Table of Contents
- 4 wildlife safari in Sri Lanka in a single circuit
- 6-day Sri Lanka wildlife safari tour in a nutshell
- What are the highlights of the Sri Lanka safari tour?
- What are the important national parks in the cloud forest tour of Sri Lanka?
- Rainforest of Sinharaja
- National Park of Horton Plains
- National Park Udawalawe
- National Park Yala
- How to book a wildlife safari in Sri Lanka?
4 wildlife safari in Sri Lanka in a single circuit
Sri Lanka‘s low-cost transportation and well-maintained road network make it simple to hopscotch throughout the island’s varied geography, visiting mist-shrouded jungles, gloomy rainforests, green-capped mountains, some of the region’s largest caverns and lively city markets all in one tour.
Spotting leopards hidden in thorn bushes in Yala National Park, spotting bear monkeys jumping in the canopy of mist-shrouded Horton plains, trekking through Sri Lanka‘s largest rainforest, foraging for one-of-a-kind goods at oriental markets—the high diversity of the Sri Lankan jungle will charm and challenge both foreign and local adventure travellers.
Sri Lanka boasts one of the best road networks in the region, making travel between cities simple. Sri Lanka’s freshly opened roadways have made travel much easier, faster, and less expensive than before.
A private vehicle is the ideal way to travel Sri Lanka’s difficult terrain. Public transport, such as buses and trains, are also viable solutions, but they tend to waste your time.
For tourists to Sri Lanka who want to experience the majority of the country’s wildlife in a single trip, five places in the west, south, and upcountry exhibit a wide range of adventures in a 6-day journey.
6-day Sri Lanka wildlife safari tour in a nutshell
Day 1: Meet your driver-guide and depart for Sinharaja Rain Forest. Afternoon jungle trek with our naturalist guide Sinharaja dinner and overnight stay
Day 2: After breakfast, depart for Horton Plains National Park, stopping in Kitulgala for optional whitewater rafting. Arrive at the hill country resort in the late afternoon and relax in the hotel. Optional sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya Nuwara Eliya dinner and overnight stay
Day 3: After breakfast, depart for Horton Plains National Park for a 4-hour walk. Later, proceed to Udawalawe National Park. Udawalawe dinner and overnight stay
Day 4: depart early in the morning for a safari in Udawalawe National Park. The safari lasts approximately 3–4 hours. After breakfast, depart for Yala National Park. Yala for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 5: Depart early in the morning for a full-day safari in Yala National Park. During the safari, you will be served a picnic-style meal. The safari lasts 8 hours and we try to show you as many animals as possible, including leopards, elephants, and crocodiles.
Day 6: After breakfast, depart for Colombo
What are the highlights of the Sri Lanka safari tour?
- Yala National Park full-day safari
- A four-hour safari in Udawalawe National Park
- A four-hour jungle trip through the Sinharaja rain forest
- 4 hour walk in Horton Plains National Park
- 2 hours Kitulgala whitewater rafting (optional)
- Tea factory and garden tour (optional)
- Optional city trip of Nuwara Eliya
- Visiting Ella Falls
What are the important national parks in the cloud forest tour of Sri Lanka?
- Rainforest of Sinharaja
- National Park of Horton Plains
- Udawalawe National Park in April
- Yala National Park is number four.
Rainforest of Sinharaja
This stretch of woodland, located in the Sabaragamuwa province and home to a significant variety of bird species, wild elephants, insect species, and rare butterfly species, is a hotspot for a wide range of endangered species. Exploring the deep greenery of the Sinharaja jungle seems like stepping back in time.
The Sinharaja rain forest is one of the key tourist attractions on this 6-day Sri Lanka wildlife trip. With our driver/guide, the travellers will drive to the Sinharaja rainforest’s Weddagala entrance, which serves as the beginning point for many Sinharaja jungle trekking tours. You will be escorted deep into the rainforest by one of our nature specialists, who has extensive knowledge of the rainforest and its Fauna and Flora.
