Safari in Sri Lanka

Welcome to Sri Lanka! Upon arrival at Colombo Airport you will be met and transferred to our start hotel in Negombo. After you have checked in the remainder of the day is at your leisure. This evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at the tour briefing.

After breakfast, we drive along Sri Lanka's picturesque coast to Wilpattu National Park. Located on the west coast of Sri Lanka, Wilpattu is Sri Lanka's largest national park, covering 1085 sq kms and extending inland towards the ancient city of Anuradhapura. The lakes and dense woodland of Wilpattu are home to an impressive variety of flora and fauna including sloth bears, spotted deer, wild pigs, crocodiles and leopards - Sri Lanka's top feline predator. This afternoon we go in search of wildlife on our first game drive, by jeep.

This evening, we enjoy a tasty BBQ dinner at the camp which is located close to the Southern boundary of Wilpattu National Park, on the edge of a lake surrounded by bush forest. (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we depart for Wasgamuwa, stopping en route to visit Sri Lanka's most impressive cave temples, the Dambulla Rock Temple. This stunning complex of 5 caves contains over 150 images of Buddha including an impressive 14 metre statue carved out of the cave rock. We continue to Wasgamuwa to check into our hotel, before enjoying an afternoon game drive in Wasgamuwa National Park.

The evergreen forest of Wasgamuwa, with its towering trees is home to large herds of elephants. On our game drive we may also spot wild boar, buffalo, purple faced langur monkeys, spotted deer and crocodiles basking in the sun. Not to mention up to 143 species of birds. (B/D)

Today we travel to Gal Oya, stopping en route in Mahiyanganaya to visit the forest dwelling Veddhas - indigenous people of Sri Lanka. We continue to our lodge in Gal Oya National Park where the rest of the day is free to spend at leisure. (B/D)

Gal Oya is one of the best preserved and least visited national parks in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1954, primarily to protect the catchment area of the vast Senanayake Samudra Reservoir, which is the largest inland body of water in Sri Lanka. Rich in bio diversity and aquatic life, Gal Oya spans 25,000 hectares of dense evergreen forest, mountains, savannah and lake.

This morning, we rise early for breakfast before embarking on a boat safari, the best way to spot Gal Oya's diverse wildlife, and if we're really lucky we might see the Asian elephant swimming in its natural habitat. We return to the hotel for lunch and to freshen up before our afternoon jeep safari. (B/D)

This morning we travel to Udawalawe and check into our hotel before our afternoon jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park. The park is known for its large population of elephants, there are over 400 and herds of up to 50 are commonly sighted. As well as elephants we'll be on the lookout for leopards, togue monkeys, grey langur, wild pig and sambar. Numerous bird species can also be sighted including the white bellied sea eagle and crested serpent eagle. (B)

Bidding farewell to Gal Oya, we make our way to Yala National Park today. Checking into our hotel late morning, we then enjoy an afternoon jeep safari in the park. Yala is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka and it has the highest concentration of leopards on the island. The park is also home to a large population of Asian elephants, sloth bears, golden palm civets, Sri Lankan krait and crocodiles, while the coastline around the park is visited by leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. (B)

We travel back to Colombo today, stopping in Galle en route to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Galle Fortress. The fortress was first constructed by the Portuguese in 1588, then expanded and extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century. Arriving into Colombo late this afternoon, we partake in a short tour of the city and this evening we'll enjoy our final dinner together as a group. (B/D)

Our tour comes to an end after breakfast today, with a transfer to the airport to meet your onward flight. (B)