Wild and Wooly

A warm welcome to Sri Lanka! After clearing immigration formalities and having collected your baggage, you will be met at the airport by a Magical Paradise representative who will whisk you away to the bustling beach town of Negombo less than five kilometres away to relax and rejuvenate before embarking on a Wild and Wooly tour of Sri Lanka. Depending upon the time of your arrival, a tour of Negombo will be an interesting experience.

Some must see sights in Negombo:

The Negombo fish market| Negombo lagoon | Dutch Fort ruins | Catholic church locations | Hamilton Canal | Angurukaramulla temple

An overnight stay in Negombo is arranged.

After breakfast in Negombo, we will drive along the west coast of Sri Lanka towards Puttalam and Wilpattu passing numerous bustling towns and village hamlets on the way. Once at your destination hotel after a long travel, take time to rest and relax. Discover a truly peaceful locality.

Overnight stay in Wilpattu.

An early morning start to the Wilpattu National Park is helpful to see much of what the location has to offer. Enjoy a packed breakfast on the way to the park. As the largest park in the country, a lot of space is afforded for its inhabitants to roam around. With patience, you maybe able to spot elephants and leopards. An important attraction at the park is the greenery and really old trees. After a lengthy exploration, we will head back to the hotel for a well earned rest.

After breakfast we will journey towards Sigiriya. On the way, visit the famous Aukana Buddha statue, which has been carved out of a rock boulder and is one of the tallest statues of the Buddha. After a short rest at your hotel in Sigiriya, we will visit and climb the famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress or Lion Rock. Designated a World Heritage site, the 370 metre high rock boulder housed a magnificent palace that was built around 475 AD. You will be rewarded with breathtaking views when the summit is reached.

After lunch, we will visit the famous Minneriya National Park and view its large herds of elephants, reputed to be the largest elephant gathering in Asia. Watch as these giants of the wild drink and bathe at the edge of the Minneriya tank, play with each other and feed on the lush greenery of the park. During the dry season, this area is home to at least 150-300 elephants.

An overnight stay is arranged in Habarana.

After an early breakfast, let’s proceed to the Wasgamuwa National Park for a wildlife safari. The Wasgamuwa park is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna (at least 23 species of mammals) including elephants, leopards, and sloth bear. This park is truly a paradise for the nature lover and a place to absorb the pristine wild while listening to the symphony of birds.

An overnight stay is arranged in Wasgamuwa.

Day six morning, we will leave Wasgamuwa and head towards Nuwara Eliya also known as the ‘Little England’ or hill country of Sri Lanka because of the many quaint British type cottages and mansions set amidst verdant hills. There is much to enjoy in Nuwara Eliya that is set against the backdrop misty mountains, valleys, numerous waterfalls and tea plantations. This area is also the coldest in Sri Lanka therefore it’s good to pack a few items of warm clothing. Enjoy a scenic tour of Nuwara Eliya and a stayover.

After breakfast in Nuwara Eliya, we will travel to the Horton Plains National Park and hike to the famous ‘World’s End’, a sheer precipice at the park. The park is a mountain grassland and cloud forest located 2300 metres above sea level and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its unique biodiversity and endemic species of flora and fauna

This is the only National Park in Sri Lanka where visitors are allowed to walk on
their own in the designated areas. We will head back to Nuwara Eliya in time for a scenic boat ride on Lake Gregory and a round of golf at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club.

An overnight stay is arranged in Nuwara Eliya.

After breakfast in Nuwara Eliya, we will continue our journey from the hill country to one of Sri Lanka’s best known national parks, Udawalawe, known for its large herds of elephants. You will also see deer, crocodiles, and other animals relaxing in their natural habitat. Upon your arrival in Udawalawe and after freshening up, embark on a memorable afternoon safari.

An overnight stay is arranged in Udawalawe.

After breakfast and a memorable visit to Udawalawe, we will continue on to a biodiversity hotspot and national park in Sri Lanka, the Sinharaja Rain Forest. Sinharaja is of international significance and has been designated a biosphere reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. If weather conditions are good, we maybe able to trek through the forest in the afternoon. A trekking trip through this hilly virgin rainforest is a unique experience.

An overnight stay is arranged in Sinharaja.

After breakfast in Sinharaja, we will drive south to the Yala National Park. Yala is the most visited of all the sanctuaries in Sri Lanka and has the highest density of leopards in the world making it an excellent location to spot these cats. A morning or afternoon game drive will be arranged which will allow you to observe many other wild animals including elephants, sloth bear, and wild boar.

Bird watching jeep safari to Bundala National Park

We will also visit the nearby Bundala National Park, an internationally recognised
wintering ground in Sri Lanka for migratory waterbirds. In 2005, the national park was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the fourth biosphere reserve in Sri Lanka.
About 100 species of waterbirds inhabit the wetland habitats in Bundala, half of them being migrant birds.

An overnight stay is arranged in Yala.

The Galle fort is situated in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The fort was built initially in 1588 by the Portuguese and then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards.

It is a historical, archaeological, and architectural heritage monument that even after more than four centuries continues to maintain a polished appearance. Extensive reconstruction and preservation work on the Galle Fort has been undertaken by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.

An overnight stay is arranged in Mirissa.

As your holiday in Sri Lanka winds down, it’s time to proceed with happy memories back to the airport to catch your flight back home.

En-route, if you wish to take a look at the conservation of turtles, a visit can be arranged. The turtle hatcheries are open from 6.00 am to 6.00 pm on most days. If you wish to release a freshly hatched three-day old turtle into the ocean, this is the ideal spot for it.

It is also possible to stop en-route to visit the Galle Dutch Fort.

The Galle fort is situated in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The fort was built initially in 1588 by the Portuguese and then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards.

It is a historical, archaeological, and architectural heritage monument that even after more than four centuries continues to maintain a polished appearance. Extensive reconstruction and preservation work on the Galle fort has been undertaken by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.