Sri Lanka's Ancient Kingdoms & Wildlife. Experience the seductive wilderness of a tiny island through the eyes of the locals. Walk on centuries-old animal trails with community based guides. See jungle farming. Explore lost kingdoms, World Heritage Sites and 2500 year old palaces.
Day 1 – Arrive Colombo
Arrive to Colombo airport where you will be met by your English speaking driver and transported for an overnight stay at a cosy B&B. Evening at leisure.
Day 2 – Yala National Park
Proceed to your private retreat for a two night stay, a beautifully designed Eco Lodge located in a prime wildlife habitat just 10 minutes drive from the Yala National Park. Stay two nights in the lodge which is a replica of a traditional thatched roof Sri Lankan home with no hot water, air conditioning or a pool but with all the modern luxuries of delicious Sri Lankan meals, cosy beds, soft linen and open to the skies showers. Take an evening safari drive inside the Park which is famous for its diversity, with sand dunes and semi deciduous forests, numerous species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, including the largest of the Asian leopards. (B,L,D)
Day 3 – Yala National Park
Wake with the dawn, collect a packed bush breakfast and leave on a jungle bushwalk with a community based guide and a jungle farmer who will share insights into wild animal calls, animal prints, rare birds and traditional knowledge of local medicinal plants. Learn about farming in the jungle and have an al-fresco lunch cooked as the locals do in the wild. Take another safari drive this afternoon. (B,L,D)
Day 4 – Gal Oya National Park
Take a scenic drive to Moneragala then board a boat to visit the Gal Oya National Park on the vast man-made Senanayake Samudraya, dotted with tiny islands, home to birds and elephants. Stay overnight in a boutique resort in Gal Oya. (B,D)
Day 5 – Kandy
Relax in the natural beauty of your resort or trek the mighty Knuckles mountain range. Visit the World Heritage Site of Kandy which is home to the sacred Tooth Relic and three historically and architecturally significant Buddhist-Hindu shrines of the 14th century. Stay overnight at a boutique lodge in Kandy. (B,D)
Day 6 – Sigiriya
Visit Dambulla Rock Temple, a cave monastery from the 3rd century BC. Travel on to Sigiriya and your accommodation for three nights, the Tree-top Boulder Cottages, a small group of stunningly designed tree-top lodges in a forest bordering two streams. (B,D)
Day 7 – Sigiriya
Leave early with a packed breakfast on a boating bird-trail. Glide across the placid lake, watching for aquatic birds amongst the lily pads, to the base of the stunning Sigiriya Rock. Climb the 600 ft rock, once the seat of an ancient Sinhala King. (B,D)
Day 8 – Sigiriya
This morning the resident naturalist will take you on a nature trek along the river in the midst of rain forest-like vegetation and will introduce you to a jungle-farmer and his dry zone farming techniques. After a leisurely river bath and a delicious lunch, join a safari drive to view herds of Asian elephants in nearby parks. For visits in July or August you may see the “gathering” billed as the 6th greatest animal spectacle by Lonely Planet. (B,L,D)
Day 9 – Depart Colombo
Your tour concludes with a transfer to Colombo airport for the flight home. (B)
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Prices are per person, in Australian dollars. Please confirm prices when booking.
Price Includes:
Price Excludes:
Depart any day. Minimum of 2 passengers, maximum of 5. All safari activities are designed to provide a source of income to the local community.
