Wildlife photography tour in Sri Lanka provides a perfect opportunity to capture the diversity of Sri Lankan wildlife. Sri Lanka is consisting of 92 species of mammals, 440 bird species, 242 butterfly & 117 dragonfly species and 190 reptiles.
Aro Travels carefully designed wildlife tour in Sri Lanka with qualified wildlife guides / naturalists let you witness these diversified animal species all around the island. The tour includes wildlife safari parks and forest reserves including Wilpattu National Park, Minneiriya National Park, Yala Nationa Park, Bundala National Park, Horton Plains National Park (UNESCO World Heritage) and Sinharaja Rain Forest.
Itinerary
Ayubowan (May You Live Long !!)
Welcome to Sri Lanka.
• Arrival at Colombo International airport Sri Lanka
• Meet and greet by Ceylon Expeditions Tour Manager.
• Transfer to Negombo (30 Min drive)
• Relax / unwind after long flight
• Recommend enjoying one of the sea food restaurants in Negombo
• Overnight stay in Negombo
• After breakfast leave for Wilpattu. (4 Hrs)
• Check-in to the hotel in Wilpattu
• Afternoon safari in Wilpattu National Park from 3 to 6 PM.
• Overnight stay in hotel at Wilpattu
Wilpattu National Park is rich with 23 fresh water fish species, 17 amphibians species, 57 reptiles species, 253 birds species, 45mammals species. Thus, Wilpattu National Park considered as hotspot for wildlife photography and bird watching tours in Sri Lanka.
• Full day wildlife safari at Wilpattu National Park.
• Early morning, leave for Wilpattu National with packed meals. (5.30 AM)
• Overnight stay in hotel at Wilpattu
• Leave for Habarana
• En route visit Anuradhapura Sacred City (UNESCO World Heritage)
• Check-in to Habarana hotel
• Afternoon jeep safari in Minneriya National Park (3 – 6 PM)
• Overnight stay in Habarana
Minneriya National Park is famous among wildlife photographers since It is the only place to see single largest gathering of Asian elephants. It is also home to 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies.
• Optional visit to Sigiriya Rock Fortress (UNESCO World Heritage) (2 Hrs)
• Transfer to Kandy
• En route visit Dambulla Cave Temple (UNESCO World Heritage)
• En route visit spice garden in Matale
• Visit to Tooth Relic Temple / Kandy sightseeing city tour
• Overnight stay in Kandy
Kandy, lovely exotic city, the Hill Capital and last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which retains an aura of grandeur. Encircled by hills, with a tranquil lake in its center, it is the site of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha and the Royal Botanic gardens.
• Early morning visit to Udawatta Kele Sanctuary.
• Check-out and leave for Nuwara Eliya (2 Hrs).
• En route visit Royal Botanic Gardens.
• Optional train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya (Subject to availability)
• En route visit Tea Estate and Tea Factory.
• Sightseeing in Nuwara Eliya
• Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya
Udawattakele Sanctuary is a forest Reserve, often spelled as Udawatta Kele, is a historic forest reserve on a hill-ridge in the city of Kandy. The sanctuary is famous for its extensive avifauna. The reserve also contains a great variety of plant species, especially lianas, shrubs and small trees.
• Early morning visit to Horton Plains national Park with packed breakfast. Ensure you need to have suitable costumes since this is 7 KM walk through misty temperature (10 – 15 C)
• Back to hotel by 11 AM
• Check-out and leave for Yala (4 Hrs)
• Check-in to Hotel
• Optional visit to Kataragama Temple
• Overnight stay in Yala
Horton Plains National Park is rich with montane evergreen forests, grasslands, marshy lands, and aquatic ecosystems with an area of 3,169 hectares where you’ll witness several endemic flora and fauna species during your wildlife photography tour in Sri Lanka. 12 endemic bird species can be seen at Horton Plains National Park.
• Full day wildlife jeep safari in Yala National Park
• Overnight stay at hotel in Yala
Yala National Park is the most visited national park in Sri Lanka. It combines a strict nature reserve with a national park. It consists of light forests, scrubs, grasslands, tanks and lagoons where thousands of animals find refuge. It is a must visit place during wildlife holiday in Sri Lanka.
• Morning wildlife safari at Bundala National Park
• Back to hotel by 11 AM.
• Check-out and transfer to Uda Walawe
• Afternoon Safari in Uda Walawe National Park
• Overnight stay at Udawalawe
Bundala National Park is a perfect destination for bird watchers & nature lovers. It harbors 197 bird species and is declared a Ramsar wetland site and a UNESCO biosphere reserve. You will witness many species of native & migrant bird and must visit place during wildlife tour of Sri Lanka.
• Morning wildlife safari at Udawalawe National Park
• Transfer to Sinharaja Rain Forest
• Nature walk in Sinharaja buffer zone
• Overnight stay at Sinharaja
Udawalawe National Park is the third most visited national park in Sri Lanka. It is well known destination with habitat for herds of elephants, wild buffalo, sambar and spotted deer, and giant squirrels. Also a recommended place for birdwatching tours in Sri Lanka.
• Visit Sinharaja Rain Forest (UNESCO World Heritage)
• Transfer to Mirissa
• Overnight stay in Mirissa
Sinharaja Rain Forest UNESCO World Heritage due to its high biodiversity located in lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka. The reserve is home to over 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of butterflies, mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and very rare amphibians. Sinharaja Rain Forest is a key destination for wildlife photography tour in Sri Lanka.
• Wake-up 5.15 AM and prepare for whale watching tour from Mirissa Harbor
• Back to hotel by 10 – 11 AM
• Leisure on the beach
• Overnight stay in Mirissa
Whale and dolphin watching in Mirissa is very popular among tourists during the season of November to April. It is one of the most thrilling adventures you can experience during wildlife photography tours Sri Lanka. You can easily spot blue whales, the biggest mammal in the world at Mirissa.
• End of your wildlife photography tour in Sri Lanka
• Check-out from Mirissa hotel and leave for Airport
• En route visit Galle Dutch Fort (UNESCO World Heritage)
• Colombo sightseeing city tour
• Leave for Colombo International Airport according to your flight time.
Colombo the Commercial Capital of Sri Lanka is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial glamour.