Description
Sri Lanka is one of the best birding destinations in Asia. This trip covers all “not to miss bird watching sites” in Sri Lanka which includes almost every birding site in the country. Perfect tour for professional bird watchers, wildlife photographers and naturalists. We hire experience and professional bird guides and selected site guides to ensure that you can see more birds. This tour will not only cover birds but also all the ecosystems surrounding it. Visitors can observe all kinds of fauna and flora distributed all over the island. Migratory birds can be observed starting October but there are good observations throughout out year.
You can customize the tour as per your personal requirements. During this package you will be staying in the specially picked accommodations that are closer to nature. This package will leave you with thousands of photographs and timeless memories.
Day 01 | Arrival – Transfer to Wilpattu – Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary
Ayubowan !! Welcome to Sri Lanka. You will be met by guide from Real Lanka Holidays at the airport and and we will proceed for Wilpattu. we will check in to our first hotel near to Anawilundawa bird Sanctuary. After couple of hours rest we will explore the Anawilundawa Bird sanctuary.
Anawilundawa is a best place for photographers and nature lovers to see different kinds of birds in their natural habitats. This amazing bird sanctuary is located in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. The uniqueness of Anawilundawa is its immediate proximity to three vastly different ecosystems such as the coast, the mangroves and the fresh water tanks making it one of the six RAMSAR Wetlands in Sri Lanka.
Birds you can see from here – Openbill, Purple Coot, Common Moorhen, Lesser Whistling Teal, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Stork-billed, Common, Pied & White-breasted Kingfishers, Gargany, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Black-winged Stilt, Cotton Teal, Indian Shag, Spoonbill, Large, Median & Little Egrets, Black-backed Yellow Woodpecker, Brown Fish Owl
Day 02 | Full day Birding in Wilpattu National Park
Today with our packed breakfast we will visit Wilpattu national park at early morning. Overnight stay will be Wilpattu national park.
Wilpattu National Park was originally declared as a Sanctuary in 1905 and upgraded as a National Park in February 1938. With an extent of 131,693 hectares, this is the largest National Park in the country. The main topographical feature in Wilpattu is the concentration of “villus” or lakes within the park. These water bodies though looking similar to lakes are formed by flat basin like depressions with the surface containing purely rain water. The park is unique in having a number of these with large sandy lake shores (Villus) which provide the animals with a continuous water supply during the dry season. Two of these “villus” are saline due to a characteristic of the soil. This is a very scenic park.
Birds you can see from here – Brown-capped Babbler, White-rumped Shama, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Pintail Snipe, Ceylon Jungle Fowl, Black-tailed Godwit, Great Stone Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Ceylon Green Pigeon, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Racket-tailed Drongo, Forest Eagle Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Black-backed Yellow Woodpecker, Rufus Woodpecker, Golden-backed Woodpecker, Hoopoe, Common Kestrel, Crested Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Ceylon Frog Mouth
Day 03 & 04 | Transfer to Nuwara eliya – Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains Park – Having been protected as a nature reserve from December 1969 this park was upgraded as a National Park in March 1988. The park covers an area of 3,160 hectares of montane grassland fringed and interspersed with patches of dense montane cloud forests. This park and the adjoining peak wilderness form the most important catchment area for almost all the major rivers in the country. This is also the highest plateau of the country, being above 5000 feet, and the western slops of the park supports the most extensive area of montane cloud forests surviving in the country. There are motorable roads as well as foot paths to different location in the park including the locality referred to as the “worlds end” which is a near vertical drop of 884m, and the picturesque Bakers falls etc. Most of the hill species of birds can be easily seen here during any walk in the park which is through forested areas, grasslands and streams. A walk to the “worlds end” is also through pristine hill bird habitat.
After breakfast you will transfer to Deniyaya village edge of the Sinharaja Rain Forest. Best place to explore the endemic birds of the country. Rest of the day you can relax at the hotel. Next day we will explore the Sinharaja rain forest by walk. Last day our guide will transfer you to departure terminal of the airport. Hope to see you again in Sri lanka . Our representative will see you off at the airport. Thank You ! Have a safe flight !
Sinharaja Rain Forest (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), an area of 18900 acres is located within southern provinces of Sri Lanka. It is home to over 50% of Sri Lanka’s endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as many kinds of insects, reptiles and rare amphibians. Sri Lanka’s tropical lowland rain forest has over 60% of the trees endemic and many of these are rare; there are 21 endemic bird species, and a number of rare insects, reptiles and amphibians. Sinharaja is biologically the most unique wet ever green rain forest in the country with an exceptionally high degree of endemism. Sinharaja is famous for its mixed feeding bird flocks and a high degree of endemic birds can be observed during the bird walks.
Inclusions
- 6 nights’ accommodation at the mentioned resorts, eco lodges, guest houses with breakfast and dinners.
- Arrival and departure assistance at the airport and transportation by AC vehicle on private basis with passenger insurance.
- Service of the English-speaking professional guides having good experienced in birdwatching.
- A “Photographic Guide to Birds of Sri Lanka” by Gehan De Silva and two more guide books related to butterflies and dragonflies for every client as a complimentary gifts.
- Preparing the Trip Report before the departure.
- Free water bottles, Wi-Fi (Sim Card).
- All government taxes are included for above all
Exclusions
- Air fares and visa charges.
- Sightseeing entrance charges (unless specified).
- Meals not mentioned in the itinerary.
- Tips, portage, laundry excludes.
- Any expenses on private basis.