Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour – ‘Be In The Wild’

Kick start your second day with an English breakfast and head towards Wilpattu National Park, one of the biggest sanctuary in Sri Lanka filled with mother nature’s best fauna and flora.

It is home to a plethora of wildlife, lush greenery and incredible bird species.

En-route to Wilpattu, you will be stopping at Anawilundawa bird sanctuary, a unique ecological setting favorable for nesting and breeding for hundreds of bird species.

After being awed by the colourful birds, you will continue to Wilpattu and arrive on time to relax in the campsite, before hopping onto the jeep for a thrilling safari expedition in the evening. This safari will be a memorable one for you, If the luck is on your side for spotting animals then you will witness the Sri Lankan elephant, leopard, sloth bear, spotted deer, buffalo and many other magnificent creatures that live in the wilderness.

After retreating from the wilds, you are in for a mouthwatering BBQ dinner and an overnight stay in the tented safari camps, under the star-studded night skies.

Today you will visit Anuradhapura (after breakfast), which was made the first capital of Sri Lanka by King Pandukhabaya in the 4th century BC.
It is also known as the longest-serving capitals in the Sri Lankan history. The historic and old- glory city is located along a picturesque riverbank and you will witness the ‘Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi’- the oldest documented Bo tree in the world, ancient monasteries and many ruins of historical importance.

Anuradhapura is one of the eight historical heritage sites in Sri Lanka and is home to several unbelievable stone carvings including the ‘Isurumuniya lovers’ and the ‘Aukana buddha statue’. You will be amazed to see the masterwork of the colossal buddha statue with a serene expression and gracefully carved robe reflecting supreme spirituality.

After immersing yourself in the ancient history of Sri Lanka and learning interesting facts of the past, you will continue the journey to Sigiriya.
Upon reaching Sigiriya, you will check in to your hotel to relax, have dinner and unwind for the day.

Your day starts with an early breakfast today, as you will be visiting the country’s most famous rock fortress – Sigiriya.

Recognized from miles away, the soaring ‘Lion Rock’ is an archeological wonder and a testament of Sri Lanka’s city planning, water gardens, engineering and fortification in the 5th century AD. The rock peak is home to an incredible blue-green landscape with lush green gardens and advanced irrigation systems. Declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO, you will be thrilled to see the beautiful frescoes and the fascinating mirror wall of the rock fortress.

After descending from Sigiriya, you will proceed to Wasgamuwa.

On the way, you will stop by to visit the wildlife conservation centre where you will learn about human and elephant conflicts, and the use of orange plantations to keep elephants from entering houses and harming humans. Here, you will engage in an exercise helping villagers to prevent the human elephant conflict.

Next, you will visit the splendid Wasgamuwa tank and watch elephants coming in for there water.

Today, you will start your day early with the Wasgamuwa national park jeep safari (breakfast packet will be provided). The national park has several reservoirs.

The herds of mischievous elephants that you will see roaming around are incredible to sight, whilst you will also have an opportunity to spot other wildlife species. After the wildlife expedition, you will head to Nuwara Eliya via Mahiyanganaya, visiting the Mahiyanganaya temple en-route. The temple is the first stupa built in Sri Lanka during the era of Lord Buddha.

You will continue on the roads along the towering mountains passing lush grasslands bursting into bloom and Lankan damsels selling king coconuts by the sideway before stopping for lunch. Take an occasional peek out of the window and you will see mist-covered landscapes studded with pools of cool waters, strolling wildlife, windy brown streets and an abundance of lush greenery. Consider yourself lucky if you happen to see a passing elephant or any other wildlife across the road during your travel and do not forget to capture the breath-taking view of the Knuckles range. You will be zigzagging through the famous ‘18-hair-pin-bends’ road which will be a part of your thrilling journey.
Upon reaching Nuwara Eliya, you will check-in at the hotel to relax and then engage in the Nuwara Eliya city tour that covers the iconic Gregory lake.

You can admire the lovely landscape of rising mist capped mountains, colonial buildings with blooming gardens, before heading for dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After an early breakfast, you will actively take part in the exciting Horton Plains trek that starts at 6.30 am.

