While the best known of Sri Lanka’s national parks often bustle with visitors, our unique tour visits four little known areas which are among the finest for mammals, birds and other wildlife.
Visiting Ahaspokuna, Kumana National Park, Maduru Oya National Park and Wilpattu National Park, and staying only in exclusive forest camps, this tour takes you to the wild heart of Sri Lanka in search of leopard, Asian elephant, sloth bear, golden jackal, Malabar pied hornbill and far more. Each comfortable camp offers delicious, home-cooked food and en-suite bathrooms, and sits nestled in forest inhabited by Sri Lanka’s wildest denizens.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK
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Day 2:
Arrive & afternoon at leisure in Negombo
On arrival we are met by our local team and transfer the short distance to our beachside hotel. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Accommodation: Jetwing Beach, 1-night
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Days 3-4
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Transfer to Ahaspokuna
Today we begin our journey to the stylish Ahaspokuna Bushwalks Camp. After lunch in camp we head off on an afternoon excursion.
We spend the following full day exploring the lovely countryside around Ahaspokuna, with an indigenous guide who will interpret the region’s abundant flora and fauna from a Sri Lankan cultural perspective.
Accommodation: Ahaspokuna Bushwalks Camp, 2-nights
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Days 5-8
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Kumana National Park
We have four nights in an exclusive camp in Kumana National Park, giving us plenty of time to explore this peaceful and hugely biodiverse protected area. Though best known for its abundant birds, both breeding wetland birds and winter visitors, the park is also home to the same mammals as inhabit neighbouring Yala National Park, including chital, sambar, wild boar, Asian elephant and the gorgeous Sri Lankan subspecies of leopard.
Accommodation: Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Kumana, 4-nights
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Days 9-10
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Maduru Oya National Park
Our two nights in a charming camp in Maduru Oya allow us to explore this lovely protected area at our leisure. Maduru Oya protects the headwaters of five major reservoirs and its lovely forests are home both to Sri Lanka’s charismatic fauna, including many elephants, and to a community of indigenous people whom we visit at Henanigala.
Accommodation: Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Maduru Oya, 2-nights
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Days 11-14
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Wilpattu National Park
We spend the last four nights of our tour in Sri Lanka’s largest national park, which though among the finest wildlife sites in the country is perversely little visited. Here, among Asian elephants chital, sambar, toque macaques and golden jackals, we have excellent chances of encountering Sri Lankan leopards and with luck we may meet the elusive sloth bear.
Accommodation: Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Wilpattu, 4-nights
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Day 15:
Return to Colombo and depart Sri Lanka
