Sri Lanka Nature Tours

Day 1 – Arrival / Negombo

Upon arriving in Sri Lanka meet and assist at the airport by our representative and transfer to the
Colombo Hotel from the Bandaranayake International Airport for your first night.

Overnight Stay at Hotel in Negombo

Day 2 – Negombo / Pinnawla / Dambulla

After breakfast proceed to Dambulla.

En route visit Elephant orphanage in Pinnawela.
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. where an orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and
the wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased to more than 40 now, including baby
elephants brought from various parts, as well as the babies born, as a result of the captive breeding
programme. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 0930-1000 hrs and the bathing time from 1000-
1030 hrs when all the elephants are taken to the river close by.

Witness Dambulla Cave Temple in the afternoon.

Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous
Rock Temple dating to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King Walagamba
during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most
magnificent of Rock Temples to be found on the Island

Overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla.

Day 3 – Dambulla / Sigiriya / Minneiriya / Dambulla

After breakfast proceed climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress.

Climb the Sigiriya Rock in the morning.

Sigiriya – A Fortress around the Palace on the summit of a 600 foot high rock ,contains beautiful paintings
of the Heavenly ladies called “Vijjulatha” and “Meghalatha” with 21 figures remaining out of more than
500 which are similar to the Ajantha paintings of India.
You could enjoy the New year eve at one of the best Boutique property in the dry zone of Sri Lanka.

Afternoon do a Safari at Minneriya safari park.

Minneriya National Park , the 12th National Park of the country and extends 8889 hectares. Entrance is at
Ambagaswewa about 6kms from Habarana on the main Habarana  Polonnaruwa road. Office is by the
side of the main road. Elephants, about 200 wild elephants, wild buffaloes, wild boar, spotted deer, sloth
bear, sambhur leopards, crocodiles, jackals, 9 kinds of amphibians, 25 kinds of reptiles, 160 species of
birds, 26 varieties of fishes, 78 varieties of butterflies are recorded from the Minneriya Sanctuary.

Overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla.

Day 4 – Dambulla / Matale / Kandy

After breakfast proceed to Kandy.

Enroute visit Spice Gardens    –   If variety is the spice of life, the variety of spices hand-reared and harvested at Kandy Spice Garden must be Sri Lanka’s immortal soul. Here you’ll find in abundance the great scents, tastes and medicines that made and make Sri Lanka famous. Stroll around the fragrant greenery and through the cardamom groves in the shade of huge tropical trees and give your sense of smell a new lease on life. Sniff, see and learn about nutmeg, pepper, cloves, curry, cinnamon and many others at Matale, and experience the great riches of Sri Lanka’s cuisine and traditional Ayurveda therapy .Complimentary head & foot massage will be given.

Afternoon do a City Tour in Kandy and Visit Temple of Tooth.

Kandy – Sri Lanka’s hill capital, stronghold of the Sinhala Kings, is our most beautiful town. It is 488 meters above sea level and next to Colombo is Sri Lanka’s most visited place.The focal point of the town is, without doubt, the golden roofed Dalada Maligawa where the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is enshrined. There are many shrines and temples in and around Kandy, where you will see rare paintings, frescoes, wood and stone carvings. Kandy is an exciting place for shopping with souvenirs in wood, copper, silver, brass, ebony and bronze. Ceramics, lacquer work hand looms, batiks, jewelry and rush and reed.

Overnight Stay at hotel in Kandy.

Day 5 – Kandly / Knuckles / Kandy

After breakfast do a Trekking at Knuckles mountain.

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel at around 6 am and you will take an hour and a half’s drive away from Kandy towards the Knuckles region. As you get closer, you’ll notice the scenery starting to change from palm trees, rice fields and tropical foliage to cloud forest, montane forest, and verdant plateaus of pygmy forest. You will be accompanied on your trek by a guide who knows the area intimately as well as one or two assistants (depending on your group size) who will serve as porters for the hike. You will be hiking the Corbett’s Gap Viewpoint track, starting at Leopard Rock and finishing up at one of the country’s highest waterfalls. The terrain is fairly smooth and perhaps the most challenging aspect during the rainy season will be slippery tracks and leeches. You’ll wind your way across the grassland area of the Knuckles and in towards the cloud forests as you ascend Leopard Rock, finally reaching a plateau that offers stunning panoramic vistas across the forest.

Overnight Stay at hotel in Kandy.

Day 6 – Kandy / Nuwaraeliya

After breakfast proceed to nearest railway station to get the train to start most scenery train ride in Sri Lanka.

The railway track was extended by the British in the 19th century with the main purpose of transporting goods, mainly the tea from the plantations and the imported goods to the up country. This railway line  is one of the most fascinating and superb engineering feats of the world. This train would wind its way through 46 tunnels, and it’s certainly one of the best ways to view the magnificent waterfalls, tea plantations and typical life of rural Sri Lanka.

Afternoon you will be picked up from the Nanuoya Train Station & proceed to Nuwaraeliya.

