The flight from LHR to CMB takes approximately 10 hours (Via Sri Lankan Airline)

COLOMBO AIRPORT-COLOMBO        

22 Miles Approx 30 Minutes over the express highway

COLOMBO – UDA WALAWE

142 Miles Approx 4.5 Hours

 The Transit Camp For Baby Elephants

The Uda Walawe Transit Centre specialises in the release of orphaned baby elephants back to the wild. Some 13 baby elephants are presently handled by this centre. You can see the highly absorbing sight of bottle-feeding of the young elephants at 12 O clock feeding time.

 Wild Elephants At Uda Walawe National Park

The Uda Walawe National Park has some 500 elephants that often gather in large herds to eat ‘Mana’ grass by the edge of the large lake. Elephant watching is also helped by the fact that much of the park consists of semi-open glades and abandoned teak plantations. The scenery is very picturesque as it is framed against the backdrop of the mist laden Hill Country.

 This is also a great park for birds, especially raptors such as the Crested Serpent Eagle and the Grey Headed Fishing Eagle.

UDA WALAWE – YALA

40 Miles Approx 2 Hours

 Encounters With Leopards And Wild Elephants At Yala

The jewel among Sri Lanka’s wildlife reserves and one of Asia’s premier sanctuaries is justifiably famous for its population of Leopards that can easily be observed hunting and lazing around during daylight hours. The island’s big cat is attracted by the presence of large herds of Spotted Deer, Sambar (Elk) and Wild Boar that comprise its staple diet.

 Apart from the wildlife, the stunning landscapes at Yala consist of strange shaped rock outcrops that are the ideal habitat of the aggressive Sloth Bear and a coastline dotted with beautiful lagoons harbouring migratory flamingoes and ferocious Marsh Crocodiles.

 Around 100 Elephants are also found in and around the park. Today there are said to be 18 to 20 ‘tuskers’ in the reserve, including some huge ‘cross-tuskers’.

Encounters With Leopards And Wild Elephants At Yala

Yala has beautiful rocky landscapes that are the ideal terrain for Leopard encounters at places such as the aptly named Leopard Rock. The frequent sightings of this usually elusive ‘big cat’ have made Yala probably the best location in the world to observe Leopards in the wild.

 Some 125 bird species have been recorded. Raptors include the Crested Serpent Eagle, and White Bellied Sea Eagle. Water birds include the Lesser Flamingo and the rare Black-Necked Stork. During the north-east monsoon the lagoons are visited by thousands of migrating waterfowl such as the White Winged Black Tern and the Pintail.

YALA – TANGALLE

70 Miles Approx 2.5 Hours

Bundala National Park

EARLY START REQUIRED

 This is a RAMSAR designated wetland of international importance. The Bundala Lagoons constitute one of the most important wintering areas for shorebirds in Asia, accommodating upto 20 000 at any given time, including the rare Black-necked Stork. The park is also the last refuge of the Greater Flamingo in Sri Lanka with about 2000 of these wintering here during the migratory season.

 Apart from birdlife, the park is also home to around 30 elephants, Other mammals seen in the park are Toque Macaque, Common Langur, Jackal, Leopard, Fishing Cat Felis, Wild Boar and herds of Spotted Deer. There are also huge specimens of Mugger Crocodile and Estuarine Crocodile in the lagoons.

 The Turtle Nesting Beaches At Tangalle

JANUARY-JULY

 The beaches of Kalametiya and Rekawa are the best locations to observe giant sea turtles. Five out of the seven species of sea turtles come ashore to nest in Sri Lanka, making it an ideal country to go Turtle Watching. They are the Green Turtle, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and the Olive Ridley. The best time is to go out to the beach in the middle of the night under torchlight when the turtles crawl onto the beaches.

TANGALLE – MIRISSA

24 Miles Approx 1 Hour

 The South Coast Road And The Stilt Fishermen Of Koggala

A lovely coast road passes through a succession of picture-postcard beaches and idyllic bays such as Weligama, widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful in the world. The island’s unique Stilt Fishermen can be seen in this area during the late afternoons.

Whale Watching At Mirissa
NOVEMBER-APRIL

The sea off Mirissa is the most reliable site in the world for seeing the difficult and desired Blue Whale. It may also be the best place for seeing Sperm Whales. Large Baleen Whales and Toothed Whales also come within sight of the shore.

If there are calm seas, an early morning boat trip can be arranged from Mirissa Harbour where there is an outstanding window of opportunity for observing Blue Whales and Sperm Whales close to shore. Pods of Long-Snouted Spinner Dolphins are also commonly observed on Whale Watching Trips from Mirissa.

Walking Trails Through The Sinharaja Rainforest

Day 1
The last remaining extent of undisturbed tropical rainforest in Sri Lanka is of crucial conservation value having been designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve. About 60% of the endemic flora of the country is found in and around the Sinharaja Rainforest.

Trails run through the heart of the rainforest and you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the unbroken canopy along the way. Experienced Forest Dept guides or Naturalists will accompany you safely inside the maze of trees and creepers rising hundreds of feet above the forest floor.

Walking Trails Through The Sinharaja Rainforest

Day 2
In Sinharaja, as in any rain forest, the terrain makes visual sightings of mammals comparatively difficult. The Purple-Faced Leaf Monkey is perhaps the most observable of the mammals.

Browsers that feed off the forest floor include the Wild Pig, Sambhur, Mouse Deer and the Barking Deer. Leopards are seldom sighted but their presence is frequently confirmed by tracks. Also found within the forest are the rare Rusty-Spotted Cat and the Fishing Cat. The Flying Squirrel is also seen at dusk.

The Sinharaja Reserve is rich in bird life with an impressive 147 species recorded to date. The Red-faced Malkoha is an endangered and elusive bird, and a sighting is generally rated as the highlight of rainforest birdwatching.

DENIYAYA – NEGOMBO
124 Miles Approx 4 Hours

Boat Trip Through Muthurajawela Marsh
The southern end of Negombo Lagoon is area of conserved lagoon and wetland rich in bird life with 126 resident species and aquatic mammals such as otter, mongoose and fishing cat. Large Salt-Water Crocodiles and Water Monitors are also present.

Depart Sri Lanka – Daytime flights arrive back in UK the same day.