Sri Lanka

Day 1: Depart UK on an overnight flight for Colombo, Sri Lanka

Day 2: Morning/early afternoon arrival in Colombo. Transfer to Kanneliya. Late afternoon and evening spotlighting walks at Kanneliya

We should arrive at Colombo in the late morning or early afternoon where we will meet up with WildWings guide Mukesh Hirdaramani.  We will then drive to Kanneliya where we will spend the late afternoon and evening exploring the lowland rainforest looking for both mammals and birds. There are an excellent range of species here and our first speciality mammals should include Purple-faced Langur (Leaf-Monkey).

Twenty of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds have also been recorded at Kanneliya and those we could see include Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Red-faced Malkoha, Orange-billed Babbler and the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.

After dinner, we will set off on what will be the first of many after dark spotlighting sessions to look for the special mammals of Sri Lanka.  Kanneliya is a good site for Red Slender Loris and Yellow-striped Chevrotain and we also have a chance of finding Golden Palm Civet.

Although at some locations during our trip we will be spotlighting from vehicles, here it is largely done on foot (from a wide jeep track), although we may need to go off the trail in the hope of better views of the loris.  Night at Udugama

Day 3: Morning Kanneliya Rainforest. Drive to Kataragama. Evening spotlighting around Tissamaharama village

We will spend the morning exploring more of Kanneliya’s excellent rainforest habitats.  During the heat of the day, we will drive to Kataragama which should take about three hours.  We may arrive in time for some local exploring, but our main objective is an evening spotlighting session near Tissamaharama village.  This is predominantly an area of scrub, fields and paddies and both Fishing and Rusty-spotted Cats are possible. It can also be good for Asian Elephant, Small Indian Civet, Black-naped Hare, Golden Jackal and a variety of other mammals.  Three nights at Sella Kataragama

Day 4: Morning drive in Lunugamvehera National Park. Afternoon relaxing around hotel. Spotlighting session around Tissamaharama village

During the morning, we plan to visit Lunugamvehera National Park. If our previous nights spotlighting session went on late and or sightings at Lunugamwehera National Park are better in the evening, we will switch the safari to the evening, but only with the intention of increasing our chances of sighting our target species. This site is far less visited and consequently less disturbed than the much better known Yala National Park and is a good site for Sloth Bear and we have seen both that species and Leopard here previously.  The area is also good for Asian Buffalo and Chital with other possibilities including Toque Macaque, Tufted Grey Langur, Black-naped Hare, Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Grey Mongoose, Ruddy Mongoose, Asian Elephant, Wild Boar and Golden Jackal.

There is also excellent birding at Lunugamvehera and we will hope to see Black-winged Kite, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Spot-billed Pelican, Black-headed Ibis, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-faced Malkoha and Sirkeer Malkoha amongst a substantial list of possible species.

After dark, we will again head out to look for cats and will explore the  paddy fields, reservoirs, shrub forests and even sleepy towns and villages depending on local knowledge and what we saw the previous evening.  Many of our nocturnal excursions last several hours (and potentially continue until the early hours of the morning), and our goal here is to locate both Fishing and Rusty-spotted Cats. On one occasion, a Fishing Cat was watched for 30 minutes on one drive and on our 2024 tour, a Rusty-spotted Cat was seen at a home doorstep !!  Whilst there are no guarantees, this is one of the best areas for these species.

Day 5: Morning relaxing around hotel. Afternoon drive in Lunugamvehera National Park. Spotlighting session around Tissamaharama village

After a relaxing morning, in the afternoon we will continue our search for the species listed above and then as on the two previous evenings will offer a spotlighting session around the nearby scrub, fields and paddies.

Other possibilities could include Asian Elephant, Small Indian Civet and Black-naped Hare and a number of other mammals.

Day 6: Morning drive in Lunugamvehera National Park. Late morning transfer to Nuwara Eliya

We will have a final morning to conclude our exploration of Lunugamvehera National Park and our emphasis will be on looking for anything we may not have seen so far.  In the late morning, we plan to depart for Nuwara Eliya, a journey that should take about four hours.

As we travel, we will keep an eye out for the Stripe-necked Mongoose (if we have not seen it so far) and for the Brown Mongoose which is often seen by the roadside.  We intend to make several stops to look for these two species as the area we are travelling through is amongst the best to find them.

