Enqure Now

Wildlife

Ways to Travel: Guided Group, Private Group Adventures Activity: Wildlife Group Size: 2-24 Ages: No age limit

Best of Sri Lanka’s wildlife from the national parks to the ocean

Sri Lanka is well known for its cultural heritage and picture perfect beaches, but perhaps less known is that it is also one of the best locations in Asia for wildlife. The wide range of altitudes found in this small island results in a variation of climate and diversity normal only found across a whole continent. Blue whales congregate off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, elephant herds gather in Udawalawe and the elusive leopard rules in Yala. As well as game drives in Sri Lanka’s most famous national parks we visit the steamy Sinharaja Rainforest and relax on the south coast, where the warm waters of the Indian Ocean lap the shore and days can easily drift by from the shade of a palm tree.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Private whale watching from a chartered boat
  • Four game drives within Yala and Udawalawe National Parks
  • Sinharaja Rainforest and Dickwella beach
  • Naturalist guides throughout

Key Information

  • 10 days land only
  • Travel by private bus, boat and 4WD
  • 9 nights in comfortable hotels and eco lodges
  • All breakfasts and 9 dinners are included
  • Whale watching season: November to April

What's Included

  • All breakfasts and 9 dinners included
  • All accommodation
  • All transport and listed activities
  • Tour leader throughout
  • Arrival and departure transfers

What's Not Included

  • Lunches
  • Travel insurance
  • Single accommodation (available on request)
  • Visas or vaccinations

Need any Help?

From itinerary to accommodations, our travel experts are here to assist you in creating your dream vacation.

+94 76 8884 714 info@remarkableexpeditions.com

Itinerary

Day 1 : Start Colombo; transfer to Ahangama beach hotel.

The group flight arrives into Colombo Airport today where our local guide will be waiting to meet us. Land Only clients should be at the airport ready to join the group transfer to Ahangama on the south coast of the island – please refer to the joining instructions for further information. Sri Lanka’s road network has improved greatly over the last few years, and the ‘deep south’ (as it is often known) is now accessible within around 3 hours from Colombo. The coastline’s coconut groves and tall palms give way to magnificent views of the sea as we approach Ahangama.

Accommodation: Insight Resort (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2 : Morning private whale watching excursion; afternoon visit Galle Fort.

Shortly after sunrise we depart for the harbour, where we board a small, privately chartered boat for today’s 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 helps to increase 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 30 metres in length and weighing as much as 160 tonnes. We may also be lucky enough to encounter Sperm whales, Brydes whales and large pods of Spinner or Bottlenose dolphins in the surrounding waters. 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 historical fort, a fabulous UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built by the Dutch in 1663, the fort is a maze of cobbled streets crammed with cafes, boutique shops and beautifully restored colonial houses.

Accommodation: Insight Resort (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3 : Transfer to Sinharaja Rainforest; afternoon walk.

This morning we transfer to Sinharaja Rainforest, the last undisturbed area of rainforest in Sri Lanka. This biodiversity hotspot harbours a number of endemic species. Canopy trees reach heights of up to 45 metres and bird species number 160 and counting. Amongst the insects, amphibians and reptiles are mammals such as Sambar, Barking deer and Wild boar. Purple-faced langurs usually congregate in groups of 10 or more and are fairly common to see amongst the trees. Around 15 leopards are known in this area but sightings are very difficult to come by due to the dense vegetation. This afternoon we take a walk to discover Sinharaja and its many inhabitants, accompanied by our naturalist guide.

Accommodation: Rainforest Eco Lodge or Sinharaja Forest Edge (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4 : Full day to discover Sinharaja Rainforest.

Wake up to birdsong and get ready for another day in the forest. Sinharaja covers a narrow sliver of land 21km long and 3.7km wide, covering an area of roughly 11,187 hectares. Within this area 43% of all the species recorded in Sri Lanka can be found. Our naturalist guide will take us on a wildlife walk to discover the many trails and abundant diversity here.

Accommodation: Rainforest Eco Lodge or Sinharaja Forest Edge (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5 : To Udawalawe; afternoon game drive in Udawalawe N.P.

