Clients will have an early breakfast or with packed breakfast & lunch for a full day Singharaja forest exploration.

SINHARAJA RAINFOREST is a world heritage site, which can also be described as a Tropical Lowland Rainforest or Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest. Whatever its ‘technical’ name, it is undoubtedly a rich treasure trove of nature with a great diversity of habitats and a vast repository of Sri Lanka’s endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Bird Watching in this ecosystem is particularly interesting because it is home to 95% of the endemic birds of Sri Lanka! Named as a world heritage site in 1989, this lowland evergreen rain forest is steeped in deep legend and mystery. The word ‘Sinharaja’ means, Lion (Sinha) King (Raja), and it is popular belief that the legendary origin of the Sinhala people is from the union between a princess and the lion king who once lived in the forest!

The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve's name translates as Kingdom of the Lion.

The reserve is only 21 km from east to west, and a maximum of 7 km from north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. There are no elephants and the 15 or so leopards are rarely seen. The commonest larger mammal is the endemic Purple-faced Langur.

An interesting phenomenon is that birds tend to move in mixed feeding flocks, invariably led by the fearless Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and the noisy Orange-billed Babbler. Of Sri Lanka's 26 endemic birds, the 20 rainforest species all occur here, including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.

Reptiles include the endemic Green pit viper and Hump-nosed Vipers, and there are a large variety of amphibians, especially tree frogs. Invertebrates include the endemic Common Birdwing butterfly and the inevitable leeches.

Back to the camp in the evening.

Dinner & overnight stay at the camp bordering the Sinharaja Rainforest.

Proceed to Udawalawa after the breakfast.

Visit Elephant Transit Home enroute.

UDAWALAWE ELEPHANT TRANSIT HOME
Udawalawe Transit Home is a place; where closer to 35 baby elephants are being taken care of with minimum human interaction as they are separated from their mothers. Mothers of these babies are either killed or lost due to non ending Elephant –human conflict in Sri Lanka.
The transit home provides food, medical care, everything a baby elephant needs. When the elephants are big and strong enough, they are released into wilderness and start living “normal” elephant life.
A few times a day, visitors can enjoy the feeding hour, when the small elephants rush to drink milk and play with their mates. As any other babies, elephants like showing off, especially when spectators are around, which is also a great source of entertainment.

Arrive at the Park entrance around 12 Noon [or evening].

Get into the 4WD Jeep at the park entrance to be driven to your campsite.

The MAHOORA SAFARI CAMP is situated about 16 km inside the park next to the Walawe Ganga River (which feeds the nearby Udawalawe reservoir). Forget any ideas about cramped tents and sitting on the ground for meals – this is camping in style! The camp is set up prior to your arrival, transporting in comfortable tents, a fully equipped kitchen, chairs and tables, hammocks, flushable toilets, showers and even cold beer. On your return from the afternoon safari, you will be welcomed with a hearty barbecue meal in a magical setting – the whole area is lit up with traditional flame torches and a roaring campfire. So sit back, relax and let our experienced staff cater to your every need.

After the lunch we will be starting the safari in Udawalawa National Park by 4WD Jeep.

UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK is located approximately 200 km south-east of Colombo city. The 30,821 hectare dry zone game park has an annual rainfall of 1,524 mm and an average temperature of 29.40C. It is most famous for the many elephants that live there (about 400 in total). During a visit, it is not unusual to see whole herds – adults and young, feeding and bathing or playing in the water! In addition to this main attraction, the park is home to many water buffalo, water monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard, as well as being an exciting location for bird enthusiasts.
A 4WD open-top safari is the only way to see all the wonders this protected reserve has to offer, and our experienced and knowledgeable nature guides will make this an unforgettable experience.

Finishing the evening jeep safari, return to the Mahoora Safari Campsite which lit by, lanterns and the campfire.

Enjoy the dinner around the campfire and overnight stay at the Mahoora Safari Camp in Udawalawa National Park.