Our planned destination for the late afternoon is a visit to the Hakgala Botanical Gardens and whilst this is mainly a birding site, it is also the best place on the trip for the distinctive highland form of Purple-faced Langur.  We intend to explore this site on foot but will only be walking short distances and mainly on tarmac.

Other mammal possibilities here include Toque Macaque, Indian Bush Rat and Giant Bandicoot Rat but there should also be plenty of birds to look for.  One of the potentially highlights is Chestnut-backed Owlet (a Sri Lankan endemic) which we stand a decent chance of finding here.

Other birds which are possible include Black Eagle, Shikra, Indian Pitta, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Kashmir Flycatcher, Orange-headed Ground Thrush, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Yellow-eared Bulbul and Sri Lanka White-eye.  Night at Nuwara Eliya

Day 7: Morning Hakgala Botanical Gardens. Afternoon drive to Kandy. Evening spotlighting in grounds of hotel

We will start the day with a return visit to the Hakgala Botanical Gardens and will focus on looking for species we have not already seen or those we want better views of with the mammal possibilities include Toque Macaque, Brown Mongoose, Dusky-striped Squirrel, Sri Lanka Giant Squirrel, Indian Bush Rat and Giant Bandicoot Rat.

We will then travel to Kandy during the heat of the day, a journey which is likely to take 3-4 hours.  The grounds of our hotel can be an excellent location for spotlighting and once it is dark, we will hope to find Small Indian Civet, Yellow-striped Chevrotain, Indian Crested Porcupine, Golden Palm Civet and Common Palm Civet.  Other possibilities include Indian Gerbil, Giant and Lesser Bandicoot Rat, Indian Flying Fox and Toque Macaque, however, our main target for the evening is Giant Flying Squirrel.  We may well be first alerted to their presence by the distinct sound of one gliding overhead which is invariably followed by a “thump” as the squirrel lands on a tree.

If we haven’t already seen Fishing Cat, there is a site not too far from the hotel where this species can sometimes be found and there are also opportunities to look for several species of owls including both Brown Fish Owl and Brown Wood Owl.  Night Kandy

Day 8: Morning drive to Sigiriya. Afternoon birding at Sigiriya. Long spotlighting session around Sigiriya

We will leave our hotel at Kandy after breakfast for the drive to Sigiriya which should take about three hours. We plan to spend the afternoon primarily looking for birds, although there are plenty of mammal possibilities with Wild Boar, Asian Elephant, Golden Jackal, Indian Palm Squirrel, Sri Lanka Giant Squirrel, Toque Macaque, Grey Langur, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (lowland form), Spotted Deer and Sambar amongst the species which are found in this area.  Other wildlife we could also find includes Mugger Crocodile, Asian Water Monitor, Land Monitor as well as a selection of snakes such as Russell’s Viper, Green-pit Viper, Common Rat Snake and Sri Lankan Keelback.

Birds such as Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, Spot-billed Pelican, Black-headed Ibis, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Sri Lanka Woodshrike, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, and Crimson-fronted Barbet could also be found during the afternoon.

After dinner, there will be another spotlighting session and this is another area where we could find Fishing, Rusty-spotted and Jungle Cats.  Small Indian and Common Palm Civets, Indian Crested Porcupine, White-spotted Chevrotain and Grey Slender Loris are also likely along with nocturnal birds which could include Brown Fish Owl and Indian and Jerdon’s Nightjars.  Three nights at Sigiriya

Day 9: Morning lie in. Afternoon optional jeep safari in Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park depending on the location of the Elephants. Long spotlighting session around Sigiriya

We will have the opportunity for a morning lie in after our late-night spotlighting session (which could potentially continue well after midnight) but for those who are keen to explore, the grounds of our hotel offer some excellent birding opportunities.

During the afternoon, there will be a jeep safari to either Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park with the choice dependent on where we stand the best chance of finding Asian Elephants.  Other wildlife we could include find includes several species of mongooses and the lowland form of Purple-faced Langur.

After dinner, there will then be another nocturnal excursion and we will continue our quest for the three cats as well as any other wildlife we may not have seen.

Days 10: Morning lie in. Afternoon walk in Pidurangala forest and visit to rock temple. Long spotlighting session around Sigiriya

After what is likely to have been another late-night spotlighting session, we will have a leisurely morning and after lunch will visit the Pidurangala Rock Temple and nearby forests.  This area is particularly good for roosting bats and the species we will look for include Schneider’s Leaf-nosed Bat, Large Leaf-nosed Bat, Rufous Horseshoe Bat, Pygmy Pipistrelle and Lesser False Vampire Bat.

