Sri Lanka Safari, Tour & Trek

Colombo - Kalutara. Upon arrival at Colombo International Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the coastal town of Kalutara, approx. 40km south of Colombo. The remainder of today is at your leisure.

Kalutara - Sinharaja - Udawalawe. After an early breakfast, we depart for Kalawana to enjoy a trek in the Sinharaja Rainforest. Designated a UNESCO Nature World Heritage Site, this area of Sri Lankan tropical lowland forest spans 8900 acres and found within its lush green is an abundance of wildlife including leopard, monkeys, birds and butterflies. Due to the dense vegetation, it is not always easy to spot the rare animals whilst trekking but there is the possibility of seeing a good number of endemic bird species.

From Sinharaja Rainforest we continue to Udawalawe National Park for our first game drive. Udawalawe National Park covers 31,800 hectares and was declared a protected sanctuary with national park status in 1972. Surrounded by mountain ranges, the terrain of the park is a mixture of grassland (rivalling the savanna of Africa) and shrub jungle. Teak plantations, water holes and two important factors make the park special - the large Udawalawe Reservoir and the Walewe River, which ensure a supply of water for the fauna within. Internationally renowned for its large herds of elephants, the park is also known for several species of deer, wild boar, wild buffalo, jackal and the ever illusive leopard.

Udawalawe - Tissamaharama. Before breakfast, we go in search of wildlife on an early morning game drive through Udawalawe National Park. On return we enjoy breakfast before travelling to the pretty lakeside town of Tissamaharama (Tissa), which is ideally located for excursions to nearby Yala.

This afternoon, we partake in our first game drive in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's most famous national park and s home to elephants, bears, crocodiles, wild boars and of course, leopards! With 97,800 hectares of land, Yala is Sri Lanka's second largest national park (after Wilpattu).

Tissamaharama - Gal Oya. Before breakfast this morning, we head out on a second game drive. Its open undulating terrain made it famous for elephants for many years, but more recently the park has received TV fame from National Geographic and the Discovery Channel with focus on leopard research, conservation and identification projects. The park is now thought to hold the highest concentration of leopards per square kilometre. Areas popular with the leopard are the rock strewn hillocks with dense shrub in which the animals hide.

After breakfast, we continue our journey to Gal Oya, 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. During our time in Gal Oya we'll enjoy a game drive and a boat safari, hopefully spotting some of the park's large herds of elephant.

Gal Oya - Nuwara Eliya. It's another early start for a second game drive in Gal Oya before breakfast before travelling to Nuwara Eliya. Often referred to as ‘Little England’, this genteel highland community has a vaguely British-country-village feel to it, with its colonial-era bungalows, Tudor-style hotels, well-tended hedgerows and pretty gardens. This afternoon, we take a leisurely drive through Nuwara Eliya to take in the sites, before returning to our hotel.

Nuwara Eliya - Kandy. This morning with our packed breakfast, we leave for an excursion to Horton Plains and our trek to World's End and the beautiful Baker's Falls which takes about 2-3 hours. Horton Plains is Sri Lanka's highest plateau, 7200 feet above sea level in the central mountain country. It's a very scenic region with an astounding variety of landscapes, from mountains to grasslands, marshes to trout streams. Sri Lanka's best tea is grown in the surrounding areas and there are spectacular views from 'World's End' where the plateau plunges a thousand feet in a straight sheer drop. This is excellent hiking country with a cool climate, wonderful flora, colourful butterflies and many highland birds.

After our hike we travel to Kandy, stopping enroute to visit a local tea plantation and learn all about the tea making process at the tea factory. The Hill Capital of Kandy was the last bastion of the Sinhala kings and is rich in history and culture. This evening, we visit the famous Temple of the Tooth Relic and enjoy a show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dance.

Kandy - Colombo. After breakfast, we travel back to Colombo, during our joureny we visit the Royal Botanical Garden at Peradeniya. Sri Lanka's largest city Colombo, is located on the west coast and draws together all the cultures, religions and influences of foreign lands, to create a fascinating blend of east and west, past and present. This afternoon we take in the sights of capital on a guided tour, visiting the Fort area in the north of the city, famous for its government buildings and interesting shops, Independence Square, the stunning Gangarama Temple and more. Colombo has a great range of high quality restaurants serving tasty cuisine from around the world and wonderful shops to independently explore.

After breakfast, we bid you a fond farewell with a transfer to the airport to meet your onward flight.