Nuwara Eliya – The ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations. It is supposed to be one of the coldest places on the island, but it is really just like an English spring day, although the temperature does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence. Houses are like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions.

Sri Lankan Tea – Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, when a few plants were brought from China. More were introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867, a Scottish Planter named James Taylor planted tea seedlings on an 8 hectares of forest land, in the Loolkandura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23lbs being shipped to London. Tea will grow only on rolling terrain and is classified be elevation into low grown, medium, grown, high grown into 3 main groups.

Overnight stay at hotel in Nuweraeliya.

Day 7 – Nuwaraeliya / Horton Plains / Nuwaraeliya

You could do an early morning tracking to Horton Plain ( Worlds end ), It is 18 miles from Nuwara Eliya. Sri Lanka’s highest plateau at an elevation of 7,000ft. in the central mountains.

A pre-dawned departure by jeep to visit the Worlds End before 10.00am (mist obscured the view thereafter).  This incredible view the aptly – named World’s End is considered to be the finest in all Sri Lanka. The terrific escarpment drops vertically for about 1,000ft and falls away almost as steeply for another 4,000ft.  In the morning a crescent of silver the Indian Ocean, rims the horizon some 50 miles to the south. Witness Baker’s Falls during your tracking.

Overnight stay at hotel in Nuweraeliya.

Day 8 – Nuwaraeliya / Sinharaja

After breakfast proceed to Sinharaja.

Sinharaja rainforest has been designated as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and also a Biodiversity Hotspot by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). All these titles are highlighting the importance of the forest reserve in terms of its exceptional biodiversity as well as its fragility. Birding in Sinharaja is particularly interesting because it is home to 95% of the endemic birds of Sri Lanka!

Overnight stay at hotel in Sinharaja.

Day 9 – Sinharaja

After breakfast do a trekking at Sinharaja.

From the calls of birds and the rumbling noise of the Gin Ganga River to the fresh air filtered by its ancient trees, the colourful species of frogs and the bright flowers, Sinharaja leaves you in awe of nature and how species have evolved to suit the environment. It is said that in Sinharaja one square mile may have higher biodiversity than the entire North American continent. Most importantly, this area has a high concentration of endemic species. 20 out of Sri Lanka’s 26 endemic bird species, including the Sri Lanka blue magpie and the green-billed coucal, are found in Sinharaja. In addition, it is home to several species of reptiles, such as green-pit and hump-nosed vipers, and some rare species of horned lizards. Also, a few elephants and leopards and many smaller mammals including the rusty spotted cat, purple-faced leaf monkey, fishing cat, mongooses and civets inhabit the forests of Sinharaja.

Overnight stay at hotel in Sinharaja.

Day 10 – Sinharaja / Udawalawa

After breakfast proceed to Udawalawa.

Do a Safari Drive att Udawalawa National Park.

The Udawalawe National Park Which Has Acreage Of 30,821 Hectares, Was Declared As A National Park Under The Fauna And Flora Protection Ordinance. It Forms Of The Largest Conservation Areas Within Ratnapura And Monaragala Districts And Largely Comprises The Lower And The Immediate Catchments Of Udawalawe. The Walawe Reservoir Is Situated In The Park And Surface Area Of It At Full Supply Level Is About 3405 Hectares. The Udawalawe National Park Is A Sanctuary For Wild Animals As Well As A Protection For The Catchment Area Of The Reservoir. Udawalawe Is An Important Habitat For Water Birds And Sri Lankan Elephants.g

Overnight stay at hotel in Udawalawe.

Day 11 – Udawalawa / Yala

After breakfast proceed to Yala.

Overnight stay at hotel in Yala.

Day 12 – Yala

After breakfast do a Full Day Safari at Yala National Park.

Yala National Park  is the second largest and most visited  in Sri Lanka. Yala is situated in the southeast region of the country. The park covers 979 square kilometers . It had originally had been designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1900. The park is best known for its variety of its wild animals.

Yala is one of the 70 important birds areas in Sri Lanka. The number of mammals that has been recorded from the park is 44, and it has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. The area had been a center of past civilizations .

Overnight stay at hotel in Yala.

Day 13 – Yala / Galle

After breakfast proceed to Galle.

Do a city tour in Galle.

Galle Sri Lanka’s most historically interesting town is Galle.  Built on a premonitory rock in the south of the Island. It was a major port until about 100 years, but today still handles shipping and sailing boats in the natural harbour.

Stroll around the Light House and harbour or visit the old town where you can see the traditional lace makers and carvers and purchase some the finest shell-craft souvenirs in the world.

Overnight Stay at Hotel in Galle.

Day 14 – Galle

Breakfast at the hotel, rest & relax enjoy the day at the beach.

Overnight Stay at Hotel in Galle.

Day 15 – Galle / Colombo

Breakfast at the hotel, rest & relax enjoy the day at the beach.

Overnight Stay at Hotel in Galle.

Day 16 – Colombo / Airport

After breakfast transfer to the Airport in time to connect with the departure flight.