Depending on the success of our previous spotlighting sessions, there may be another opportunity to head out after dinnner to explore around Pidurangala village and surrounding forests for nocturnal species.

Day 11: After breakfast drive to Wilpattu. Afternoon birding around hotel and village. Evening spotlighting in buffer zone outside national park

We plan to leave Sigirya after breakfast and heading for the Wilpattu National Park.  This reserve consists of a range of habitats, including tall monsoon forest, and the mix of habitats supports a wide range of species; indeed, the area is now considered to offer some of the best mammal watching anywhere in Sri Lanka.  A unique feature of this protected area is the existence of natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. There are almost sixty of these lakes (‘willu’) and tanks spread throughout the reserve and they can act as a magnet for wildlife looking for water.

The list of possible species is very impressive and includes Jungle, Fishing and Rusty-spotted Cats and Sloth Bear.  Whilst we hope to have seen many of these species by the time we reach Wilpattu, this national park provides us with additional opportunities to find these enigmatic and sought-after mammals.  With good populations of Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer and Wild Boar, there is plenty of prey for Sri Lanka’s largest carnivore, the Leopard, and as a result this area has good numbers of this apex predator with an estimated population of over 350 individuals (2020 census).

Another target here will be Sloth Bear which is no infrequently seen in the early morning and late evening.  These mate throughout the year and it is not unusual to encounter a female with cubs on a rocky outcrop or at a water hole.  Other mammals likely to be seen here include Asian Elephant, Ruddy Mongoose, Indian Red Muntjac, Tufted Grey Langur, Toque Macaque and Golden Jackal.

There is also an impressive bird life and those we are likely to encounter include Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Brown Fish Owl, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Brown-capped Babbler and White-rumped Shama.  Marsh Mugger crocodiles are also regularly seen, and we may be able to find Monitor Lizards, as well as Indian Cobra and Indian Rock Python.  Two nights at Wilpattu

Day 12: Morning jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park, afternoon at leisure around hotel.  Evening spotlighting

We will spend the morning continuing our exploration of Wilpattu National Park and then have a relaxing afternoon before another spotlighting session after dark.  This is likely to be in the buffer zone outside the national park and we will prioritise any species we have not seen.

Day 13: Morning jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park. Afternoon drive to Kalpitiya

We will have a final morning visit at Wilpattu to look for any species we have not yet seen or would like better views of before leaving for Kalpitiya.

Kalpitiya is situated in the northwestern province of Sri Lanka and is famed for its beautiful beaches and marine wildlife.  The area is popular for salt manufacturing and seafood production.  Mangroves can be found along the coastal and these plus the lagoons support a wide variety of bird species including both resident and migratory species.  Two nights at Kalpitiya

Day 14: Morning whale watching excursion. Afternoon birding around Kalpitiya village

We will leave the hotel early this morning and board our boat for several hours at sea in search of marine mammals.  As we leave the coast, we should encounter pods of Spinner and Bottlenose Dolphins which usually are seen close to the fishing boats. Occasionally, these pods can be over a thousand individuals which can be an impressive sight and this can attract Short-finned Pilot Whales and Orcas.

The seas offshore from Kalpitiya deepen relatively quickly and as we get into deeper waters, the chances of finding larger whales increases.  Whilst Bryde’s Whale is generally the most commonly encountered species, this area is increasingly being known as somewhere where it is also possible to find Sperm Whales and the largest animal to ever live on our planet, the mighty Blue Whale.

After a morning at sea, we will return to the shore and in the cool of the late afternoon and early evening will do some local exploring.  Our main focus will be birds and especially species associated with mudflats and shallow water with the opportunity to look for a wide variety of terns and shorebirds including Great, Lesser Crested, Caspian and Gull-billed Terns, Marsh Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Kentish Plover and Black-winged Stilt.

Day 15: Morning Whale watching excursion. Afternoon drive to Katunayake with birding at Anawilundawa RAMSAR Sanctuary

After breakfast, we will take another morning boat ride in search of whales and dolphins and will hope to find any cetaceans that we did not encounter on our previous pelagic trip.

