Wildlife Spotting Holiday In Sri Lanka

Customers travelling on the group flights will transfer from the airport to our hotel in Negombo.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

After breakfast we leave Negombo to start our journey to Anamaduwa. Along the way we stop to visit a small tile factory where we can see the intricate process of tiles being hand made. We also stop at another of the cottage industries and learn about the process of hand-making and firing of bricks. Sometimes we see 'toddy tappers' along the route, harvesting the sap from palm trees to ferment in to alcohol. We arrive at The MudHouse in time for lunch. The Mudhouse is set in 60 acres of forest and we stay in huts, in traditional style constructed with natural, locally sourced materials.  The afternoon is free to relax or there is a chance to try out kayaking on the lake, cycle through the forest or take a short walk to a nearby lake.

Overnight Traditional hut (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An early start this morning as we join our guide for a short walk through the forest looking for birdlife. If we are lucky we may spot painted storks and several species of eagle as well as kingfishers and jungle fowl. After breakfast we visit the nearby Paramakanda Cave Temple, thought to have been created in 89BC. The temple complex is set in to a large structure of rock with some interesting formations, from the top there are panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.  There are two shrines with unique frescos painted directly on to the rocks.  We return to the Mudhouse for lunch and the afternoon is free to relax.

Overnight Traditional hut (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a morning nature walk we transfer to Wilpattu National Park where we spend the next two days. The park covers an area of 425 square miles and has recently opened to tourists. The park offers a variety of landscapes including dense forest and large, flat plains with freshwater lakes. We take three game drives in to the park and we hope to spot elephant, sloth bear, and leopard if we are lucky. We also keep a keen eye out for birdlife and in particular at the wetlands we may see white ibis, large white egret and purple heron. We take our game drives early in the morning and late afternoon offering the best chance to see wildlife and giving us chance to relax over lunch.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we explore some of the major places of interest in Anuradhapura. Founded around 500 BC, it became important with the conversion of the Ruler and his people to Buddhism some time later – 260-210 BC. The site was vast and the city spread over many miles. There were hospitals for the sick, hostels for travellers, and artificial reservoirs ensured a good water supply. Of great interest are the Sacred Bo-Tree (more than 2,200 years old); the Brazen Palace (once a nine storey residence for monks); the Ruvanvalisaya Dagoba (a massive dome-shaped shrine 90m high), which towers over the surrounding countryside; and the Smadhi Buddha (a 4th century AD masterpiece). In the afternoon we visit Mihintale, situated 8 miles away and the veritable cradle of Buddhism. The young monk Arahath stayed in these mountain caves and converted the local people to Buddhism. Exploring Mihintale involves climbing a flight of 1,840 shallow stone steps leading to the summit of the Missaka mountain. There are excellent views from the top looking back to Anuradhapura.  We continue on to Sigiriya where we are free to relax on arrival.

Overnight Lodge (H) Included meals: Breakfast

A morning climb brings us up to the redoubtable Sky Fortress. The ruins of this 5th century fortress are one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions, a stupendous sight to behold and a feat of consummate engineering skill. A switchback series of steps and steel stairways (sometimes steep and challenging) ascend to the top. Halfway up, tucked beneath a sheltering overhang of rock, are the famous frescoes – the Sigiriya Damsels, their colours still glowing. Magnificent views can be enjoyed from the summit of the rock palace (200m high). We then drive to Dambulla, where a great series of caves have been turned into temples (dating from the 1st century BC). We will visit five separate caves, which contain a large number of Buddha images and a few sculptures of Hindu Gods. This World Heritage Site is visited by crowds of worshippers.

Overnight Lodge (H) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we explore the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, which reached its height of glory in the 12th century. The city still has many interesting and spectacular buildings and monuments. There is the Royal Palace Group with its Audience Hall, Bathing Pool and Quadrangle – a very compact collection of ruins. Close by is the Circular Relic House, a curious round structure with a beautifully preserved ‘moonstone’ carved at the foot of a flight of steps. Another famous feature of the deserted city is the group of carved images of the Buddha known as Galvihara. Here there are four colossal figures, all of which are hewn out of solid granite. The Reclining Buddha is no less than 14m long! In the early afternoon we drive to Minnerya National Park where during the months of August and September elephants gather at the receeding lakes for water, groups of up to 300 elephants have been seen at what is known as 'the gathering'.

Overnight Lodge (H) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we take the short drive to Dambana.  We arrive in the village in time for lunch and are welcomed by the Vaddeh tribe with a traditional dance to evoke blessings on visitors to the village. The Veddah are Sri Lanka's indigenous inhabitants.  They are also referred to as Wanniya-laeto, which translates as forest dwellers, and are hunter gathers that continue to live off the land to this day. Veddah's are known for their rich meat diet but they will only kill animals for food, not harming young or pregnant animals to preserve the supply.

Overnight Lodge (H) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we spend a full day in the village experiencing the life of the Veddah people. We have the opportunity to learn about their hunting techniques and whilst we cannot join them on a hunt we will see the preparations for a hunt including how to create a traditional bow and arrows and some simple animal traps. We also hope to have the chance to see a honey collection. Throughout the day we can learn about this traditional way of life and how the village plans to maintain these traditions.

Overnight Lodge (H) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we leave the forest and drive to Kandy. Lying in the mountains 112km northeast of Colombo, Kandy is, in climatic terms, a world apart due to its altitude of 500m above sea level. The town was captured by the British as late as 1815, and is known more for its cultural and spiritual importance rather than its history. Buddhists from all over the world come to this delightful old highland town, specifically to visit the Temple of the Tooth, the Dalada Maligawa. The costly jewelled shrine of the Holy Tooth (said to be 3.5cm long by 1cm thick and Buddha’s left canine) is kept in the upper floor of the original building. This relic was brought from India 1,500 years ago and every year, at the time of the August full moon, it is paraded round the town with great pomp and circumstance. During this ten-night festival of Perahera, the Tooth (or a simulacrum) is borne along on a richly caparisoned elephant, surrounded by saffronrobed monks and Kandyan dancers. Kandyan dancers can also be seen performing every night at one or two locales around town. This afternoon's we witness the Temple of the Tooth Ceremony.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we visit the Peradeniya Botanical gardens, the largest gardens in Sri Lanka. THe vegetation is purely tropical with beautiful displays of climbing plants, palms, bamboo and orchids amongst others. After our visit we return to the coast and spend the afternoon at leisure on the beach.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning is free to relax by the coast and watch the mornings catch come in. After lunch we transfer to Muthurajawela Marshes, just south of Negombo.  We take a boat trip through the mangrove forests where the combination of sea water and fresh water has developed a diverse ecosystem home to monitor lizards, crocodiles and pythons. Birdlife dominates this area with over 102 species recorded.  We return to Negombo this evening for our last night on the island.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Our tour ends this morning after breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast