If you’re an animal lover and especially want to see mammals on your holiday to Sri Lanka, this is the one you’ve been looking for. We’ve got you covered in all aspects of mammal sighting – on land and water! So, prepare yourself for the ultimate travel plunge to a land of unforgettable experiences, whilst you witness a blend of history, culture, traditions, architecture and landscapes at each of our picked destinations.
You will have a great collection of one-of-a-kind experiences to take back home from the tropical island, as you will learn the ancient past of the magnificent temples, admire breath-taking panoramic views, be fascinated by the enigmatic happenings of the buzzing city, be thrilled with whale and dolphin watching in the deep sea, adrenaline-packed jeep safari into the wilderness to unwinding on the golden sandy beaches and much more. Sri Lanka is home to a bounty of spectacular destinations and scenic attractions, each with a story of its own. Embark on our carefully curated tour with signature experiences from start to finish, exclusively designed with you in mind.
Soon after you touchdown in Sri Lanka, an NKAR representative will welcome you at the airport.
Here’s to an exciting wildlife tour ahead, and your first destination is Negombo – a key fishing town on the Western Coast of Sri Lanka. After a 30 mins drive, you will reach the town, check-in at your hotel to relax before you engage in the Negombo City tour in the evening.
The Negombo city is known for its fishing industry with busy fish markets, sandy beaches, hotels and restaurants. Fishing and tourism are the key driving factors of the economy of Negombo, and the bounty of seafood restaurants are a gourmet’s true delight. You will also find many local handicrafts, batiks and jewellery boutiques on the beaches and shops in the Village town . Whilst touring the village town by visiting the St.Mary’s church, Angurukaramulla Temple, the main fish market, Dutch Clock Tower and Dutch Fort you could do some quick shopping to your heart’s content. After an exciting first day in Sri Lanka, you will arrive at your hotel and then proceed for a mouth-watering dinner followed by an overnight stay in Negombo.
Overnight stay in Negombo.After enjoying the hotel breakfast, you will head to Sigiriya – the iconic rock fortress from the ancient past.
En-route you will visit the famous Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage where you could help feed and bathe the mischievous baby elephants. Pinnawela is situated in the Sabaragamuwa province of Sri Lanka and is close to Kegalle town. The place is a dedicated orphanage, nursery and a captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants and is remarkably known as ‘Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage’ attracting several locals and tourists daily.
The orphanage has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world, as the key attraction is to observe the elephants bathing and feeding which will be an unforgettable experience and a great memory to cherish. After that thrilling experience, you will proceed to Habarana to check-in at your hotel and relax.
After breakfast evening proceed to Kaudulla, Minneriya or Eco Park for an adventurous afternoon jeep safari, (Entrance Fees and Jeep – USD 35 per person). Main highlight being the Elephant Gathering which is believed to be the largest gathering of Asian elephants in the world and takes place during the dry season from June to October when the rivers dry up and the elephants are forced to travel to large reservoirs in Minneriya, Kaudulla or Eco Park to find drinking water, rest of the period visit Kaudulla, Minneriya or Eco Park to experience the rumble in the jungle of elephants. This is a thrilling sight and experience, plus a memory to cherish for the rest of your life.
Return to hotel.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Hotel in Habarana.Kick start your day with a great spread of breakfast at the Hotel before you begin your travel to Trincomalee. Trincomalee is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka and is set on a peninsula built by the Portuguese in the 17th century. Within its grounds, the grand Koneshwaram temple stands on the Swami Rock cliff, a popular vantage point for blue whale watching. The nearby Gokanna Temple has splendid panoramic views over the city and the breathtaking coastline.
On your way, you will enjoy the breathtaking views, stunning landscapes, varied vegetations and blooms, magnificent rock spurs, lush greenery and the rustic rural life that are truly unique to Sri Lanka throughout your drive. You will stop by to quench your thirst with some freshly cut King coconut, which is a typical and warm gesture of pure Sri Lankan hospitality. Upon reaching Trincomalee, you will spend the evening on the beach, whilst strolling along the stretch of white sand and listening to the crashing waves. Trincomalee offers you some amazing beaches like Uppuveli, Nilavel, Marble and Trinco beach, and the town has some charm, plenty of history and an interesting melange of people. After spending the day at leisure by the beach you will enjoy dinner and a comfortable overnight stay at a hotel in Trincomalee.
Dinner & Overnight stay at a Hotel in Trincomalee.You will begin your day early in the morning to set out to view the largest mammal on the planet – the whale. Today is going to be an epic day in the deep and turquoise waters of the Indian ocean, as you will cruise into the sea to whales and acrobatic dolphins.
Whale watching eastern drift season in Sri Lanka is from May to October, and Trincomalee, is one of the rare places to home the biggest mammals on earth. With inhabitant and transitory water-life settlements being spotted off the island’s southwest drift, Sri Lanka is now rapidly turning into a top spot to watch Blue Whales, Sperm Whales and Dolphins. Among the species of dolphins, you may see the Bottlenose dolphins, Spinner dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, and Striped dolphins. These playful creatures would swim alongside your boat and jumping out of the water much to your delight!
To see the magnificent Blue Whale in its common natural surroundings is something that most of us can just dream of. In Trincomalee it becomes a reality! Luckily for you, in Sri Lanka you can see a significant number of them just minutes from the island’s eastern shore. After you return from the sea, this exciting day will conclude with dinner followed by an overnight stay at a hotel in Trincomalee.
Dinner & Overnight stay at a Hotel in Trincomalee.After an early breakfast, you will begin your journey to Colombo today.
En-route you will stop to climb up to the country’s most famous and iconic 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. It is undoubtedly the most treasured historical monument in Sri Lanka. After absorbing the majestic view, you will proceed to the commercial hub of the country – Colombo.
On your way, via the winding route you can enjoy the breathtaking views, stunning landscapes, varied faunal and floral life, soaring rock formations, lush greenery with sprawling plantations, the rustic rural life and the buzzing sub-urban and urban life that are truly unique to Sri Lanka. Upon reaching Colombo, you will check-in at your hotel followed by dinner and a relaxing overnight stay.
After that proceed to Colombo. Check in hotel.
Dinner & Overnight stay at hotel in ColomboToday is your last day on the paradise isle. Indulge in a lavish spread of breakfast before you take part in a Colombo city tour. The tour from Fort and Pettah will cover 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, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) and the Viharamahadevi Park, Nelum Pokuna Lotus tower. After admiring the developing urban skyline with iconic skyscrapers, you can treat yourself with shopping when you visit Fort and Pettah, where you will find long streets filled with small shops on both sides. So, do not forget to bargain and get the best deals! After the city tour you will proceed to the airport for departure.
This brings you to the end of an exciting, fun-filled and memorable adventure in Sri Lanka!
