Wild Sri Lanka

Those on group flights will leave London today for an overnight flight to Sri
Lanka.
**

Day 2

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*

Day 3

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*

Day 4

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*

Day 5

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*

Day 6

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*

Day 7

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 co-incide with feeding time at ETH, where the juveniles are given
bottled milk by a team of park rangers and the noisy specatacle can be
witnessed from the viewing platform.
Accommodation: Nil Diya Mankada (or similar)
*Comfortable Hotel*

Day 8

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*

Day 9

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*

Day 10

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 favorable 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*

Day 11

This morning we check out and make our way to Colombo airport where our
holiday comes to an end. Flight inclusive clients travelling with Sri Lankan
airlines will usually leave Sri Lanka in the early afternoon, arriving into
London this evening. Flights with Etihad Airlines tend to depart much later
in the evening and won't arrive back into London until Day 12 of this
itinerary. Land Only clients should check with our customer operations team
before booking their own flights to ensure they can be dropped at the airport
in time. Alternatively, an additional nights accommodation can be organised
near to Colombo Airport if you would like to fly home on Day 12 of the
itinerary.
**