This morning we leave the rainforest and travel further inland to Udawalawe National Park, which lies on the boundary between Sri Lanka’s wet and dry zones. Udawalawe is one of the best parks in Sri Lanka to see elephants with around 600 animals in the park who can be seen roaming in herds of up to 50 – the highest concentration of wild elephants anywhere in Sri Lanka. The Udawalawe Reservoir is at the centre of the park and makes a stunning backdrop amongst 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 buffalo, Wild boar, jackal and mongoose on this afternoon’s game drive.

Accommodation: Nil Diya Mankada (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 : Morning game drive in Udawalawe N.P.; visit Elephant Transit Home at feeding time.

This morning our 4WD safari vehicles are waiting to take us back into Udawalawe for a second game drive within the park. Game drives typically last for 3 hours, depending on sightings, and are always accompanied by a naturalist guide. In the afternoon we visit Udawalawe’s famous Elephant Transit Home (ETH), situated just 5km from the park entrance. The transit home is run by the department of Wildlife Conservation and supported by the Born Free Foundation. It provides a safe environment for orphaned elephants, who are typically looked after at the home until they reach the age of 4, at which point they are old enough to be released back into the wild. Our visit will coincide with feeding time at ETH, where the juveniles are given bottled milk by a team of park rangers and the noisy spectacle can be witnessed from the viewing platform.

Accommodation: Nil Diya Mankada (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 : Transfer to Tissamaharama; afternoon game drive in Yala N.P.

After breakfast we depart for Tissamaharama and Yala National Park, a drive of around 3 hours. On arrival in Yala we check into our hotel and then around 3pm head out in 4WD jeeps for our afternoon game drive. Yala is Sri Lanka’s most well known national park, famous for having a higher concentration of leopard per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. Located in Sri Lanka’s lowland dry zone in the south eastern corner of the country, Yala National Park is extensive, covering some 97,881 hectares across five ‘blocks’. Yala’s vegetation primarily consists of dense secondary forest, semi-arid thorny scrub, brackish lagoons and mangroves since the park borders the coastline. With this diverse habitat comes a huge array of wildlife, including elephant, Sloth bear, Spotted deer, Water buffalo, Sambar deer, Wild boar, langur and macaque. Bird counts are also high, with over 215 species recorded, including thousands of migrating waterfowl. Our group will be split evenly between jeeps and will be joined by the tour leader, naturalist and tracker who will each sit in a different vehicle. The drive this afternoon will last around 3 – 4 hours, before we return to the hotel to freshen up and have dinner.

Accommodation: Kithala Resort (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 : Morning game drive in Yala N.P.; to Dickwella.

Wildlife tends to be at its most active during the early morning and to take advantage of this we have a morning game drive in Yala, returning to our hotel for a rest and lunch afterwards. Our naturalist guide will focus on Yala’s diverse wildlife and birds, with our game drive lasting around 3 hours. 

After lunch we transfer around 3.5 hours to Dickwella, a remarkable beach with clear waters and clean beaches. Traditional fishing boats rest on the sand in front of a backdrop of palm trees – this is postcard worthy, and in our opinion, one of the most picturesque beaches in Sri Lanka. Accommodation for our two night’s 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! We have marked this property as a ‘comfortable hotel’ with air-conditioned rooms. You will be able to relax under swaying palms by the pool while enjoying long walks along the beach. The rooms are fitted with contemporary amenities and you could simply surrender yourself to healing Balinese rituals at the spa during your seaside getaway in paradise.

Accommodation: Dickwella Resort & Spa (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9 : Relax by the beach in Dickwella; optional whale watching excursion.

Today is free to enjoy all facilities at Dickwella Resort & Spa where you could swim in the sea, walk along the beach or even have a dip in the pool. Alternatively, if there are enough people interested, we can organize a second whale watching excursion to take place this morning. By having the opportunity to go whale watching again we maximize our chances of having the most favourable weather and sea conditions. Please note that this optional excursion will involve transfers to/from Mirissa where all of the whale watching boats depart.

Accommodation: Dickwella Resort & Spa (or similar)

Comfortable Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10 : To Colombo; end Colombo.

This morning we check out and make our way to Colombo airport where our holiday comes to an end. Alternatively, an additional nights accommodation can be organised near to Colombo Airport if you would like fly home the following day.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Need any Help?

From itinerary to accommodations, our travel experts are here to assist you in creating your dream vacation.

+94 76 8884 714 info@remarkableexpeditions.com

Book this tour