The three-hour trip from Colombo to Sinharaja jungle is smooth and comfortable due to the excellent state of the roads. The first thing on the agenda is to go on a rain forest hike. The jungle trip lasts 3-5 hours, depending on your level of interest. The journey is around 3 km from the Sinharaja main entrance and can be trekked on your own; however, we provide a nature guide for your aid and also share his knowledge on the Fauna and Flora in the forest. Because of the difficult terrain, it is strongly advised to wear a pair of conformable hiking boots while exploring the jungle. The forest floor can be muddy, and there may be leeches, especially if you visit during the rainy season; our nature guide will supply you with leech repellant.
The majority of the hotel options in Sinharaja are simple, but cleanliness and safety are guaranteed. The majority of the accommodations are managed by individuals, and the most of them have extremely small capacity. The travellers on this Sri Lanka wildlife safari will spend one night in a quiet and cosy guest house. The guest house is extremely close to the Sinharaja rain forest’s entrance and is surrounded by lush green greenery.
One of the best areas to spy on bird fauna species is the Sinharaja rainforest. Many bird species roost high in the rainforest canopy and occasionally seek refuge on the forest floor to gather fruits, seeds, and insects. Visitors can see approximately a hundred different bird species, including numerous endemics such as the jungle fowl.
National Park of Horton Plains
On the second day of your Sri Lanka wildlife safari tour, you will travel to the heart of Sri Lanka’s hill country and explore one of the island’s highest peaks. Horton Plains National Park, located 5 hours from Sinharaja on the upcountry highway, is one of the island’s last remaining cloud forests. Horton Plains National Park is located on a flat between Sri Lanka’s second and third highest mountains.
All visitors are captivated by the national park’s beautiful tropical green forest, twisting perennial streams, and earth cliffs. The national park is located deep into the mountain’s isolated sections. The travellers walk through the jungle on a paved remote road about 5 kilometres from the main route. The voyage will come to a conclusion near the national park’s main entrance.
The travellers walk through a small town and busy areas at the start of their voyage. After a few hours, the landscape radically changes and the ride becomes slower due to the uphill journey. The majority of the excursion is an uphill trek through magnificent tea plantations, peaks, and valleys.
The visitors were also delighted by two cascading waterfalls, Devon Falls and St. Clair’s Falls. The scenery along this path is stunning, with tea gardens and parts of forest set against high mountain peaks.
Before proceeding to the main entrance, visitors must obtain an entry permit at the visitor’s centre. The trailhead is around 1 km from the visitor’s centre; our driver/guide will transport you to the park’s main entrance.
The trip will take the travellers through a woodland area, grassland and some muddy terrain; consequently, hiking boots are required. However, unlike in Sinharaja, there are no leeches here.
The trip at Horton Plains is usually done around noon, when the sun is at its brightest. Dense clouds form frequently in the high-altitude forest, floating dangerously near to the ground. Because of the mist, visibility in the park might be very low. when a result, it is strongly advised to begin the climb around midday, when the mist evaporates owing to the heat generated by the midday sun, exposing the picturesque scene for visitors.
The twisted, tiny trees are a prominent and unique aspect of the park’s vegetation. Due to the persistent cool breeze that ruffles the crowns of the trees, the highest tree in the park does not reach 3 metres.
The travellers go for nearly 2 kilometres before reaching the world’s end, which is a precipice with a severe plunge. The mountain suddenly descends hundreds of metres. The visitors can position themselves high above the precipices, giving them a panoramic view of the tea plantations, vegetable gardens, and sections of woodland in the lower elevations.
This is the most visited viewpoint in the park. The amazing view over the below area from the world end generates a mind-blowing and memorable image in the minds of all park visitors; nevertheless, the view can be hindered by mist on occasion.
To increase the excitement aspect, travellers can continue on the vast circle and view the Baker’s waterfall and the remainder of the jungle while completing the complete 4 hour cycle.
The trip across the park is rather straightforward, except in a few points when the elevation of the trekking path dramatically changes. In some spots, travellers must climb steep uneven steps to reach high altitude areas in order to continue their journey. It is owing to a change in the route’s elevation. This walk is appropriate for both expert and inexperienced hikers.
