Alex Cearns Sri Lanka

Welcome to Sri Lanka! The morning is free to swim and relax in and around our comfortable hotel. In the afternoon we will undertake a boat cruise in the Muthurajawela Nature Reserve, through its wetland marshes and mangrove forests. During the boat cruise, we’ll be looking out for water birds such as herons, storks, waders and brilliantly coloured kingfishers. It’s a very tranquil setting to just relax and enjoy the ride. Overnight: Goldi Sands, Negombo NOTE: Many group members are flying in from Australia with Singapore Airlines. This flight arrives late evening, as such you will need to arrive on the 12th and book and pay for an additional pre tour night with us. We encourage all pre or post tour accommodation to be booked well in advance.

Meals:  Nil

After breakfast we leave Negombo and head towards Habarana, famous for its elephant population. We check into The Village Habarana by Cinnamon, our home for the next three nights, freshen up and have lunch. Keep an eye out for the resident monkeys and squirrels in the grounds! We then embark on the first of our game drives which will be either in the Minneriya or the Hurulegama National Parks depending on best animal sightings at the time. In our private jeeps, our main objective today will be to spot one of the large herds of wild elephants along with birds and crocodiles that live amongst the grasslands and thorny scrubs. Deer, wild boar, water buffalo and jackals are some of the other wild animals we hope to encounter in the park. Driving: approx 4 hours total Overnight: Village Habarana by Cinnamon

Meals:  B,D

An early morning wake up as we are to head out on the bird trail. We’ll be taking a gentle paced and quiet walk for around two hours, with the possibility to see and photograph over forty species of birds. After returning to the hotel for breakfast we will hit the road again to explore the spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya, one of the most recognisable images of Sri Lanka. This unique red rock fortress dates back to the 5th century and was built by King Kasyapa. We will travel to Sigiriya by the local by tuk tuk, which will also take us by small villages and past rice fields. After lunch we will take another jeep safari, again with park location to be decided based on the best animal activity at the time. Overnight: Village Habarana by Cinnamon

Meals:  B,D

A morning safari in Kaudulla National Park, which is renowned for elephants, deer, crocodiles and birds. We also visit the nearby village of Hiriwaduna on foot, to witness local life and learn about medicinal plants and photograph some of the smaller wildlife including lizards and butterflies. After lunch we enjoy an afternoon safari in Minneriya National Park, home to large numbers of elephants, plus purple-faced langur and toque macaque, Sri Lankan axis deer. The reservoir in Minneriya is filled with bird life, and species include lesser adjutant, painted stork, spot-billed pelican, little cormorants ,great white pelican, ruddy turnstone, grey heron, Sri Lanka junglefowl, Sri Lanka hanging parrot, brown-capped babbler, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, black-crested bulbul and crimson-fronted barbet. The number of threatened birds recorded from this national park is 11. Rare and endangered species such as Sri Lankan leopard and Sri Lankan sloth bear also inhabit in Minneriya and it is one of the areas where the gray slender loris is reportedly found in Sri Lanka. Overnight Village Habarana by Cinnamon

Meals:  B,D

Another early morning start for our final jeep safari in Kaudulla National Park. We return to the hotel to freshen up and check out, then make our way to the central hills to Kandy (approx 2.5 hour drive). After checking in to our hotel, we will visit the Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya and enjoy a picnic lunch under the shade of the trees. Maps will be provided so you can then explore the lakeside town of Kandy yourself. The golden-roofed Temple of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha is Kandy’s most famous sight. This is also a great opportunity to do some shopping as Kandy is known for its handicrafts, wood carvings, silk, batiks, and gems. Driving: approx 3 hours total Overnight: Earls Regent Hotel, Kandy

Meals:  B,L,D

In the morning our guide takes us through the local market in Kandy before a wonderfully scenic drive into Sri Lanka’s famed tea terraces with lots of opportunities to photograph these neat rows of gorgeous green shrubs. Our destination is Nuwara Eliya, known as “Little England”, a town nestled in a wooded basin at the foot of Mount Pidurutalagala, Sri Lanka’s highest peak. It sits at 1900m above sea level, creating a cool and crisp climate not found elsewhere in Sri Lanka. Enroute we will visit a tea factory and plantation to learn about the manufacturing process of the world famous “Ceylon Tea” and to taste a cup direct from the source. You will notice that the architecture of the region is uniquely British, including our colonial style hotel complete with beautiful grounds. Dinner is a smart dress affair as we experience the famed Grand Hotel smorgasbord. Driving: approx 3 hours total Overnight The Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya

Meals:  B,D

Rise and shine, we are in the bus by 5.30am today taking a packed breakfast with us. After around 1.5 hours we reach our destination, Horton Plains, one of the country’s best nature trails where we photograph sambar deer, purple face leaf monkeys and a variety of birds, on foot. We return to our bus for a four hour drive on to Yala for a stay you won’t forget. Our beach side accommodation here is famous for some very up close encounters with the local wildlife such as elephants occasionally wandering by the pool! We have time to relax, swim and enjoy this spectacular setting before dinner at our hotel. Driving: approx 6 hours total Overnight: Jetwing Yala Hotel

