Day 01 – Experience Negombo
Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lanka. You will be warmly received by a local representative of Taprobane Leisure and directed to your hotel in Negombo a short distance away from the Airport. Negombo is a diverse experience in itself with its picturesque beaches, the lagoon, dazzling fishing villages, and archaeological sites, also called ‘Little Rome’ because of the numerous Roman Catholic churches and statues of saints marking its landscape.
Spend a relaxing evening admiring the scenic view of catamaran sailboats returning from the sea at sunset. A look around the many shops in Lewis Place will uncover for you a veritable treasure trove of tropical souvenirs, precious stones, gems & jewelry, handcrafted textiles, and more.
Overnight in Negombo.
Day 02, 03 & 04 – Explore the wilderness of Wilpattu
Explore Sri Lanka’s largest and the oldest national park. With lush vegetation ensconcing herds of deer, leopards, sea eagles, mammals, and reptiles, Wilpattu means land of lakes in the native language. Inland lakes – natural sand-rimmed basins or depressions that fill with rainwater in the rainy season – are what make this a unique travel spot.
Did you know that there are historically important sites scattered throughout the Wilpattu jungle?
Wilpattu is the area where the founder of the Sinhala civilization is said to have arrived. He landed in Thambapanni or the red terrain so named for the bronze/coppery hue of its soil. The sand-rimmed water basins are said to have been used by the queen of the Yakka tribe who lived in this region at the time. As nature made its inevitable takeover of the land, these are now turned into watering holes for wildlife that roam the region. The heart of the jungle still carries traces of the by-gone era, in the form of ruins tucked away among the jungle paths, watering holes, and vegetation.
You will spend 3 days at the Wilpattu National Park where a wide variety of water bird species and large mammals including Wild boar, Wild Asian Buffalo, and Spotted Deer can be viewed. Birds commonly seen at Wilpattu are the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Blue-Faced Malkoha, Serpent Eagle, Crested Hawk-Eagles, Egrets, Purple Heron, Little Grebe, White-throated Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Ceylon Sharma, Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Indian Peacock, Imperial Green Pigeon, Emerald Dove, Shikra, Oriental Magpie-robin, Black Robin, Black Headed Oriole, Red-backed Woodpecker, Pygmy Woodpecker, Loten’s Sunbird, Fantail Flycatcher, Green-blue and Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters.
The highlight of our excursion will be to spot and photograph the Sri Lankan Leopard and Sloth bear which are often seen at Wilpattu.
Ensconce yourself in Wilpattu’s wilderness!
- An evening game drive on Day 02.
- Full-day game drive on Day 03.
- Morning and evening game drives on Day 04.
Overnight in Wilpattu.
Day 05 – Witness the majesty of Elephants at Habarana
Breakfast at Wilpattu followed by the transfer to Habarana, approximately a 5-hour drive.
Habarana is a safari lovers’ paradise with easy access.
Once you have checked into the hotel and freshened up, an evening game drive through the Minneriya national park – a famous hotspot for elephant watching – awaits. Minneriya’s elephant watching season falls through July/August up until December.
Minneriya is home to a resident population of about 200 elephants. These numbers increase during the dry season due to the influx of elephants coming into the park in search of water. Get on a safari jeep escorted by a tracker and a guide who will take you into the wilderness for an encounter with these majestic creatures.
Herds of elephants wandering freely in the wild, often with playful baby elephants in tow is a sight to behold.
Overnight in Habarana.
Day 06 – Further excursions in Habarana
A hearty breakfast followed by a jungle trek through the Habarana jungle to witness an amazing variety of bird species.
Relax away in the early afternoon once you are back in the hotel after the jungle trek. Head back to the Minneriya National park once again in the late afternoon to capture more photographs of the gathering herds of Elephants. Spot some Pelicans, large flocks of Asian Open-billed Storks, and the White-bellied Sea-Eagles too.
Overnight at Habarana.
Day 07 & 08 – A rainforest adventure in Sinharaja
Transfer to Sinharaja following breakfast for a rainforest adventure.
Beautiful Sinharaja designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO is a sprawling 6092 hectares of tropical evergreen forest reserve. Teeming with life and alive with sound, there is much to explore and enjoy here, beyond the boulder-strewn stream and moss-covered forest path.
Glimpse Brown-capped, Dark-fronted and Orange-billed Babblers and the very secretive Sri Lanka Spurfowl – usually tracked down by its call, with Layard’s parakeet screeching overhead. Spot the migratory Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Green-billed Coucal, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, the scarce Red-faced Malkoha, the striking Malabar Trogon – often perched motionless high overhead. The Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, and several species of Munia including the uncommon and localized Black-throated Munia, are some of the jewels of this lush landscape.
You’ll likely get to see the Sri Lanka Giant Squirrel scurrying over tree branches and Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys swinging from branch to branch.
To enjoy this beautiful rainforest in its very essence and to be absorbed in its magical presence, you will have to do a good 8 to 10 hours of walking among its paths.
- An evening rainforest trek on Day 07.
- A Full day rainforest trek on Day 08.
Overnight in Sinharaja.
Day 09, 10 & 11 – Revel in the safari vibrance of Yala
Yala National Park’s incredible wildlife has made this vast area of forest, grassland, and lagoons a world-famous safari park. A tour that is bound to bring ample fun and photo delights!
An unexpected Elephant on the road. The cherished glimpse of a lounging leopard. The mating dance of a peacock at sunset. A wild buffalo defending itself. Herds of roaming deer and deathly still crocodiles sunning on mud banks. Watch as nature unfolds at its most vibrant.
Yala is a haven for birds as well. Thousands of migratory water birds flocking in the numerous lagoons as well as the resident forest birds make Yala a bird lovers’ paradise.
You will spend 3 days in this vivacious nature park, focusing on viewing the Asian Leopard whilst spotting large species such as the Asian Elephant, Sambar and Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Golden Jackal, Hanuman Langur, Toque Macaque, Mugger Crocodiles, and the elusive Sloth Bear. Among dry zone bird species, we will look out for the Brahminy Kite, Serpent Eagle, Crested Hawk-eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, and the occasional Shikra.
Revel in this vibrance of the wilderness!
- An evening game drive on Day 09.
- A full day game drive on Day 10.
- And Morning and evening game drives on Day 11.
Overnight in Yala.
Day 12 – Farewell at Negombo
Your wildlife adventure has come to an end. We hope you got to see all that you were hoping for.
Transfer to Negombo and proceed to Bandaranaike International Airport for departure.