We will leave for a morning safari in Udawalawa National Park after an early breakfast.

This safari would be an unforgettable bird watching experience as “Udawalawe” is one of the best parks for bird watching too.

The endemic species of bird called Red Faced Malkoha has its favorite habitat in the 192 square km parkland. Serpent Eagles, Hawk Eagles, White Bellied Sea Eagles, Black Eagles, Black Capped Bulbuls, Racket Tailed Drongos, Malabar Pied Horn Bills, White Necked Storks, Open Bills, Ibis, Shama - The forest Nightingale, Strol Billed Kin Fishers and peacocks are found in fair numbers.

Among the migrant birds are the forest wagtails, Indian Pitta, Whiskered Terns, Osprey Sand Pipers and Terns.

Leave for Bundala after the morning safari.

Check in at Mahoora Safari Campsite in Bundala for lunch.

MAHOORA SAFARI CAMP
Eco Team operates three different campsites right inside the park itself. One is on a cliff overlooking the ocean below, and the other two are in shady areas next to the lagoon. The camp is set up prior to your arrival, transporting in comfortable tents, a fully equipped kitchen, chairs and tables, hammocks, flushable toilets, showers and even cold beer. In the evening you can enjoy a hearty barbecue meal in a magical setting – the whole area is lit up with traditional flame torches and a roaring campfire. So sit back, relax and let our experienced staff cater to your every need.

Enjoy the lunch at the Campsite.

Evening Safari in Bundala National Park.

BUNDALA NATIONAL PARK, covering an area of 6216 hectares, is located about 250km southeast of Colombo in the Hambantota district. The park falls within the southeastern arid zone of Sri Lanka, with a general climate that can be classified as hot and dry. The terrain is generally flat with sand dunes bordering the coastline, and vegetation consists mainly of dry thorny scrublands and lagoons. A total of 383 plant species have been recorded from the park, including 6 endemics and 7 species considered as nationally threatened. It is also home to 32 different species of mammals, 5 of which are classified as threatened. For keen birdwatchers, the complex wetland system harbours a rich bird life (approximately 197 species), including several species of migratory waterfowl. This has led to the declaration of the park as Sri Lanka’s first ‘Ramsar’ wetland – one of great international importance especially for migratory waterfowl.

Back to Campsite which lit by lanterns and campfire.

BBQ Dinner and overnight stay at the Mahoora Safari Camp.

Transfer to the Yala national park after breakfast.

YALA NATIONAL PARK lies 24km northeast of Tissamaharama and 290km from Colombo on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka, spanning a vast 97,878 hectares over the Southern and Uva Provinces. The vegetation in the park comprises predominantly of semi-arid thorny scrub, interspersed with pockets of fairly dense secondary forest. Small patches of mangrove vegetation also occur along the coastal lagoons. The park is renowned for the variety of its wildlife (most notably its many elephants) and its fine coastline (with associated coral reefs). It also boasts a large number of important cultural ruins, bearing testimony to earlier civilizations and indicating that much of the area used to be populated and well developed.

Your best chance to see a leopard is generally first thing in the morning and then again at dusk. The male leopards in Yala are very confident animals and they are often seen walking the tracks during the day. Young males in particular seem to have no fear of the jeep, which can lead to some excellent photographic opportunities.

As well as leopards there are a large number of elephants living inside the park and these can be seen bathing in the numerous lakes within the park. You can also see spotted deer, sambar, wild boar, wild buffaloes, sloth bear, jackal and mongoose. The bird life is also fantastic and it is amazing how close you can get to them from the confines of the jeep, you can see Rosy Starlings, Paradise Flycatchers, Crested Hawk Eagles, Blue-Tailed Bee-Eaters and Common Iora's.

Back to Bundala and rest of the day at leisure.

Enjoy the hearty BBQ Dinner and overnight stay at Mahoora Safari Camp in Bundala National Park.