Meals:  B,D

A morning safari into Yala National Park in hope of spotting Yala’s famous leopard population. If we’re lucky we will spot the Big Four – elephant, leopard, sloth bear and buffalo. Sightings of other mammals such as sambar deer, spotted deer, jackal, mongoose and several species of monkeys are also possible. We return to the hotel for breakfast and some time to relax. Yala, Sri Lanka’s best known national park, is divided into five blocks, and is bound by sea and river. It is a terrain of scrub jungle with stunning outcrops of rock including many freshwater lakes and brackish lagoons. The eastern boundary formed by the sea is marked by high sand dunes and broad sandy beaches. Beyond the park’s wildlife, we can experience dense forest, flowering trees, rare tropical woods and a number of historic Sinhalese ruins. Our second Safari will head out around 2pm, before dinner back at the hotel. An optional night safari extends our chances of sighting leopards and shy day-time creatures like porcupine. Overnight: Jetwing Yala Hotel

Meals:  B,D

A relaxing morning before we make our way to Tissamaharama, overlooking the spectacular Tisa Tank. Tanks refer to the sophisticated network of tanks, built by ancient kings, connected by canals to large reservoirs, to redistribute rainwater in a land where 80% of its territory is a dry zone, prone to water scarcity. We stop to walk around the village bordering the Debarawewa Tank. This is a paradise for birds, monitor lizards and monkeys. We then make our way to the Kithala Resort in Tissamaharama, located overlooking beautiful rice fields, rich with birds and dragonflies. In the afternoon we visit Bundala National Park, famous for its large population of migratory birds. We will stop off at the Bundala Bird Sanctuary, which is the place to visit if you love bird photography. The lagoons and inter-tidal mud flats are nesting and feeding sites for wintering birds. Elephants, deer and wild buffalo also roam free, and four species of turtles are known to visit this area. Driving: approx 1 hour total Overnight: Kithala Resort Hotel, Tissamaharama

Meals:  B,D

Today we travel to Udawalawe and visit the Elephant Transit Home, a place for orphaned baby Elephants. The centre was established in 1995 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation. Its primary objective is to rehabilitate orphaned elephants for ultimate release back into the wild, usually after around four years. From here we board our jeeps and drive to Udawalawe National Park, home to over 600 elephants, often seen in herds of 50 or more. Wild buffalos, sambars and spotted deer, and giant squirrels, also roam. Driving: approx 2 hours total Overnight: Elephant Trails Hotel, Udawalawe

Meals:  B,D

After breakfast we travel to the nearby tranquil village of RathKarawwa where we can spot over twenty five species of birds in and around the small river. We explore on foot before returning to our hotel for breakfast. Next we'll drive to Galle, arriving mid afternoon, our guide will then take us around the old fort area of Galle for a short tour. You're then free to wander, eat, spa or shop in Galle. As there is no group lunch or dinner today, you can spend the rest of the day as you wish. We recommend taking a walk around the walls in the cooler part of the late afternoon and enjoying the sunset. We will provide a bus transfer back to the hotel at 9.30pm, or you can return by taxi or tuk tuk (10 minutes) whenever you wish, as time relaxing by the pool or beach is also an option for this free afternoon and evening. Driving: approx 3 hours total Overnight: Radisson Blu, Galle

Meals:  B

We will be leaving the hotel by 6am to enjoy the cool morning and perfect light on our 2 hour boat safari on the Madolduwa River, rich in birdlife. We'll return to the hotel for breakfast by around 8.30am. Mid morning we will drive to Animal SOS Sri Lanka, the largest rescue organisation and one of the few in the whole country. Their mission is to alleviate the suffering of stray animals in Sri Lanka by providing life-saving veterinary care, rehabilitation, homing and refuge. A UK registered charity, they provide safe haven for sick, disabled and vulnerable strays. Over 2000 free-roaming dogs, 100 cats and 400 special needs animals are cared for on site, which also houses a vet clinic with a resident vet and is open 365 days of the year. We will spend around two hours at the centre before returning to our hotel. In the evening we meet for a group dinner in the hotel. Overnight: Radisson Blu, Galle

Meals:  B,D

Enjoy a leisurely morning, a rare luxury on a photography tour. Early afternoon we make our way towards the busy city of Colombo, but first we take a boat safari on the waters of River Madhu. We will travel through the mangroves, photographing the birds and monkeys, while keeping our eyes open for water monitors, blue-eyed cormorants, sleeping fruit bats, crocodiles and water snakes. We then have a special stop at a turtle hatchery where eggs and newly hatched turtles are cared for before they make their way into the wild. As the flights to Australia are all late at night, we will have day use of some rooms at the Fairview Hotel in Colombo, to freshen up and do some final packing before enjoying our final dinner together in Sri Lanka. Later a transfer will be provided to the airport for your flight home.

Meals:  B,D