in deep legend and mystery. The word ‘Sinharaja’ means, Lion (Sinha) King (Raja), and it is popular belief that the legendary origin of the Sinhala people is from the union between a princess and the lion king who once lived in the forest! In the afternoon leave to Udawalawe. En Route you will be taken to the elephant transit home where closer to 35 baby elephants are being taken of with minimum human interaction, as their mothers have either been killed or lost due to the non ending human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. The transit home provides food, medical care and everything a baby needs. When the elephants are big and strong enough, they are released into wilderness and start living a normal elephant life.

Day 3

In the afternoon you will be taken toUdawalaweNational Parkfor a safari. It is mostly famous for the many elephants that live there (around 400 in total). It is very common to see whole herds of them feeding and bathing or playing in the water. The park is also home to many water buffalo, water monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard, as well as being an exciting location for bird enthusiasts. In the afternoon you will be transferred to hotel in Tissamaharama. Spend the rest of the day at leisure in the hotel.

Day 4

In the afternoon drive to Yala for a safari atYalaNational Park. TheYalaNational Parkis mainly famous for its leopards. The best chance to see a leopard is generally generally first thing in the morning and then again at dusk. The male leopards there are very confident animals and they are often seen walking the tracks during the day. Young males in Particular seem to have no fear of the jeep which can lead to some excellent photographic opportunities. Apart from the leopards, there are a large number of elephants living in the park. Spotted deer, sambar, wild board, wild buffaloes, sloth bear, jackal and mongoose can also be seen. The bird life there too is fantastic. After an early breakfast, drive to Yala for a morning safari at theYalaNational Park.

Day 5

After an early breakfast leave toGalleand on the way you could visitBundalaNational Park. Bundala National Park covers an area of 6216 hectares and is located about 250km southeast ofColomboin the Hambantota district. The park falls within the south-eastern arid zone of Sri Lanka, with a general climate that can be classified as hot and dry. The terrain is generally flat with sand dunes bordering the coastline, and vegetation consists mainly of dry thorny scrublands and lagoons. A total of 383 plant species have been recorded from the park, including 6 endemics and 7 species considered as nationally threatened. It is also home to 32 different species of mammals, 5 of which are classified as threatened. For keen birdwatchers, the complex wetland system harbours a rich bird life (approximately 197 species), including several species of migratory waterfowl. This has led to the declaration of the park asSri Lanka’s first ‘Ramsar’ wetland – one of great international importance especially for migratory waterfow. After a safari atBundalaNational Parkyou will be taken toGalle. On arrival check in at the hotel and you can either relax or take a city tour aroundGalle. Visit the Dutch Fort. Its rich heritage is derived from the colonial influences of the Portuguese, Dutch and the British respectively, spanning four centuries.Gallewas a key harbour city for centuries, hence its value to successive colonial superpowers. The town’s centrepiece is the World Heritage listed Dutch Fort, around which the city is built. The Fort was initiated and partially constructed by the Portuguese, which was then expanded upon quite significantly by the Dutch. The Fort remains a hive of activity and is one of the few World Heritage listed sites in which a bustling population continues to thrive.

Day 6

After an early breakfast drive to Mirissa. One ofSri Lanka’s finest secrets is that the town ofMirissa, only an hour’s drive one-way, is one of the world’s best locations for watching blue and sperm whales as well as pods of dolphins.  This is because the continental shelf is closer to surface at this point and hence, it is more likely to sight the world’s largest animal in nature.  Set off early morning on your expedition. Don’t forget your camera to catch their tails flip.  After an exciting experience return to the hotel and spend the afternoon at leisure.

Day 7

After your breakfast you will be transferred to the airport in order to catch the departure flight to onward destination.