Sri Lanka is a small island with diverse attractions and can be accessed in a short period of time due to its size. More than 426 species of birds are available of which 33 are endemics. This tour generally takes you to at least 22 of them. Half of the reptiles and amphibians, a quarter of the flowering plants and a sixth of the mammals are endemic to the island.
Tour Itinerary: Day 1: Arrival in Sri Lanka. Meeting and assistance at the airport by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Seeduwa. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at Airport Garden Hotel. Includes: (B), (D). Day 2: Seeduwa - Muthurajawela. Early morning visit the Muthurajawela marshes, which are a Wetland conservation project with its share of bird life specially the Purple Heron, Cormorants, White Breasted Waterhen and the Pied Kindfisher. Follow the birds' trail and undertake a boat ride. After this you leave for Sigiriya. Afternoon visit the 5th Century A.D. Rock Fortress of patricidal King Kasyapa, who aspired to be a god King. UNESCO has declared this site as a World Heritage Site. The rock has the local race of Peregrine and the surrounding scrub jungle has many species of Cuckoos and Weavers. Dinner/overnight at Sigiriya Village. Includes: (B), (D). Day 3: Sigiriya - Pinnawala - Kandy. Morning follow the birds' trail within the premises of the hotel. Then proceed to Kandy en route visiting the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala. Dinner/overnight at Queens Hotel. Includes: (B), (D). Day 4: Kandy. Morning visit the Udawattakelle Forest. This is a small hilltop forest situated over the heart of the ancient capital of Kandy. It is be nature a rain forest but mostly been planted up by the forest department. It is an oasis for a greater number of Sri Lankan resident species and migrants in winter. It contains a few endemics like teh Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Yello-fronted and Ceylon Small Barbets. The rare and most beautiful Three-toed Kingfisher has been seen here. Drive around the lake, which usually holds a few water birds like the Cormorants, Egrets, Kingfishers and the spot-billed Pelican. Afternoon leave for the Royal Botanical Gardens, formerly the pleasure gardens of the Sinhala Queens. The garden contains over 4000 species of plants. Dinner/overnight at Queens Hotel. Includes: (B), (D). Day 5: Kandy - Kitulgala. Morning leave for Kitulgala, a village at the foot of the Central Mountain Massif. The Rest House gardens attract Legge's Flowerpecker and Ceylon Grackle (both endemic) also Tailorbird, Southern Babbler, Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch, Green Imperial and Pompadour Green Pigeons. An old Rubber Plantation nearby has Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Oriental White-eye, Shikra and also White Bellied and Rufous Bellied Munias. Dinner/overnight at Kitulgala Resthouse. Includes: (B), (D). Day 6: Kitulgala - Nuwaraeliya. At dawn cross the river by dug-out canoe to the Rain Forest to spot with luck the Ceylon Frogmouth and Chestnut Backed Owlet also a veriety of endeimcs Ceylon Magpie, Red Faced Malkoha, Rufous Babbler, Ashy-headed Laughing hrush, Ceylon Hill Mynah, very shy Ceylon Spur Fowl. Afternoon leave for Nuwara Eliya, a picturesque hill station. Dinner/overnight at Hill Club. Includes: (B), (D). Day 7: Nuwara Eliya. On the outskirts of Nuwara Eliya is a ravine,the abode of the very rare endemic Ceylon Whistling Thrush also called the Aranga. At 1500 hours visit the Hakgala Gardens named after the 1500 ft "Jaw Rock" that towers above the gardens is home to the Bear MInkey which stands four feet tall his deep bellow often echoes through the gardens. Birds here are the endemics, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ceylon Warbler, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Brown-capped Babbler and Ceylon Wood Pigeon. Dinner/overnight at Hill Club. Includes: (B), (D). Day 8: Nuwara Eliya - Horton Plains - Nuwara Eliya. Early morning leave for Horton Plains, a highland plateau comprising of montane grassland and elfin forest. Leopard, sambhur, wild boar, monkeys and many species of birds. Thereafter leave for Nuwara Eliya. Visit the Victoria Park, good for montane species like Blackbird and Yellow-eared Bulbul. Dinner/overnight at Hill Club. Includes: (B), (L). Day 9: Nuwara Eliya - Hambantota. Leave for this southern Coastal town surrounded by saltpans and lagoons with a variety of shorebirds. Visit Kalametiya Sanctuary Sri Lanka's best area for resident Water birds. The gardens of the Hotel provide ample birdwatching and from the balcony Crested and lesser Crested Terns can be seen. Dinner/Overnight at Yala Village. Includes: (B), (D). Day 10: Hambantota. At 06.00 hours leave for the Bundala Bird Sanctuary, an extensive area of lagoons and salterns along the coast. Undertake a full day jeep safari. Dinner/overnight at Yala Village. Includes: (B), (D). Day 11: Hambantota - Uda Walawe. Drive to Embilipitiya to visit Uda Walawe National PArk famous for the Asian elephant. Undertake a half day safari visiting water holes, rivers and rotten trees to spot the Black-capped, Blue-eared and Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-faced Malkoha, Hornbill and Raptors. The other fauna are the endemis Toque Monkey, Grey Langur, Spotted Deer, Wild Pig, Sambhur and Leopard. The hotel overlooks the Chandrika Wewa (lake) which has the Pied Kingfishers, Whiskered Terns, White Bellied Sea Eagles and Red Wattled Lapwings. Dinner/overnight at Centauria Hotel. Includes: (B), (D). Day 12: Uda Walawe - Ratnapura. Morning leave for Ratnapura, the City of Gems. Also visit Gilimale and Carney, both sites for endemics. Evening visit Pompakelle, a small forst just in the outskirts of the town. Dinner/overnight at Ratnaloka Tourinn. Includes: (B), (D). Day 13: Ratnapura - Sinharaja - Ratnapura. At dawn departure by jeep to Sinharaja Rain forest one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland evergreen Rain Forest now remaining in Sri Lanka. It is home to 85% of the endemics, mixed species flock feeding being the unique feature here. Leopard is present but seldon seen. Other fauna is the Giant Squirrel and the endemic Purple-faced Leaf Monkey in addition to 50% of the endemic mammals and butterflies. Dinner/overnight at Ratnaloka Tourinn. Includes: (B), (D). Day 14: Ratnapura - Bodhinagala - Bentota. Early morning leave for Bodhinagala, a jungle pathway leading to a Buddhist Temple. Here is the elusive Green Billed Coucal (endemic), Scarlet Minivet, Iora, Purple and Loten Sunbird, Hornbill, Green Leaf Warbler and if lucky Ceylon and Indian Flycatcher. Other fauna is the Grizzled Squirrel, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, Toque Monkey. Then drive to Bentota passing through the countryside where you can see the life style of the villagers. Dinner/overnight at Eden Hotel. Includes: (B), (D). Day 15: Bentota. At leisure. Dinner/overnight at Eden Hotel. Includes: (B), (D). Day 16: Bentota - Mount Lavinia. Morning leave for Mount Lavinia. Evening leave for the Bellanwila/Attidiya Sanctuary with lily covered ponds. Dinner/overnight at Mount Lavinia Hotel. Includes: (B), (D). Day 17: Departure to the airport. Includes: (B), (D). Notes: Price Includes:
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