WILDLIFE TOUR: Safari in Sri Lanka on this unique wildlife tour which takes in five of the beautiful Tear Drop Isle's best national parks - Wilapattu, Wasgamuwa, Gal Oya, Udawalawe and Yala. Go in search of herds of elephants, Sri Lankan sloth bears and elusive leopards, explore Dambulla's incredible cave temple, visit the Veddhas and more, in nine captivating days.
Trip Highlights
Included
Not Included
Itinerary
Colombo
Colombo - Negombo. Welcome to Sri Lanka! Upon arrival at Colombo Airport you will be met and transferred to our start hotel in Negombo. After you have checked in the remainder of the day is at your leisure. This evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at the tour briefing.
Overnight: Negombo
Wilpattu National Park
Negombo - Wilpattu. After breakfast, we drive along Sri Lanka's picturesque coast to Wilpattu National Park. Located on the west coast of Sri Lanka, Wilpattu is Sri Lanka's largest national park, covering 1085 sq kms and extending inland towards the ancient city of Anuradhapura. The lakes and dense woodland of Wilpattu are home to an impressive variety of flora and fauna including sloth bears, spotted deer, wild pigs, crocodiles and leopards - Sri Lanka’s top feline predator. This afternoon we go in search of wildlife on our first game drive, by jeep. This evening, we enjoy a tasty BBQ dinner at the camp which is located close to the Southern boundary of Wilpattu National Park, on the edge of a lake surrounded by bush forest.
Overnight: Wilpattu (tented camp) | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Dambulla & Wasgamuwa National Park
Wilpattu - Wasgamuwa. After breakfast, we depart for Wasgamuwa, stopping en route to visit Sri Lanka’s most impressive cave temples, the Dambulla Rock Temple. This stunning complex of 5 caves contains over 150 images of Buddha including an impressive 14 metre statue carved out of the cave rock. We continue to Wasgamuwa to check into our hotel, before enjoying an afternoon game drive in Wasgamuwa National Park.
The evergreen forest of Wasgamuwa, with its towering trees is home to large herds of elephants. On our game drive we may also spot wild boar, buffalo, purple faced langur monkeys, spotted deer and crocodiles basking in the sun. Not to mention up to 143 species of birds.
Overnight: Wasgamuwa | Breakfast, Dinner
Visit the Veddhas
Wasgamuwa - Gal Oya. Today we travel to Gal Oya, stopping en route in Mahiyanganaya to visit the forest dwelling Veddhas - indigenous people of Sri Lanka. We continue to our lodge in Gal Oya National Park where the rest of the day is free to spend at leisure.
Overnight: Gal Oya | Breakfast, Dinner
Gal Oya National Park
Gal Oya is one of the best preserved and least visited national parks in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1954, primarily to protect the catchment area of the vast Senanayake Samudra Reservoir, which is the largest inland body of water in Sri Lanka. Rich in bio diversity and aquatic life, Gal Oya spans 25,000 hectares of dense evergreen forest, mountains, savannah and lake.
This morning, we rise early for breakfast before embarking on a boat safari, the best way to spot Gal Oya's diverse wildlife, and if we're really lucky we might see the Asian elephant swimming in its natural habitat. We return to the hotel for lunch and to freshen up before our afternoon jeep safari.
Overnight: Gal Oya | Breakfast, Dinner
Udawalawe National Park
Gal Oya - Udawalawe. This morning we travel to Udawalawe and check into our hotel before our afternoon jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park. The park is known for its large population of elephants, there are over 400 and herds of up to 50 are commonly sighted. As well as elephants we'll be on the lookout for leopards, togue monkeys, grey langur, wild pig and sambar. Numerous bird species can also be sighted including the white bellied sea eagle and crested serpent eagle.
Overnight: Udawalawe | Breakfast
Yala National Park
Udawalawe - Yala. Bidding farewell to Gal Oya, we make our way to Yala National Park today. Checking into our hotel late morning, we then enjoy an afternoon jeep safari in the park. Yala is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka and it has the highest concentration of leopards on the island. The park is also home to a large population of Asian elephants, sloth bears, golden palm civets, Sri Lankan krait and crocodiles, while the coastline around the park is visited by leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles.
Overnight: Yala | Breakfast
Galle
Yala - Colombo. We travel back to Colombo today, stopping in Galle en route to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Galle Fortress. The fortress was first constructed by the Portuguese in 1588, then expanded and extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century. Arriving into Colombo late this afternoon, we partake in a short tour of the city and this evening we'll enjoy our final dinner together as a group.
Overnight: Colombo | Breakfast, Dinner
Colombo
Our tour comes to an end after breakfast today, with a transfer to the airport to meet your onward flight.
Breakfast
Extend your stay!
Consider spending some extra time exploring Sri Lanka's beautiful tropical coastline or simply relax and soak up the sun with a good book. Alternatively, head to India to spot more wildlife! Extend your stay by a day, a week or even two! We offer a variety of properties for you to choose from. Browse our best places to visit and Sri Lanka's best beaches pages for suggestions on what to see and do on your holiday. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know so we can accommodate your request.
For information about visas, top travel tips, best time to travel and much more, take a look through our travel guide.
Prices & Dates
All departure dates are guaranteed to operate when there are 2 persons booked on the tour. 'Twin/Double' prices are per person when there are 2 people on the same booking sharing a room. 'Single' prices are applicable to solo travellers and anyone wanting the privacy of their own room. Room sharing is not available on this tour.
Extra Prices
Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard.