Horton Plains is one of the windiest and breath-taking locations in Sri Lanka that has a mixed ecosystem of montane evergreen forests, grasslands and marshy lands.

After a picturesque trek where you can take snaps of the spell-binding panoramic views, you will Climb Down to Udawalawa and visit the glorious Ravana falls in Ella en-route. Ravana Falls is a popular sightseeing attraction in Sri Lanka and is currently ranked as one of the widest waterfalls in the country.

Following an early breakfast, you will embark on an adrenaline-packed jeep safari at the Udawalawe National Park – a famous tourist attraction, renowned for its outstanding scenic beauty and wealth of faunal and floral species.

Situated in the dry zone with unique vegetation and outstanding geographical features, the key ecosystem of the park is made up of forests with scattered grasslands and thorny shrubs.

After exploring the park, you will visit the Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe in the afternoon. Since inception in 1995, the body has helped care for injured, sick and orphaned baby elephants from all over Sri Lanka. Next, you will proceed to Yala and check into the safari camp to relax.

You will conclude the eventful day with a delightful BBQ dinner at the safari camp followed by an overnight stay at a tented safari camp in Yala.

After dinner, an exciting bush stroll awaits you in the night where you will witness birds, reptiles and other wildlife creatures resting on trees and in their respective habitats after an active day. This will be an unforgettable experience for you amidst the stillness of the night.
After this short night walk, you will return to camp to rest.

Your wildlife expedition continues today at the Yala National Park as you will take part in the jeep safari that starts early morning (breakfast packets will be provided).

The Yala National Park is a sprawling forest with watering holes, and home to an abundance of wildlife including leopards, elephants, crocodiles, birds and much more. Yala is home to one of the best leopard spotting places on the planet, with the highest population density of leopards in the world. If you want to see a leopard, there is no better place! So, do appreciate what you see and capture the rare sightings as much as you can!

Once you complete the morning safari you will visit the Sithulpawwa monastery in the Yala park where you will learn about the interesting folklore behind its creation.

After lunch, you will continue with the afternoon session of jeep safari in Yala, sighting more wildlife and incredible landscapes adorned with unique blooms and vegetation.

As the sun goes down more and more wildlife come out looking for water holes.

After the tiring day, you will check-in at the safari camp for a Rotti dinner under the night skies, followed by a comfortable overnight stay under the tents.

After breakfast and travelling from Yala, begin your day by visiting the ‘Wadahiti Kanda’ in Kataragama, where prince Dutugemunu made a wow to the deity in Kataragama to construct a temple once he wins over the invader King Elara.

After this visit, you will take a drive to the Ahangama beach, where you will visit the Ussangoda beach park en-route. After an uphill climb, you will reach a strange landscape shrouded in mystery as it is believed by some that an ancient meteoroid fell here which explains the barren nature of the soil and the unusual vegetation at this beach park.

After exploring this location, you will check-in at the beach resort for a relaxed evening by the beach. The resort has a beautiful beach frontage offering you the perfect island getaway from the busy city life. You can unwind, relax and experience the culture and the way of life in southern Sri Lanka here.

Your day will conclude with dinner followed by an overnight stay at the hotel in Ahangama.

Today is your last day on the paradise isle.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Mirissa depending on the season. (If November – April, you will visit Mirissa for whale watching at 5.30 AM with breakfast packets).

Mirissa is on the south coast of Sri Lanka and is a key whale and dolphin watching spot in the country with the most stunning sunrises and sunsets to be enjoyed. You will be blown away by the azure waters and long stretches of white sandy beaches buzzed with enigmatic nightlife activities.

You will then transfer to Colombo to take part in a city tour from Fort and Pettah covering the commercial and residential areas of the city whilst sighting the key landmarks – Galle Face Green, old parliament, the lighthouse clock tower, Colombo harbour, Gangarama Temple, Independence Square and the Viharamahadevi Park. After lunch and a quick shopping tour to your heart’s content, you will proceed to the airport for departure.

In Case the departure flight happens to be late in the night an appropriate Sri Lankan Dinner arrangement will be made with a Local Family.
This brings you to the end of an exciting, fun-filled and memorable wildlife adventure in Sri Lanka!