Day 02 - Morning drive to Bodhinagala Forest Reserve, which is a lowland rainforest closer to Colombo. We look for Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill,
Thereafter proceed to Martins Simple Lodge, Sinharaja for three nights.
Day 03 - Full days visit to Sinharaja Rainforest (A UNESCO World Heritage Site) for lowland endemics and mixed species bird flocks. According a study of the mixed species bird on on average 42 individual birds occur in the flocks, which makes this the world's largest mixed species bird flock. This study done in Sinharaja forest has been continuing since 1981 and is considered as the World's longest continued bird flock study. Birding highlights include Red-faced Malkoha, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Red-faced Malkoha, Legge’s Flowerpecker, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, White-faced Starling, Sri LaMyna, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Swallow, Hill Munia, Besra, Crested Hawk Eagle, Crested GoshawkBlack-naped Monarch, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Indian Cuckoo, Brown-backed Needletail, Alpine Swift & Red-winged Crested Cuckoo, Orange-billed Babbler & Sri Lanka Crested Drongo.
Day 04 - Full days visit to Sinharaja Rainforest.
Day 05 - After breakfast leave for Elephant Reach Hotel, Yala for two nights.Afternoon safari to Yala National Park. Yala Block 1 has one of the highest densities of Leopards in the world, Yala therefore offers one of the best chances 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. Birding highlights include Malabar Pied Hornbill, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant and Black-necked Stork. Western Reef Egret, Red-necked Phalarope, Small Pratincole, Little Heron, Garganey, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveller, Caspian, White-winged, Whiskered, Common, Large Cres& Lesser Crested & Little Terns, Indian Cormorant, Brown-headed Gull, Greater Flamingo, Great and Indian Thick-knees, Curlew, Marsh, Wood & Green Sandpipers, Lesser & Greater Sand Plovers, Little-ringed Plovers, Black-necked Stork, Common Hoopoe, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker & Ashy Drongo,
Day 06 Morning birding around Tissa wetlands and afternoon visit Yala National Park once more.
Day 07 After breakfast leave for Jetwing St Andrew's Hotel, NuwaraEliya for two nights. Afternoon visit Victoria Park for Himalayan migrants Kashmir Flycatcher, Pied Thrush Indian Pitta and Indian Blue Robin. Other highlights Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Woodshrike, Brown-capped Babbler, Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler, Marshall's Iora, Lesser Hill Myna, Crested Hawk Eagle, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Indian Pygmy Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, Streak-throated Woodpecker, Crimson-backed Flameback, White-rumped Shama, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo, Grey Tit, Grey-breasted Prinia, Jungle Prinia, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Jungle Owlet, Brown Wood Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Orange-headed Thrush, Indian Pitta, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Pied Thrush and Thick-billed Flowerpecker
Day 08 Pre dawn start for Horton Plains National Park to see Cloud Forests and rare mountain fauna, which include the endemic Rhino-horned Lizard, which was featured in Charles Darwin's monumental work on evolution, Bear Monkey, Giant Squirrel and Sambhur. Walk though the grasslands and Cloud Forests to a popular viewpoint know as World's end, which is an escapement with a 870 m drop. We also look for endemic birds Yellow-eared Bulbul and Sri Lanka Hill White-eye and Dull blue Flycatcher. Afternoon city tour of NuwaraEliya.
Day 09 After breakfast leave for Sisira's River Lounge, Kithulgala for two nights.Afternoon Cross the Kelani River in a dugout canoe and reach the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve, which is a lowland tropical rainforest rich in endemic fauna and flora. The Kelani Valley Forest Reserve is ideal for any missed lowland endemics such as Chestnut-backed Owlet, Green-billed Coucal, Sri Lanka Myna, Brown Hawk Owl, Forest Wagtail, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Dark-fronted Babbler, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Orange-billed, Brown-capped & Sri Lanka Scimitar Babblers, Sri Lanka Crested Drongo, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Crimson-backed Flameback, Black-capped Bulbul, Yellow-fronted Barbet Chestnut-backed Owlet, Green-billed Coucal, Sri Lanka Myna, Brown Hawk Owl, Forest Wagtail, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Dark-fronted Babbler, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Orange-billed, Brown-capped & Sri Lanka Scimitar Babblers, Sri Lanka Crested Drongo, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Crimson-backed Flameback, Black-capped Bulbul, Yellow-fronted Barbet ,
Day 10 Morning and afternoon endemic birding at Kelani Valley Forest Reserve.
Day 11 After breakfast leave for JetwingHunas Falls Hotel, Kandy for one night. En route visit Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy, which is an object of veneration to Buddhists and the most important sacred relic in the country.
Day 12 Morning visit a nearby patch of forest for the endemic the endemic Chestnut-backed Owlet and Brown Fish Owl and if lucky the diminutive Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. noisy Layard’s Parakeet, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Black-capped Bulbul and Brown-capped Babbler. Other forest birds include the Gold-fronted & Blue-winged Leafbird, Emerald Dove, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Brown-breasted Flycatcher and Chestnut-headed Bee-eater. More than one species of the beautiful kingfishers are found here including the Stork-billed, and Common Kingfisher. The Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher is sometimes seen beside the lake..Afternoon leave for JetwingVilUyana, Sigiriya for two nights.
Day 13 Morning visit Polonnaruwa (A UNESCO World Heritage Site), the medieval capital of Sri Lanka. Visit the world famous rock-cut Buddha statues of Gal Vihara and the ParakramaSamudra (‘Sea of Parakrama’) a 2500-hectare man made reservoir built by King Parakramabahu I (1153 –1186 AD) with a capacity of 134 million cubic metres. . Birding highlights include Wooly-necked Stork, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Large Cuckoo Shrike and Coppersmith Barbet. Blue-faced & Sirkeer Malkohas, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Green Bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, Yellow-eyed & Tawny-bellied Babblers, Indian Robin, Brown Fish Owl, Indian Scops Owl, Rosy Starling, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Jungle Prinia, Baya & Streaked Weavers, Black-headed Munia, Indian Silverbill, Plum-headed Parakeet, Oriental Darter, PaddyfielPipit, Richard's Pipit & Blyth’s Pipit, Jerdon’s Bushlark, Oriental Skylark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark, Lesser Cuckoo, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Orange-headed Thrush, Barred Buttonquail, ‘Indian’ Red-rumped Swallow, White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail, Pied Kingfisher, Spot-billedPelican, Wooly-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, Pallid Harrier, Western Marsh Harrier,Osprey, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Crested Hawk Eagle, Common Kestral, Black-shouldered Kite & Grey-headed Fish Eagle.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 14 Morning birding at the hotel nature trail, afternoon leave for Jetwing Seashells Hotel, Negombo for one night.
Day 15 Transfer to International Airport.
The Tour Includes
· Accommodation on HB basis (breakfast & dinner)
· Transportation in an A/C Car (Up to 02 Pax) / A/C Microvan (03 - 06 Pax)
· Airport Transfers
· English speaking naturalist chauffeur guide.
· Entrance tickets for all activities mentioned above
· Jeeps for safaris where mentioned
· Government Taxes.
The Tour Excludes
· Tips and porterage.
· Expenses of a personal nature
· Lunch & Beverages
· Flights & Visas
· Early check-in & Early checkout charges
· Optional Activities