Once back ashore, we will leave for Katunayake with our final excursion scheduled to be at the Anawilundawa Sanctuary where we will take a leisurely walk around the main lake.  Whilst it is unlikely that we will find any species we have not previously encountered, birds can be present here in impressive numbers and we should find almost every treetop filled with roosting pelicans, cormorants, egrets and other herons.   Overhead, we may find White-bellied Sea Eagles and Grey-headed Swamphens  and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas are likely to be foraging around the edge of the lake.  Night at Katunayake

Day 16: Morning flight back to the UK arriving back early evening

WHAT TO EXPECT

All the hotels and lodges are good quality and close to our mammal watching locations.

Meals will generally be a combination of Sri Lankan, Indian and Continental dishes, often incorporating local foods. Some choice is usually available and most special dietary requirements (for example vegetarian/vegan options) can be accommodated. If you do have any special requirements we recommend you inform us in advance of the tour in order that we may make any necessary arrangements.

In many of the hotels there is also either a snack or an a la carte menu and you may be able to select from these if there is nothing on the main menu that you want to eat although there may be a small additional charge for some options. If you have a food allergy that prevents you from eating certain foods we also suggest you carry some snacks with you.

TRANSPORT

All road transport will be in a comfortable, air-conditioned minibus. Road conditions are generally very good although progress can be slow around the main cities and in the hill country. 4×4 jeeps will be used for safari drives and night drives.

Watching from jeeps is not always ideal or easy for group members and guides alike. We, therefore, ask your cooperation in rotating places in jeep(s) for safari drives on the request of your tour leader or local guide.

WEATHER

The weather conditions throughout this tour will be more or less stable throughout, with warm to hot (20-30C) temperatures by day with cool to cold nights and early mornings (10-20C). March is at the end of the dry season so we should hopefully have dry conditions throughout the tour.

MONEY

The currency of Sri Lanka is the Rupee. It is not usually possible to exchange a foreign currency into Rupees abroad, however, you will be able to buy them on arrival in Colombo. When exchanging money, particularly inside the airport, please briefly check the notes you are given and do not accept any bundle containing an excessive number of notes that are torn, old, or generally in very poor condition, since they may not be accepted elsewhere. The exchange rate in May 2024 was about 370 rupees per GB£1.

Not all tips are included in the price of the tour and are at your discretion. 100 rupee notes are particularly handy for tipping porters, room service etc.

We would suggest taking a minimum of £200 spending money. If you are planning to use credit or debit cards in Sri Lanka please remember to notify your card provider in advance to avoid potential problems.

CLOTHING AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

• Sri Lanka is likely to be hot so lightweight clothing is recommended. A good sun block and hat are essential. Temperatures can however be quite cold in the mornings particularly on Horton Plains and on the back of open jeeps so please bring some warmer clothing including a fleece and/or windproof jacket with you. These will also be useful if we experience cold conditions at night when spotlighting. Long-sleeved shirts are useful for protection against the sun/insects.
• Sober coloured clothing and backpacks, greens, browns etc is preferable, conspicuous colours such as white, red and yellow should be avoided.
• Please bring torches as we will be spending time in the field at night.
• A pair of sturdy walking shoes would also be useful.  Lightweight shoes may be useful in hotels and on jeep safaris.
• Good binoculars with a specification of at least 8×30 are essential and if you have them a telescope and tripod or monopod could be useful in some areas.
• Sunglasses and spare glasses or contact lenses if applicable.
• Sun block and insect repellent.
• Snacks.

Photographic opportunities should be excellent and we would expect us to get very close views of a number of species. Video rather than still photography may be better when looking for primates in the forest especially if the video has a videograb facility. Video is generally better in forest as it can operate in much lower light conditions, although many modern cameras now have much improved picture quality at higher ISO levels.

ELECTRICITY AND WI-FI

The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. Most hotels we will be staying in have at least one UK-style 3-pinned socket in the room, however, we also recommend taking a converter with you as most rooms also have several sockets that use three round pin plugs. See https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/gb/sri-lanka/ for further information.

Most of the hotels have free wi-fi in the rooms although in one or two reception is poor and it is easier to access wi-fi in the reception area and/or restaurant.

• SRI LANKA Mammals and birds Trip Report 2023
• SRI LANKA Mammals and birds Systematic List 2023
• SRI LANKA Mammals and birds Trip Report 2019