For many, Sri Lanka is all about ancient temples, tea plantations and relaxation by the beach. Look beyond, though, and you’ll discover a global biodiversity hotspot and one of Asia’s most thrilling wildlife destinations. This journey takes you to the country’s most richly rewarding wildlife destinations, where, with the country’s leading naturalist guides, you’ll have opportunities for face-to-face encounters with Sri Lanka’s Big Five: leopard, elephant, sloth bear, blue whale and sperm whale.
Between June and August, we prefer to end the trip in Kalkudah on Sri Lanka’s East Coast as this offers better opportunities to see blue and sperm whales. This time of year also allows you to witness the gathering of the elephants in Minneriya.
Price depends on the experiences and accommodation included, and your time of travel. It is based on two adults travelling for 12 nights and does not include international flights.
1 night at the Wallawwa, 3 nights at Water Garden, 2 nights at Gal Oya Lodge, 3 nights at Leopard Trails Kumana, 3 nights at Taru Villas Mawella
What makes this Sri Lanka safari special?
- Escape the crowds as you experience Sri Lanka’s breathtaking scenery in search of the country’s Big Five with top private wildlife guides.
- Explore rarely visited Kumana National Park, now Sri Lanka’s most exciting wildlife destination.
- Keep your eyes peeled for blue and sperm whales in the Indian Ocean in a private catamaran accompanied by top marine biologists.
- Gorgeous accommodation from a private mobile camp to a luxury oceanfront villa.
- Climb Sigiriya Rock for a sunrise you’ll never forget.
Your Sri Lanka wildlife safari itinerary
Wildlife of the Cultural Triangle
Sigiriya
Arriving in Sri Lanka, spend a night at the lovely countryside property outside Colombo before continuing next day to Sigiriya in the heart of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. You’ll have three days here to explore the area’s wildlife and cultural highlights with your private guide while staying at the luxurious Water Garden resort.
Greet the dawn atop the spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya, enjoy a morning cycle ride through local villages, and head out by jeep to track elephant in Minneriya National Park–home in the dry season to the world’s greatest gathering of elephants, when hundreds congregate around the park’s reservoirs. You’ll also visit a special place we know that is one of the best places on the island to search for the slender loris, an endearing nocturnal primate, as well as the endangered pangolin.
Deep forest
Gal Oya National Park
A morning’s drive will bring you to Gal Oya National Park, a gem of lakes, jungle and mountains in one of Sri Lanka’s least visited and most unspoiled corners. The park has a healthy population of Sri Lankan elephant, and seeing them swimming from island to island while on a lake boat safari is a delightful and memorable experience. You’re also likely to see mugger crocodiles up to five metres in length sunning themselves on granite rocks or even on the hunt. You’ll stay at delightful Gal Oya Lodge where you can join local scientists as they monitor the camera traps set up around the lodge and head out on night walks in search of owls, nightjars and bats.
A real highlight is the opportunity to spend time with the Veddha, Sri Lanka’s last indigenous forest-dwelling people. With the chief of a nearby Veddha village, walk through the jungles of his ancestors, learning about the forest and his tribe’s use of medicinal plants, ancient hunting grounds and cave dwellings. It’s a fascinating insight into how hunter-gatherers lived in the jungles of Gal Oya.
Into the leopard’s lair
Kumana National Park
At Explorations Company, we believe that if you follow the crowd, you’ll never escape the crowd. That’s why, instead of using over-touristed Yala National Park, we prefer to take you to neighbouring Kumana National Park, fast emerging as the country’s premier wildlife destination.
Staying in an extremely well-provisioned mobile tented camp and guided by the country’s most exceptional naturalist guides, you’ll have excellent chances to sight charismatic species such as leopard, sloth bear, elephant and wild buffalo. Low visitor numbers–and the fact that you’ll be in the park during the wildlife magic hours before and after Kumana’s few visitors are there–means that the quality of your sightings will be that much more special and intimate. Game drives are done in the morning and evenings in a customised Toyota 4WD, there’s a fascinating turtle project to visit, and you can follow bush walking trails to atmospheric ancient ruins hidden among Kumana’s rugged outcrops.
