Table of Contents
- Four Sri Lanka safaris with wildlife on one circuit
- The summary of a 6-day Sri Lankan safari tour
- What are the main activities included in the Sri Lanka safari tour?
- Which are the main national parks included in the cloudy rain forest trip in Sri Lanka?
- Rainforest of Sinharaja
- National Park Horton Plains for Sri Lanka safari
- Udawalawe National park for Sri Lanka safari
- Sri Lanka safari at Yala National Park
- How to book a Sri Lanka safari?
Four Sri Lanka safaris with wildlife on one circuit
It is simple to hopscotch throughout Sri Lanka’s varied landscape and see mist-shrouded jungles, dark rainforests, green-capped mountains, and engage in these four Sri Lanak safaris as well as some of the largest caves in the area, and bustling city markets all in one tour thanks to the country’s inexpensive transportation and well-maintained road network.
The great diversity of Sri Lanka’s jungle will enchant and challenge both local and foreign adventure travellers. Imagine trekking through the country’s largest rainforest, seeing leopards hidden among thorny bushes in Yala National Park, or witnessing bear monkeys leaping in the canopy of the mist-shrouded Horton Plains. Or foraging for unique goods at oriental markets.
Because Sri Lanka boasts one of the best road networks in the area, getting from one city to another is simple. Sri Lanka’s recently constructed roadways have increased traveller convenience, speed, and affordability.
The best method to hopscotch over Sri Lanka’s difficult terrain is with a private vehicle. While they tend to squander time, public transport like buses and trains are also viable solutions.
Five locations in the country’s west, south, and upcountry offer a diverse range of experiences in an easily accessible 6-day Sri Lanka tour, catering to tourists who want to see the majority of Sri Lanka’s wildlife in a single circuit.
The summary of a 6-day Sri Lankan safari tour
Day 1: Get to know your driver-guide before heading to the Sinharaja Rain Forest. stroll through the rainforest in the afternoon with our naturalist. Supper and spending the night in Sinharaja
Day 2: Depart for Horton Plains National Park after breakfast, with the option to go whitewater rafting in Kitulgala on route. Arrive at the hill country resort in the late afternoon and enjoy some downtime at the lodging. An optional sightseeing tour in Nuwara Eliya Supper and spending the night in Nuwara Eliya
Day 3: After breakfast, set off for the 4-hour walk in Horton Plains National Park. Proceed to Udawalawe National Park afterwards. Supper and spending the night in Udawalawe
Day 4: go early in the morning for a safari in the Udawalawe National Park. There is a three-to-four-hour safari. Proceed to Yala National Park after having breakfast at the hotel. After dinner, spend the night in Yala.
Day 5: Get up early and head to Yala National Park for a full day of safari. During the safari, a picnic-style meal will be served to you. During the eight-hour safari, we make every effort to show you as many animals as we can, including crocodiles, bears, and leopards.
Day 6: Depart for Colombo after breakfast.
What are the main activities included in the Sri Lanka safari tour?
- Yala National Park full-day safari
- A 4-hour safari at the National Park of Udawalawe
- A four-hour walk through the Sinharaja Rain Forest
- A four-hour walk in the national park of Horton Plains
- Kitulgala whitewater kayaking for two hours (optional)
- Visiting the garden and tea factory (optional)
- City visit of Nuwara Eliya (Optional)
- Seeing the Ella Waterfall
Which are the main national parks included in the cloudy rain forest trip in Sri Lanka?
- The jungle of Sinharaja
- National Park of the Horton Plains
- Udawalawe National park
- Yala National Park
Rainforest of Sinharaja
This tract of woodland in the Sabaragamuwa province, located a dozen kilometres inland from the west coast beaches, is home to several bird species, wild elephants, insect species, and endangered butterfly species. It is also a hotspot for a wide range of endangered species. Going through the Sinharaja rainforest’s lush canopy is like travelling through time.
One of the primary tourist destinations you will see on your six-day Sri Lanka wildlife safari is the Sinharaja Rain Forest. Together with our driver/guide, the visitors will drive to the Sinharaja rainforest’s Weddagala entrance, the beginning location for most Sinharaja forest trekking programmes. Here, you will meet one of our nature specialists, who will take you deep into the rainforest and provide you with extensive knowledge about the rainforest’s flora and fauna.
