Sri Lanka is the best place in Asia to see and photograph Leopards. Research supported by Jetwing showed that the average density in Yala National Park is as high as one per square kilometer. The lack of other large carnivores means that the leopard is the top predator and adults and cubs are remarkably relaxed during the day, offering great opportunities for viewing and photography.
DAY 01 Arrival in Sri Lanka and transfer to Galle Face Hotel, Colombo for one night. Afternoon, do a city tour of Colombo, visiting Vihara Maha Devi Park, where you will see hundreds of roosting Fruit Bats.
DAY 02 After breakfast leave for Dunvilla Cottage, Wasgomuwa for two nights. Afternoon leisure at the cottage bordering the lake.
DAY 03 Morning and afternoon game drive to Wasgomuwa National Park. Twenty-three species of mammals have been recorded in the park and of these, the most important is the Elephant of which there are approximately 150 in the Park.
DAY 04 After breakfast leave for Vil Uyana, Sigiriya for two nights. Afternoon visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress, which was the pleasure capital of a single king, called Kashyapa in the 5 Th centuries A.D.
DAY 05 Morning visit Polonnaruwa (A UNESCO World Heritage Site), the medieval capital of Sri Lanka. At Polonnaruwa we will encounter troops of Toque Macaques, who were famously featured in both the BBC’s ‘Temple Troop’ and David Attenborough’s ‘ Life of Mammals’. One will be intrigued by the power play between the Macaques and Hanuman Langur. Afternoon, visit Minneriya National Park for Elephants. During September and October, over 300 elephants gather on the receding shores of the Minneriya Tank. ‘The Gathering’ of Elephants at Minneriya is one of those awesome spectacles, which should rank alongside better-known wildlife spectacles such as the migration of wildebeest in Africa.
DAY 06 After breakfast leave for Hunas Falls Hotel, Kandy for two nights. En route, visit Dambulla Cave Temple, which is famous for its rock paintings and rock temples and is one of the most important sites for Buddhist pilgrimage
DAY 07 Morning excursion to Knuckles Wilderness Area, which is one of the most rugged and picturesque terrains in Sri Lanka. The drive from Reverseturn to Pitawala-Patana grasslands offers panoramic views of rugged hills. Take a crepuscular walk in the sub montane forests.
DAY 08 After breakfast leave for St.Andrew’s Hotel, Nuwara Eliya for two nights. En route, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy, which is an object of veneration to Buddhists and the most important sacred relic in the country. Afternoon, visit Hakgala Botanical Gardens. Here we look for the highland races of Purple-faced Leaf Monkey and Toque Macaque. The Toques brim with self-confidence and may approach the visitors!
DAY 09 Morning, visit Horton Plains National Park to see Cloud Forests and rare montane fauna, which include the endemic Rhino-horned Lizard, which was featured in Charles Darwin's monumental work on evolution. Mammal highlights include Bear Monkey, Giant Squirrel and Sambhur. Walk though the grasslands and Cloud Forests to a popular viewpoint known as World's End, which is an escarpment with an 870 m drop. Afternoon, walk on the hotel's nature trail.
DAY 10 After breakfast leave for Yala Village, Yala for three nights. Afternoon, enjoy a dip in the pool/beach combing walk/siesta. You will be based in close proximity to Yala National Park, where the BBC’s famous wildlife documentary ‘Leopard Hunters’ was filmed.
DAY 11 Morning and afternoon game drive to Yala National Park. Research on Leopards in Yala Block 1 has shown it has one of the highest densities of Leopards in the world. Yala is the best place in Asia to see Leopards. Other large animals you may see include Elephant, Sloth Bear, Mugger Crocodile, Spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Jackal, Grey Langur and Mongoose.
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DAY 12 Morning and evening game drive to Yala National Park with the focus on Leopards.
DAY 13 After breakfast leave for Centuria Inn, Embilipitiya for one night. Afternoon, game drive in Udawalawe National Park. On a visit to Udawalawe National Park, Elephants are virtually guaranteed.
DAY 14 After breakfast leave for The Beach, Negombo for one night.
DAY 15 After breakfast transfer to International Airport.
To book this tour please contact Paramie or Ganga on our generic email, eco @ jetwing.lk. We will reply on our individual emails.
(Please remove the blank spaces between the @ symbol when emailing us. The spaces have been introduced to reduce spamming by 'spiders').
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Big Cats to Primates in Sri Lanka