Sri Lankan Wildlife Photography Experience
20 nights / 21 days

Arrival in Bandaranayake International Airport in Colombo and transfer to Katunayake for two nights.

In the early morning, visit Dikkele Forest to photograph Brown Wood Owl & Forest Eagle Owl. Other bird highlights include Yellow Fronted Barbet, Brown Capped Babbler, Layard Parakeet, Ceylon Hanging Parrot, Gray Hornbill, Ceylon Small Barbet and Ceylon Green Pigeon. Return to the hotel and take a rest during the daytime. In the late afternoon, another visit to the Forest, this time for the endemic Red Slender Loris & Golden Palm-civet.

After breakfast, leave for Wilpattu for two nights. In the afternoon, go out for a game drive at Wilpattu National Park for a chance to see Leopards, Sloth Bears, Wild Elephants & other mammals as well as endemic birds including the Ceylon Junglefowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Woodshrike and Black-capped Bulbul, etc.

Full day game drive in Wilpattu National Park in search of Leopards, Sloth Bears, Wild Elephants & other wildlife and birds.

After breakfast, leave for Sigiriya for one night. In the afternoon, visit Minneriya National Park for photography of Elephants gathering. During the months of June – September, up to 350 Asian Elephants can be seen gathering in the tank beds of Minneriya. Also, you will have chances to see birds such as Painted Storks, Great White Pelicans, Ruddy Turnstones and Grey Herons and other endemic birds like Sri Lanka Jungle Fowls, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrots, Sri Lanka Brown-capped Babblers and the Sri Lanka Grey Hornbills, etc. In the late afternoon, go out again for Gray Loris watching.

This morning photographing at Sigiriya Bird Sanctuary, will be your final chance to get any of the dry zone species that you might have missed until now. Look for Orange-headed Thrushes, Purple Sunbirds, Stork-billed Kingfishers, Asian Paradise Flycatchers, White-rumped Shamas and rare Blue-eared Kingfishers around the Sigiriya Moat. You may also visit the World Heritage Site of Sigiriya Rock Fortress, to see frescos of celestial nymphs.
Then we will visit Polonnaruwa, (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to photograph primates. Continue to Wasgamuwa, for the next two nights.

In the morning & afternoon, head out for game drives in Wasgamuwa National Park. Approximately 150 wild elephants are living in the Park. In addition to these giants, you might see Wild Buffaloes and Spotted Deer and Crocodiles. If you are really lucky, you might come across a Leopard or a Sloth Bear.

After breakfast leave for our Camp Site inside Gal Oya National Park for the next two nights.

Full day visit at Gal Oya National Park. The famous “Crossing” of wild elephants happens in Parakrama Samudraya, a water tank bordering the Nilgala Forest. In this water tank there are several islands with vegetation & elephants which swim from the mainland in search of food. This is the only place in Sri Lanka where you might witness elephants swimming.

After breakfast, leave for Kandy for one night. In the late afternoon, visit Puhuaramba to look for Giant Flying Squirrels.

After breakfast, photograph the wildness in Knuckles Mountain Range. Continue to Nuwara Eliya for the next two nights. En route, visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic (a UNESCO world Heritage Site).

In the morning, visit Horton Plains National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to see Cloud Forests and rare montane fauna, which includes the endemic Rhino-horned Lizard. We also look for endemic birds like Yellow-eared Bulbuls and Sri Lanka Hill White-eyes and Dull-blue Flycatchers. In the afternoon, visit Hakgala Botanical Garden to photograph endemic birds like Sri Lanka White Eyes, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeons, Ceylon Hill Munias and Dull-blue Flycatchers.

After breakfast, leave for Yala for two nights. In the afternoon, go out for game drive into the Yala National Park in search of Leopards, Elephants, Sloth Bears and other wildlife.

In the morning, visit Bundala National Park. The highlight would be large flocks of Greater Flamingos, which could number up to a few hundred. Bundala is the only ‘Ramsar’ wetland in Sri Lanka. In the afternoon, another game drive into Yala National Park in search of Leopards and other wildlife.

After breakfast, leave for Udawalawe for one night. In the afternoon, visit Uda Walawe National Park. Udawalawe presents you with first dry zone experience on the tour with Elephants and fantastic birding.

After breakfast, leave for Sinharaja for two nights. In the afternoon, visit Sinharaja Rainforest (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Birds highlights include Red-faced Malkohas, Sri Lanka Blue Magpies, White-faced Starlings and Scaly Thrushes. Mammal highlights include Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys, Grizzled Indian Squirrels, endemic Layard’s Striped Squirrels, Small Flying Squirrels, Indian Muntjacs, Yellow-striped Mouse-deer, Wild Pigs, Sambar Deer, Fishing Cats & Leopards.

Morning & afternoon visits to the Sinharaja Rainforest for seeing wet lowland endemics & other wildlife.

After breakfast, leave for Galle for three nights. In the afternoon, visit Galle Dutch Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Transfer to Mirissa Fishery's Harbor and start your whale watching journey. It is the best place in the world for seeing Blue Whales and almost certainly the best place in the world for sighting both Blue Whales and Sperm Whales. Spend thefternoon, free leisure time by the beach.

In the morning, enjoy another whale watching cruise to see Spinner Dolphins, Blue Whales and Sperm Whales. Afternoon, free at leisure by the beach.

Transfer to Bandaranayake International Airport for departure.
**If you need PCR test negative result for your returning journey, please do not hesitate to ask us. We can arrange and reschedule your program.