The rainforest hike lasts approximately 4 hours. Many animal species, including massively constructed sambar deer, wild boar, monkeys, and other avian fauna species, can be seen by visitors.
National Park Udawalawe
Rolling down from Sri Lanka’s central mountain range in a southerly direction for 2 hours by road leads you to the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The drive was both simple and exciting. From start to finish, the travellers are treated with stunning, breathtaking surroundings. Cascade waterfalls, rice fields, remote quiet towns, small villages, roadside fruit and vegetable merchants, tea gardens, and vegetable plots are just a few of the sights that travellers may see along this route. Udawalawe National Park is an ideal location for becoming a wildlife adventurer.
Quite new to the island’s collection of wildlife reserves, which dates back to the 1950s. Udawalawe National Park is a result of the Udawalawe development project, which was one of the island’s largest. The abandoned countryside had been completely neglected in the past, and the forest had encroached on it.
A huge portion of the rainforest was cleared, and farmers were relocated to the settlement of Embilipitya. The new settlement included all of the necessary services and amenities, including hospitals, schools, a road network, a telephone network, pipe-borne water, residences, and agricultural land.
Before the new development, all of the wild animals in the region were imprisoned and moved to the Udawalawe National Park. Which has become one of the greatest places for wildlife safari trips in Sri Lanka. The national park is a few kilometres south of Ella, a hill country resort.
Because of its high number of wild elephants, Udawalawe National Park is one of the greatest places in Sri Lanka to see them. The national park is a wildlife enthusiast’s dream.
The island’s wild animals have had a stormy history, particularly during the British colonial era. Because of deforestation and hunting, the popularity of wild animals has rapidly declined. Although the situation has greatly improved, deforestation persists under the pretence of development.
Land clearance is taking undertaken in several locations of Sri Lanka under the supervision of politicians and government officials. Recently Many environmental organisations have requested legal aid to halt the destruction of Wilapattu National park. The court hearing is still ongoing in this case. According to environmentalists, a chunk of the Wilpattu forest has been removed, and a substantial number of families have been relocated.
Despite a bleak background, the elephant population has been growing in recent years. However, when the elephant population grows, new complications arise, such as elephant attacks on humans and human attacks on wild elephants. Over the previous several years, government officials have been unsuccessful in finding a sensible solution to the elephant-human problem.
At Udawalawe National Park, it is relatively easy to view wild elephants. In Udawalawe, it is common to see enormous herds of wild elephants, sometimes numbering hundreds of elephants. The wildlife department, which administers park tourism on a daily basis, has given the park a boost. The governmental institution’s purpose is to use the park to create money for the country while also generating jobs for the locals while keeping a healthy and safe environment for the wild animals.
National Park Yala
The Yala national park offers a distinct experience from the previously described animal reserve. Yala National Park is one of Sri Lanka’s most significant natural resources. Yala is the island’s second largest national park, covering 97880 hectares in the southern province of Sri Lanka. However, if the devastation of the island’s largest national park (Wilpattu national park) continues in the future, it has the potential to become the largest national park on the island.
A substantial chunk of the national park is located near Hambantota on the southern coastal strip. The beaches of the Indian Ocean serve as a nesting site for sea turtles on occasion.
The national park is mostly made up of dry zone evergreen forest, which is not as dense as rainforest. Large trees with large canopies sprout in the park, leaving a good space between them for other little thorn bushes, creepers, and small trees. This sort of woodland is great for carnivores like leopards, as it allows them to quickly catch a prey.
Thick jungles, savannah-type woodlands, and grasslands with waterholes in between are ideal habitats for all types of species. Leopards, elephants, crocodiles, wild buffaloes, jackals, and monkeys are among the common creatures found in Yala National Park.
How to book a wildlife safari in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka safari can be booked thorough Seerendipity tours, please write them at admin@seerendipitytours.com or calla them/Whatsapp them at 0094774440977.