Wild Sri Lanka

Our Sri Lankan adventure begins. It's a 2hr 30min transfer to the south coast – please refer to the Joining Instructions for further information. As we approach the seaside suburb of Galle, we see coastal coconut groves and tall palms giving way to magnificent views of the ocean. Stay: Insight Resort or Mandara Resort Mirissa (or similar) (D).

We depart for the harbour shortly after sunrise, where we board a small, privately chartered boat for a whale-watching excursion. Accompanied by excellent crew and a naturalist guide, we spend the morning searching the Indian Ocean for whales and other cetaceans. The vessel is fitted with radar and GPS, which increases our chance of success. Blue whales, the largest animals that have ever lived, typically frequent these waters between November and April.

They are huge, reaching up to 100ft (30m) long and weighing about the same as 30 elephants. We may also be lucky enough to encounter sperm whales, bryde's whales and large pods of spinner or bottlenose dolphins. After spending the morning at sea, we return to the harbour and our hotel in Ahangama.

Later this afternoon, we have a guided visit to Galle to discover the historic fort, a fabulous Unesco World Heritage site. Built by the Dutch in 1663, it is a maze of cobbled streets crammed with cafes, boutique shops and beautifully restored colonial houses. Stay: Insight Resort or Mandara Resort Mirissa (or similar) (B/D).

This morning, we transfer to Sinharaja Rainforest, the last undisturbed rainforest area in Sri Lanka. This biodiversity hotspot harbours several endemic species. Canopy trees reach heights of up to 145ft (45m) and bird species number 160 and counting. Among the insects, amphibians and reptiles are mammals such as sambar deer, marking deer and wild boars. Purple-faced langurs usually congregate in groups of 10 or more and are fairly common to see among the trees. Around 15 leopards are known in this area but sightings are very difficult due to the dense vegetation.

This afternoon, we take a walk to discover Sinharaja and its many inhabitants, accompanied by our naturalist guide. Stay: Rainforest Eco Lodge or Sinharaja Forest Edge (or similar) (B/D).

Wake up to birdsong and get ready for another day in the forest. Sinharaja covers a narrow sliver of land, covering roughly 27,643 acres (11,187ha). Within this area live 43 percent of all species recorded in Sri Lanka. Our naturalist guide takes us on a wildlife walk to discover the many trails and abundant diversity here. Stay: Rainforest Eco Lodge or Sinharaja Forest Edge (or similar) (B/D).

This morning, we leave the rainforest and travel further inland to Udawalawe National Park, which lies on the boundary between the wet and dry zones of Sri Lanka. Udawalawe is one of the best parks in Sri Lanka to see elephants with around 600 in the park roaming in herds of up to 50 – the highest concentration of wild elephants in Sri Lanka.

The Udawalawe Reservoir is at the centre of the park and makes a stunning backdrop among the otherwise lightly vegetated area. For this reason, wildlife watching in the national park is relatively easy. Aside from elephant families feeding in the grasslands, we may encounter sambar deer, spotted deer, water buffalos, wild boars, jackals and mongoose on this afternoon game drive. Stay: Centauria Wild (or similar) (B/D).

This morning, our 4x4 safari vehicles are waiting to take us back into Udawalawe for a second game drive. Game drives typically last for three hours, depending on sightings, and are always accompanied by a naturalist guide.

In the afternoon, we visit the Elephant Transit Home, just 3mi (5km) from the park entrance. The transit home is run by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. It provides a safe environment for orphaned elephants, who are typically looked after at the home until they reach four years' old, at which point they are old enough to be released back into the wild. Our visit coincides with feeding time, where the juveniles are given bottled milk by a team of park rangers and the noisy spectacle can be witnessed from the viewing platform. Stay: Centauria Wild (or similar) (B/D).

We start our day before breakfast and head out on a walk to a nearby village (approximately 3kms), a chance to observe and interact with the locals starting their day as well as spot the wide variety of wildlife en route. The early walk takes us alongside an irrigation canal, rich in bird life such as Ibis, Kingfishers, Cormorants and Storks. The canal feeds into the banana, mango, guava, peanut trees and many more crops grown alongside it. This area is also home to eagles, kites, horn bills, lapwings, sun birds, mongooses, monitor lizards and chameleons.

Midway through our walk, we stop at the village shop for tea and a piece of fruit to snack on. During our walk, we have a local initiative in place which distributes a variety of fruit trees to the families in the village. These fruit trees hold a sustainable and commercial value to the villagers, in time they can be cultivated and sold to generate income for the families as well as provided for the community. We finish our walk at a farm where our breakfast will be served close to the river. After breakfast, we return to the hotel by 4x4 vehicles and get ready to depart for Tissamaharama and Yala National Park, a drive of around three hours.

On arrival in Yala, we check into our hotel; around 3pm, we head out in 4x4s for our afternoon game drive. Yala has one of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world and its diverse habitat is home to a huge array of other wildlife, including elephants, sloth bears, spotted deer, water buffalos, sambar deer, wild boars, langurs and macaques. We explore the lesser-visited Block 5 area, which has denser vegetation than the open plains but the same chances of seeing the elusive leopards and sloth bears, all without having to compete with multiple other game vehicles.

Our group is split evenly between 4x4s and is joined by the tour leader, naturalist and tracker who each sit in a different vehicle. The game drive this afternoon lasts around three to four hours, before we return to the hotel to freshen up and have dinner. Stay: Kithala Resort or Mandara Rosen (or similar) (B/D).

Wildlife tends to be most active in the early morning, so we have a morning game drive in Yala, again in Block 5, returning to our hotel for a rest and lunch afterwards. Our naturalist guide will focus on the diverse wildlife and birds of Yala, with our game drive lasting around three hours. After lunch, we transfer (around 3hr 30min) to Dickwella – in our opinion, one of the most picturesque beaches in Sri Lanka – where traditional fishing boats rest on the sand in front of palm trees.

Accommodation for our two nights here is at a lovely resort with direct access to the beach. The resort is set on tropical grounds and is among the top beach hotels in Sri Lanka! Relax under swaying palms by the pool and enjoy long beach walks. The rooms have contemporary amenities and you could simply surrender yourself to healing Balinese rituals at the spa during your seaside getaway in paradise. Stay: Dickwella Resort & Spa (or similar) (B/D).

Today is free to enjoy all the facilities at Dickwella Resort & Spa. Why not stroll over to Turtle Cove, true to it's name you're almost certain to see turtles swimming around by your feet. Alternatively, just relax within the hotel grounds, enjoying the sea view while taking a dip in the pool. Stay: Dickwella Resort & Spa (or similar) (B/D).

This morning, we check out and make our way to Colombo Airport where our adventure comes to an end. Alternatively, an additional night's accommodation can be organised near to Colombo Airport if you would like fly home the following day (B).