Natural Wonders of Sri Lanka

19 days
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Small Group Tour
Home to prolific birdlife, rich marine areas, dramatic landscapes, and a wide range of native species, to participate in Sri Lanka adventure travel is a nature lover’s dream. Travel in the company of wildlife expert, Mark Brazil, for over two weeks of in-depth exploration of this “Pearl of the Indian Ocean.” In addition to visiting a number of the country’s t...
From$10,480
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Basic - 2 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Search for abundant wildlife on a Yala National Park expedition, which boasts Asia’s largest concentration of leopards, along with Asian elephants, spotted deer, and over 200 species of birds.
    • A hallmark of any Sri Lanka tour, discover the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sigiriya, an ancient palace and fortress built atop a huge granite monolith; the monumental ruins in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s medieval capital; and the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, a significant site of pilgrimage for Buddhists.
    • Enjoy whale-watching cruises off the southern coast, one of the best places in the world to view blue whales.
    • Explore Sinharaja, a vast tropical rain forest that is home to over half of Sri Lanka’s endemic species of flora and fauna.
    • Stay in a variety of superb accommodations throughout your Sri Lanka adventure travels—from beach-side resorts and colonial-era mansions to world-class game lodges offering splendid vistas of the surrounding wilderness.

What's this trip about?

    Home to prolific birdlife, rich marine areas, dramatic landscapes, and a wide range of native species, to participate in Sri Lanka adventure travel is a nature lover’s dream. Travel in the company of wildlife expert, Mark Brazil, for over two weeks of in-depth exploration of this “Pearl of the Indian Ocean.” In addition to visiting a number of the country’s top natural areas, including Sinharaja Nature Reserve—where 95% of the endemic birds of Sri Lanka have been recorded—enjoy a Yala National Park tour, an important conservation area for Sri Lankan elephants and aquatic birds. Also enjoy top-notch accommodations and visits to the World Heritage Site of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, on this Sri Lanka expedition.

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Details

Itinerary focusActive and Outdoor Sports
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 14 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityColombo
End CityColombo

Travel Themes

  • Birding
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife

Destinations

  • Asia
  • Sri Lanka

Activities

  • Historic sightseeing
  • River cruise
  • Safari
  • Wildlife viewing

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 14

Trip includes

    • All accommodations
    • Group meals, including selected beverages with lunch and dinner
    • Group transfers
    • All gratuities
    • Guided excursions as stated in the itinerary
    • Entrance fees for parks, reserves, etc.
    • Medical expense coverage and emergency evacuation insurance

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1-2: Depart USA / En Route

Board your independent flight to Sri Lanka.

Day 3: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Accommodation: Gateway Airport Garden Hotel

Arrive Colombo in the very early morning and transfer to The Gateway Airport Garden Hotel, your home for two nights. After a welcome lunch and briefing, spend the afternoon searching for indigenous fauna and flora in the woodlands and wetlands near the hotel.

Day 4: Colombo / Negombo

Accommodation: Gateway Airport Garden Hotel

This morning visit the fascinating fish and street markets of Negombo. In the afternoon explore nearby wetlands by boat to search for pheasant-tailed jacanas, blue-tailed bee-eaters, and stork-billed kingfishers.

Day 5: Colombo / Sigiriya

Accommodation: Sigiriya Village Hotel

After breakfast, depart overland to the heart of Sri Lanka’s “cultural triangle.” Here visit Sigiriya, or Lion Rock, a huge granite monolith rising out of the jungle. This stunning World Heritage Site features the ruins of ...

Day 6: Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa

Accommodation: Sigiriya Village Hotel

Today drive to the magnificent ruined city of Polonnaruwa for a full day tour. A former Buddhist kingdom, Polonnaruwa is famous for its intricately carved stonework, including a stunningly beautiful reclining Buddha. As you wander the archaeological sites watch for troops of endemic toque macaques and, with luck, Sri Lanka gray hornbills.

Day 7: Sigiriya / Kandy

Accommodation: Earl's Regency Hotel

After breakfast, depart for the highlands, stopping en route to visit a spice garden and batik factory. After lunch in Kandy, spend the afternoon in the Peradeniya Botanic Gardens before checking in to Earl’s Regency Hotel for dinner.

Day 8: Kandy

Accommodation: Earl's Regency Hotel

This morning visit Udawattakele Sanctuary to search for the endemic Layard’s parakeet, yellow-fronted barbet, and brown-capped babbler, among other species. Return to the hotel for lunch. This afternoon tour the Temple of the...

Day 9: Kandy / Nuwara Eliya

Accommodation: St. Andrew's Hotel

We then climb higher into Sri Lanka’s “Hill Country” to learn about the crop that has become almost synonymous with the island—tea. Verdant plantations stretch out in every direction and you will have the opportunity to investi...

Day 10: Nuwara Eliya / Horton Plains

Accommodation: St. Andrew's Hotel

Depart before dawn to appreciate the beauty of early morning at Horton Plains, a grassy highland plateau studded with rhododendrons and surrounded by cool, mossy forests. Wildlife found here includes sambar deer, grizzled giant...

Day 11: Nuwara Eliya / Sinharaja

Accommodation: Sinharaja Rainforest Edge Resort

A scenic drive with lunch along the way brings you to the fabled Sinharaja Biosphere Reserve. Sri Lanka’s single most important conservation area, Sinharaja protects the largest remaining area of tropical forest o...