The roads are in excellent shape, making the three-hour drive from Colombo to the Sinharaja rainforest pleasant and enjoyable. Trekking through the rain forest is the first task on the list. Depending on your level of interest, the rainforest walk takes three to five hours. You can hike the entire 3 kilometres of the trip on your own, but we provide a nature guide who will help you along the way and share his expertise of the forest’s flora and fauna. The trek begins at the Sinharaja main entrance. The rainforest’s rocky terrain makes wearing hiking boots with conformation strongly suggested. Especially if you visit the rainforest during the rainy season, the forest floor may be muddy and home to leeches. Our nature guide will supply you with leech repellent.
While the majority of Sinharaja’s lodging options are modest, cleanliness and security are assured. The majority of lodging establishments are run by private individuals and have relatively small capacities. The guests on this Sri Lanka wildlife safari will stay in a cosy little guest house for one night. The guest house is close to the Sinharaja Rain Forest entrance and surrounded by lush vegetation.
One of the greatest spots to observe birdlife is the Sinharaja jungle. Many bird species nest in the canopy of the rainforest, but sometimes they come down to the forest floor to forage for fruits, seeds, and insects. Almost one hundred bird species are visible to tourists, many of which are indigenous species like jungle fowl.
National Park Horton Plains for Sri Lanka safari
You will go to the centre of Sri Lanka’s hilly area and see one of the island’s highest peaks on the second day of the wildlife safari tour. One of the island’s last remaining cloud forests, Horton Plains National Park, is five hours’ journey from Sinharaja via the upcountry highway. Situated on a plateau between Sri Lanka’s second- and third-tallest mountains is Horton Plains National Park.
The sights of the national park’s lush tropical forest, meandering perennial streams, and earthen cliffs enthrall every visitor. Deep within the mountain’s isolated reaches is the national park. About 5 kilometers from the main road, the travellers proceed on a paved, lonely road that winds through the jungle. The trip will come to a close to the national park’s main entrance.
The tiny town and populated areas are passed by the travellers at the start of the trip. Due to the uphill travel, the voyage alters considerably after a few hours and becomes slower. The majority of the drive is uphill as you pass through immaculate tea fields, valleys, and peaks.
A couple of gushing waterfalls, Devon Fall and St. Clair’s waterfall, welcomed the travellers as well. This path has some really picturesque views, including tea gardens and wooded areas with towering mountain peaks in the distance.
Before going to the main entrance, visitors must obtain an entry permit at the visitor’s centre. The trailhead is around a km away from the tourist centre, and our driver/guide will transport you to the park’s main entrance.
It is advised that hikers use hiking boots because the route passes through grasslands and woodland areas. Additionally, some of the ground may be muddy. Leeches, on the other hand, are not present here, unlike in Sinharaja.
The journey at Horton Plains typically occurs at midday, when the sun is at its hottest. In the high-altitude forest, dense clouds frequently build up and hang very near the earth. Because of the mist, vision in the park can be extremely limited. Because of the heat produced by the midday sun, it is therefore highly advised to begin the trip at noon, when the mist will have evaporated and the visitors will be able to see the picturesque scene.
The small, gnarly trees are one particular and unusual aspect of the park’s vegetation. Because of the persistent cold wind that blows across the treetops, the tallest tree in the park is only three metres high.
Before reaching the world’s end, which is a cliff with a steep plunge, the traveller hikes for about 2 kilometres. Suddenly, the mountain descends several hundred metres. In the lower raised sections, the travellers can arrange themselves high above the precipices, affording them a panoramic view of the tea gardens, vegetable gardens, and forested areas.
This is the park’s most visited viewpoint. Every park visitor is left with an incredible and unforgettable image of the lower region by the stunning view from the world’s end; yet, on occasion, mist may obscure the view.
In order to boost their level of excitement, visitors can continue on the extensive circuit, which takes about 4 hours to complete, and view the Baker’s waterfall and the other portions of the rainforest.
