On landing at Bandaranaike International Airport, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to Waikkal for your first night in Sri Lanka. Those participants who are also travelling to Nepal will join Tonia for the short flight from Kathmandu to Colombo.

Accommodation: Waikkal (en suite room). Meals: none

We start the day with an early boat safari in the waterways near Ranweli in search of herons, bitterns, kingfishers and other waterbirds. After we leave for Wilpattu in the dry north-west of the island, where we will have lunch. In the afternoon, we will take a safari in Wilpattu National Park. Declared a sanctuary in 1905, Wilpattu has one of the largest populations of Leopard on the island.

Accommodation: Resort at Wilpattu (en suite room). Meals: B, L, D

We spend today on a full day safari in the dry scrub forest and seasonal wetlands of Wilpattu NP, where we will look for Leopard, Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant, Jackal, Sambar, Spotted Deer and Mugger Crocodile. Over 250 species of birds are also here, including Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Indian Peacock, Crested Serpent Eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Painted Snipe, Emerald Dove and Asian Paradise Flycatcher.

Accommodation: Wilpattu as for last night. Meals: B, L, D.

After breakfast we leave for Mannar. Here we will visit three sanctuaries looking for arid zone species and winter migrants including Crab Plover, Western Reef Egret, Greater Flamingo, Northern Shoveler, Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite. 

Accommodation: Mannar (en suite room). Meals: B, L, D.

Today will be a full day birding in Mannar at Vankalai sanctuary, the saltern and the causeway. A variety of terns, waders and ducks which include Black-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian Wigeon, Spot-billed Duck, Pintail and Northern Shoveler can be seen on the brackish lagoons and waterways. Rare winter migrants including Crab Plover and Pied Avocet may also be encountered here. The star attraction being flocks of migratory Greater Flamingo which visit in large numbers.  Resident species which can be seen year-round include Grey Francolin, Black-shouldered Kite, Indian Courser, Black Kite, Long-tailed Shrike and Black Drongo.

Accommodation: Mannar. Meals: B, L, D.

We will spend the day visiting Anuradhapura, exploring the island’s first capital founded in 5th century BC. Here we will see some of the most famous dagobas (Buddhist shrines) of Sri Lanka, remains of palaces, temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. This tree was grown from a sapling of the tree under which the Buddha found enlightenment.  We will then proceed to Sigiriya, our base for the next two nights.

Accommodation: Sigiriya (en suite rooms). Meals: B, L, D.

Early morning, birding in Sigiriya Sanctuary will yield dry-zone species. Afterwards, the energetic have the opportunity to climb the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress, where Shaheen Falcon (subcontinental race of the Peregrine Falcon) can often be spotted. At the top of the massive 200-metre high rock are the palace ruins of King Kassapa. In the afternoon, we go on a birding walk along the hotel nature trail looking for winter migrants including Orange-headed Thrush and Indian Pitta and resident species including the Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Brown-capped Babbler (endemic), Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill (endemic) and Coppersmith Barbet.  After dinner, there will be a night safari in Habarana exploring the forest and numerous lakes. We look for the three smaller wild cats – Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat and the extremely elusive Rusty Spotted Cat along with Otter, Grey Slender Loris, Golden Palm Civet, different species of Owls and Nightjars.

Accommodation: Sigiriya (en suite room). Meals: B, L, D.

After dawn birdwatching in the hotel gardens, we will drive to Nuwara Eliya high among the tea plantations in the hill country. We will stop en-route at the Dambulla Cave Temple The Dambulla Cave Temple is famous for its rock paintings and is among the best preserved monastic temple cave complexes in Sri Lanka. Dambulla’s origin as a place of worship dates back to the reign of King Valagamba in the 1st century BC, who took refuge in these caves when driven out of Anuradhapura by Chola invaders. Once he regained the throne, the king had the interior of the caves transformed into magnificent rock temples. More paintings and statues were added over time by later kings.

Accommodation: Nuwara Eliya as for last night. Meals: B, L, D.