Goldi Sands Hotel, Negombo
The Goldi Sands Hotel is a modern resort style hotel nestled on the golden beaches of Negombo, and just 15 minutes away from the Bandaranaike International airport. Surrounded by colonial Dutch buildings, Negombo also offers a huge fish market, lagoon boat rides and water sports such as windsurfing or water-skiing. Guests can enjoy massages or beauty treatments at the Ayurveda Spa The guestrooms and suites feature private balconies which overlook the beautiful Indian Ocean. All rooms are stylishly decorated and well equipped with a variety of amenities. The on-site restaurant serves traditional Sri Lankan dishes and fresh seafood. Drinks and light refreshments can be enjoyed at the bar, and with regular theme nights and beach barbecues there’s plenty on offer for evening entertainment.
Big Game Camp, Wilpattu National Park
Big Game Camp is ideally located for game drives within Wilpattu National Park. Guests are comfortably accommodated in spacious tents, with en suite facilities, raised beds, fresh bed linen, towels, a fan and electricity. Guests can go in search of the park's resident wildlife by day and spend evenings beside a camp fire, dining on delicious cuisine, surrounded by nature.
Lavendish Wild Safari, Wasgamuwa National Park
Nestled in the scenic surroundings of Wasgamuwa, Lavendish Wild Safari offers a delightful stay with its outdoor swimming pool, lush garden, and an on-site restaurant and bar. The hotel provides comfortable accommodations with river views and complimentary WiFi. The well-appointed rooms feature air conditioning, a desk, a flat-screen TV, and a private bathroom. Some rooms also offer mountain views and a balcony with pool view. A continental, American, or Asian breakfast is available, and guests can relax on the sun terrace.
Gal Oya Lodge, Gal Oya National Park
This unique eco lodge is spread across 20 acres of private forest, with 10 spacious and beautifully designed bungalows. Each bungalow has a private living room, bedroom with kind sized bed, and en suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers. Spectacular floor to ceiling windows and doors open onto a private veranda, to bring guests closer to nature. The cuisine at the lodge is locally sourced and lovingly prepared, with a choice of delicious Sri Lankan and Western dishes, and the outdoor pool is perfect for a refreshing dip after an exhilarating boat safari or game drive.
Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort, Udawalawe National Park
Situated on 7 acres of land, the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort is the only hotel of its class in the area. Rooms are spacious with beautiful hard wood flooring and artwork depicting the wildlife of Udawalawe. Food here is delicious and plentiful with an extensive breakfast menu. The outdoor pool is a great place to relax by and enjoy a refreshing splash in after a good day on safari. Well located just a few minutes drive from Udawalawe National Park.
Jetwing Yala, Yala National Park
Right next to Yala National Park, Jetwing Yala offers superb accommodation in a spectacular location. Guest rooms are beautifully decorated and all come with private balconies and contemporary en suites. The hotel also benefits from a stunning out door pool, a desirable beachside location and a number of excellent restaurants. Choose from elegant dining at the Dining Room or tapas at the Lounge. Perfectly located on the outskirts of Yala National Park.
Radisson Hotel Colombo, Colombo
The Radisson Hotel Colombo (formerly OZO Colombo) is a modern and stylish hotel, with sweeping Indian Ocean views from its rooftop infinity pool and many of its rooms. There's free WIFI access throughout the hotel and the guestrooms are bright and airy with all modern amenities. To top it off, there's also a fantastic fitness centre and a restaurant serving delicious, authentic Sri Lankan cusine. The hotel is centrally located on Marine Drive, near Galle Road and just a 10 minute drive from the city centre.
Reviews
Travellers have rated this tour as 5 out of 5 based on 3 recent reviews
Tour guide was fantastic. He went out of his way to make sure everyone was happy and had what they needed. He was very informative and interesting. He was accomdating and made sure everyone was informed and comfortable with the elephant orphanage decision.
Highlights of the tour were the safaris, sigiriya, and polonnaruwa. ”
A wonderful tour a wonderful country
We loved the tour. Manoj the guide was exceptional . He was very well organised and careful to manage them group dynamic sensitively . Our group was 16 people and was a good balance of ages from 20 to 60 . The tour we did was a great balance of history, visiting local people and seeing the country and wildlife. The hotels were all excellent . Security had been stepped up in Sri Lanka since the bombings and we felt very safe .”
Jehan was a fabulous guide - he could explain cultural sites, showed us some local markets, was excellent at spotting wildlife and was a very safe driver as well. We were very spoiled, being the only guests on the trip. It was a good experience to visit some smaller places and get off the beaten track. The itinerary worked very well with less visited parks visited early in the trip. Yala NP was lovely, but gee, there were a lot of jeeps! Accommodation was very good: Wilpattu Eco Lodge was a great introduction to a tented camp. They served wonderful food. Farcry Wasugama was a bit strange as we were the only guests, but staff were very hospitable and welcoming. Gal Oya Lodge was a very special place. It is one of the best places we have ever stayed, and for us, Gal Oya NP was our favourite NP. We were upgraded to a suite at Uduwalawe. It was a lovely room. Jetwing Yala was also a very special place. When we return, we will definitely wish to spend some more time there. The Fairway Colombo was in a perfect city location. I fell in love with Sri Lanka - the country, the animals, the welcoming smiling people, the food. I can't wait to return. ”
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Tour guide was fantastic. He went out of his way to make sure everyone was happy and had what they needed. He was very informative and interesting. He was accomdating and made sure everyone was informed and comfortable with the elephant orphanage decision.
Highlights of the tour were the safaris, sigiriya, and polonnaruwa. ”