With a few exceptions, where the trekking path’s height varies suddenly, the trip across the park is rather straightforward. In certain locations, travellers must ascend steep, uneven stairs to reach high-altitude zones in order to proceed. It results from the route’s altered elevation. Both skilled and inexperienced hikers can benefit from this journey.
The trip through the rainforest takes roughly four hours to complete. Several animal species, including massively constructed sambar deer, wild boar, monkeys, and several species of birds, are visible to visitors.
Udawalawe National park for Sri Lanka safari
The dry zone of Sri Lanka can be reached by travelling two hours southward on a route that rolls down from the country’s central mountain range. The drive was entertaining and rather simple. From the start to the finish, the travellers are treated to lovely and breathtaking scenery. Along this path, travellers will come across cascading waterfalls, rice paddies, secluded, uncrowded towns, small villages, roadside stands selling fruits and vegetables, tea gardens, and vegetable plots. The National Park of Udawalawe is the ideal place to explore animals.
A relatively recent addition to the island’s collection of wildlife reserves, which stretches back to the 1950s. One of the biggest development initiatives on the island, the Udawalawe development project, produced the Udawalawe national park. The bush had overrun the deserted countryside, which had been mainly ignored in the past.
The town of Embilipitya became home to farmers after a sizable portion of the jungle was cleared. The new community had all the amenities and facilities that were needed, including dwellings, acreage for farming, telephone service, pipe-born water, schools, and hospitals.
Before the new settlement, all of the wild animals in the area were restricted within the Udawalawe National Park. Today, Udawalawe National Park is popular among tourists for wildlife tours in Sri Lanka. The national park is a short distance south of Ella, a hill country resort.
Because there are so many wild elephants in Udawalawe National Park, it’s one of the greatest sites to see them in Sri Lanka. For those who love animals, the national park is paradise.
The island’s wild animals had a very tumultuous background, particularly from the British colonial era. The popularity of wild animals has rapidly declined as a result of hunting and deforestation. Even if things have greatly improved now, deforestation still occurs under the pretext of development.
Land clearance is occurring throughout Sri Lanka, often with the assistance of government officials and politicians. Lately In an effort to halt the destruction of Wilapattu National Park, numerous environmental conservation organisations have sought legal counsel. The related court proceeding is still ongoing. The environmentalist claims that many families have relocated and that a piece of the Wilpattu forest has been removed.
Despite the terrible past, the number of elephants has increased over the past several years. But as the number of elephants rises, more complex problems arise, like assaults by wild elephants on people as well as attacks by humans on elephants. For the past few years, government officials have been trying unsuccessfully to find a sensible solution to the elephant-human dispute.
In Udawalawe National Park, wild elephants are relatively easy to spot. Large herds of wild elephants are easy to see in Udawalawe; occasionally, these herds can number in the hundreds. The wildlife department, which oversees daily park tourism management, has given the park a boost. The state institution wants to provide a safe and healthy environment for the wild animals while using the park to generate revenue for the nation and jobs for local residents.
Sri Lanka safari at Yala National Park
The experience at Yala National Park differs slightly from that of the animal reserve previously discussed. One of Sri Lanka’s most precious natural resources is Yala National Park. Yala is the second-largest national park in Sri Lanka, spanning 97880 hectares in the southern region. However, if the destruction of the largest national park—Wilpattu National Park—continues in the future, it may overtake it as the largest national park on the island.
The national park covers a sizable area close to Hambantota, along the southern coastal strip. Sea turtles occasionally use the beaches around the Indian Ocean as a breeding habitat.
The dry zone evergreen forest, which is not as dense as the rainforest, makes up a significant portion of the national park. In the park, large trees with enormous canopies of mushrooms coexist with other little thorn bushes, creepers, and smaller trees, all at a healthy distance. Carnivores like leopards thrive in this kind of environment, which makes it easier for them to catch prey.
For all kinds of species, there are thick rainforests, savannah-style woods, and grasslands with waterholes in between. Common creatures seen in Yala National Park include leopards, elephants, crocodiles, wild buffaloes, jackals, and monkeys.
How to book a Sri Lanka safari?
Sri Lanka safaris can be booked through Seerendipity Tours; please write them at admin@seerendipitytours.com or call or WhatsApp them at 0094774440977.