Ocean behemoths
Tangalle
Relaxing on a glorious coconut-fringed beach, with the chance to head to sea in a private catamaran in search of blue and sperm whales, is a magical way to end your wildlife tour through Sri Lanka. Depending on the time of year, and in order to coincide with the seasonal migration routes of the whales, we either recommend basing yourself in Tangalle on the South Coast or Kalkudah on the East Coast. Either way, we’ll send you out on a privately chartered catamaran with a top marine biologist and a team of spotters to give you the best chance of spotting the whales.
While some companies adopt an approach that can be distressingly intrusive for the whales, we deliberately take a more hands-off approach, keeping our distance and letting the whales approach if they wish. Many are curious! Other cetaceans from Bryde’s and fin whale to orca, pilot whale and up to three dolphin species can also be seen in Sri Lanka’s clear warm waters.
Where you'll stay on your Sri Lanka safari
Great journeys need great places to lay your head. These are our tried and tested suggestions.
The Wallawwa
The Wallawwa, a restored 200-year-old Dutch colonial manor near Colombo airport, radiates old-world charm, and its heritage is palpable from the moment you step inside. High ceilings, worn terracotta tiles, and antique objets create a timeless, relaxed feel among well-kept tropical gardens. Rooms blend colonial influences with contemporary comforts, showcasing dark wood, clean lines, and a tasteful decor that nods to the building’s storied past. Unwind with traditional ayurvedic treatments at the Z Spa or enjoy locally sourced Sri Lankan cuisine at the Verandah restaurant.
Water Garden
Set among lotus ponds and meandering waterways at the foot of Sigiriya Rock in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, the villas at Water Garden Sigiriya are spacious and calming retreats in which to relax after a day spent exploring and culture-vulturing. Many come with private plunge pools and outside decks from which to take in your natural surroundings. There’s also an excellent spa and wellness centre where yoga, ayurveda and rejuvenating treatments can all be enjoyed, while the restaurant serves delicious farm-to-table Sri Lankan cuisine.
Gal Oya Lodge
Gal Oya Lodge, set in Sri Lanka’s unspoiled Gal Oya National Park, offers an immersive experience in nature with eco-conscious luxury. The lodge’s rustic-chic bungalows, crafted from sustainable materials, provide comfort while blending seamlessly into the jungle surroundings. Explore the wilderness with local Veddah guides, go on a lake safari to look for the famous swimming elephants, or relax by the lodge’s serene pool. Dining is a real treat here, with authentic Sri Lankan dishes using fresh, local ingredients.
Leopard Trails Kumana
Operated by Sri Lanka’s premier mobile tented safari operator, Leopard Trails Kumana offers a chance to escape Yala’s crowds and enjoy private, intimate wildlife encounters in Kumana National Park, now the country’s most exciting wildlife destination. Their leave-no-trace solar-powered camps come with proper beds and hot water bucket showers along with a chef, guides, host and butler, and are pitched and broken each day in the middle of the wilderness, affording a wonderfully visceral connection with nature.
Taru Villas
Shaded by coconuts just outside Tangalle on Sri Lanka’s gorgeous south coast, Taru Villas is a rather idyllic collection of boutique rooms and villas set slap bang on the sands of Mawella Bay. Enjoy a few days of indulgent relaxation here after exploring Sri Lanka, cosseted by fabulous service and some of the country’s most delicious cuisine, but if you can drag yourself away from the pool and beach, whale watching trips, leopard safaris in Yala National Park and trips into colonial Galle all await.
Customise your private Sri Lanka journey
All of our journeys are fully bespoke, and can be customised to meet your needs, interests and preferences. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.
Include a couple of extra days on safari in Wilpattu National Park.
If you’re travelling between May and October, finish your journey on Sri Lanka’s unspoiled east coast for prime whale watching.
Break your journey between Kumana and Tangalle in the lush Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka’s last patch of primary rainforest.
Include a few days relaxing and walking the spectacular trails of the Knuckles in the cool highlands of Sri Lanka.
Combine Sri Lanka with the Maldives for the ultimate luxury bush and beach escape.
Looking for more inspiration?
We have a huge range of inspiring private experiences and accommodation options available. Get in touch with our Sri Lanka specialists.
ENQUIRELearn more about our luxury holidays, or call our expert Asia team on +44 1367 850566 / 1-855-216-5040 (toll free) to discuss how we can turn your dreams into something truly magical.
“A world without leopards, well, who would want to live in it?”