We will take breakfast with us to Horton Plains National Park, set on a plateau in the central highlands. We will look for a variety of wildlife including endemic Rhino-horned and Hump-nosed Lizards, and highland bird species including the Sri Lanka White-eye, Dull-blue Flycatcher and Yellow-eared Bulbul, as well as montane vegetation. Horton Plains is one of the few known locations where elusive highland endemics such as the ‘Arrenga’ or Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush and Sri Lanka Bush Warbler can be observed. There is also the option of going on a nature walk to the Mini-World’s End viewpoint.

Accommodation: Nuwara Eliya as for last night. Meals: B, L, D. 

An early morning visit to Victoria Park give us a chance of the dapper Pied Thrush and Kashmir Flycatcher, which breeds in the Himalayas and overwinters in the upland forests of Sri Lanka and southern India. After breakfast, we leave for Tissamaharama, a few kilometres inland from the SE coast. In the late afternoon, we will look for owls around Tissamahrama. Barn Owl, Jungle Owlet and Collared Scops Owl can be seen regularly in day roost sites in this area. If we have time, we will also go birding at Tissamaharama wetlands, where elusive species such as the Water Cock may be encountered.

Accommodation: Chalet at Tissamaharama (en suite room). Meals: B, L, D.

Today we spend a full day on safari in Yala National Park. Yala National Park is the country’s premier destination for wildlife viewing. Yala’s star attraction is the Leopard and Yala Block I is believed to have the world’s greatest concentration of these big cats. It is also one of the few places in the country where the endangered shaggy coated Sloth Bear can be seen. Asian Elephants are also encountered here, along with Sambar, Spotted Deer, Buffalo, Wild Boar and Grey Langur. Yala is also an excellent birding destination with close to 300 species recorded. Among the species seen regularly are Indian Peafowl, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Painted Stork, Malabar Pied-hornbills, and the stunning Chestnut-headed, Asian Green and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters.

Accommodation: Tissamaharama as for last night. Meals: B, L, D

Early morning, visit Bundala National Park for dry-zone species, rare migrants and waterbirds. The park is an internationally recognized RAMSAR wetland and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It contains five shallow, brackish lagoons that are a haven for migratory birds and waders. These lagoons are home to the freshwater Mugger, as well as the occasional Saltwater Crocodile, the largest species of reptile in the world. Late morning, we leave for Galle, where we will have lunch and then go on a guided walk around the 17th century Dutch built Galle Fort. Afterwards, we will check in at our beachfront accommodation at Weligama and spend the remainder of the evening at leisure.

Accommodation: Resort at Weligama (ebn suite rooms). Meals: B, L, D.

This morning, we will take a cruise from Mirissa Fisheries Harbour to go whale watching. The main highlights are Blue Whales and pods of Spinner Dolphins. Other marine mammals seen occasionally are Bryde’s Whale, Orca, Sperm Whale, Pilot Whale, Risso’s Dolphin and Bottlenose Dolphin. We will also keep an eye out for seabirds. Afterwards, we travel back up into the hills to our next destination, the biodiversity hotspot of Sinharaja. Late afternoon, time permitting, we will bird around the property. Endemics found here include the exquisite Sri Lanka Blue Magpie and Yellow-fronted Barbet.

Accommodation: Hotel in Sinharaja (en suite rooms). Meals: B, L, D.

We will spend two days birding in Sinharaja, exploring both the nature trails bordering the reserve and the Sinharaja Forest itself. The largest tract of natural rainforest in Sri Lanka, the Sinharaja Forest Reserve contains a wide variety of endemic flora and fauna. 28 of Sri Lanka’ 34 endemic species have been recorded in Sinharaja including the recently discovered Serendib Scops Owl and other rarities such as the Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Chestnut-backed Owlet, and White-faced Starling. The mixed species bird flocks found moving through the rainforest canopy within Sinharaja are believed to be the largest in the world. These flocks are popularly dubbed the Sinharaja Birdwave. Other species of fauna that might be encountered during rainforest walks include Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, Giant Squirrel, Kangaroo Lizard, Hump-nosed Lizard and Sri Lanka Keelback.

Accommodation: Sinharaja as for last night. Meals: B, L, D.

After one last early morning birding walk in the periphery of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, we will checkout and leave for Bandaranaike International Airport for our journey home.

Accommodation: None. Meals: B