Day 12: Sinharaja

Accommodation: Sinharaja Rainforest Edge Resort

A full day walking tour of this scenic park may reveal such spectacular creatures as Sri Lanka junglefowl (the national bird), yellow-fronted barbet, bizarre red-faced malkoha, and the exquisite Sri Lanka blue magpie.

Day 13: Sinharaja / Yala National Park

Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala Hotel

Today, head east, descending into the lowlands of Yala, Sri Lanka’s most celebrated national park, with lunch en route. Arrive at Yala in the late afternoon, with time for a short nature walk, and check in to the Cinnamon Wild Yala Hotel, your base for three nights.

Day 14: Yala National Park

Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala Hotel

Take morning and afternoon safaris into Yala; with over 100,000 hectares of thorn scrub and coastal wetlands, this park boasts the highest density of leopards in Asia. It is also home to healthy populations of wild water buffalo, Asian elephants, and spotted deer.

Day 15: Yala National Park / Tissa

Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala Hotel

Enjoy your last safari in Yala, before an afternoon visit to the wetlands of Tissa to seek out colorful wetland birds including storks, egrets, herons, and kingfishers.

Day 16: Yala National Park / Bundala National Park / Mirissa

Accommodation: Mirissa Mandara Resort

After breakfast drive to nearby Bundala National Park, famous for its concentrations of shorebirds and waterbirds. Resident painted storks and gray-headed fish eagles are joined by migrant shorebirds, terns, and ospreys, wh...

Day 17: Mirissa

Accommodation: Mirissa Mandara Resort

Southern Sri Lanka is one of the very best places in the world to encounter blue whales. Enjoy a morning cruise to view these leviathans, along with the spinner dolphins that are often sighted here.

Day 18-19: Mirissa / Colombo / USA

Accommodation: Gateway Airport Garden Hotel

This morning enjoy a second whale-watching cruise. In the early afternoon drive to Colombo and check in to The Gateway Airport Garden Hotel for dinner and a chance to relax. Board your late evening flight, arriving in the USA the next day.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $10,480
Price per day$552
Last Updated: 8/2/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Zegrahm Expeditions.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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MizAli23456

Mar 2020

Highest Recommendation Possible

Zegrahm gets my highest recommendation. I recently returned from a 13-day Seychelles exploration and snorkel/dive adventure beginning in Zanzibar, visiting somethi...

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Marian

Jul 2019

Quality staff and good itineraries.

Quality staff and good itineraries. Also have many voyages with no single supplement. They actually welcome solo travelers - much more welcoming than many other comp...

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Paula

Jul 2019

Wonderfully planned trips with guides

Wonderfully planned trips with guides, naturalists and even zodiac drivers who are well steeped in the knowledge of the animals and area they take you. You can alway...

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Zegrahm Expeditions

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For two awe-inspiring decades, Zegrahm Expeditions has taken inquisitive explorers to the ends of the Earth—on small-ship expeditions and land adventures outside the realm of traditional travel. Here is what makes Zegrahm unique:

We Think Small – on a Grand Scale. We limit the number of adventurers on each expedition to allow guests personal contact with their leaders and naturalist experts. For our small-ship cruises, we charter the best expedition ships, icebreakers, and yachts—ranging from 40- to 100-guest capacity. Onboard amenities include all-outside suites, fine dining, and spacious lounges/lecture rooms.

We Visit All Seven Continents. Our expeditions reach from Pole to Pole. Trips operate year-round; each one scheduled for the optimal time to visit during the year.

Our Leaders and Lecturers are World-Class. Zegrahm trips are led by the best and the brightest in their respective fields. Scientists, naturalists, and historians bring an educational component to the adventure through lectures, recaps, and guided excursions. Skilled expedition leaders and cruise directors expertly handle logistics and passenger service.

We Explore Remote, Exotic Locales. Our itineraries are all custom-designed and far removed from standard routes. We explore distant islands, atolls, rivers, and fjords to find unusual wildlife; visit remote villages to meet indigenous cultures; and snorkel and scuba dive in untouched undersea kingdoms.

Our Customer Service is Outstanding. (It truly is; just ask our thousands of discriminating clients!) A dedicated expedition advisor and operations team oversee each departure, and an experienced air department handles flight arrangements upon your request.

Zegrahm Trips are an Excellent Value. Each expedition is a singular event, individually produced from start to finish. Accommodations and transportation are always the best available in each region, and we offer a full range of daily activities. Your trip price includes deluxe accommodations, excursions, all meals, and gratuities.

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Our Private Travel department offers individuals, families, and groups of friends the same horizon-broadening adventures and life-changing experiences as our scheduled expeditions—but on a more flexible, intimate, and personalized scale. We know you may want to explore the world independently—at your own pace, on your own schedule, and with very specific activities in mind. That is what our Private Travel team is here to help you do.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • All air transportation
    • Airport arrival and departure taxes
    • Transfers for independent arrivals and departures
    • Passport and/or visa fees
    • Excess baggage charges
    • Trip insurance
    • Items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar charges, alcoholic beverages, e-mail/fax/telephone charges

Accommodation

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
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Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
zegrah-natwonzeg

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