SRI LANKA

Roland

25 November 2020

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SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon, is an island country south of the Indian Subcontinent. The Island is in the India Ocean, and it offers a wide range of cultural landmarks, outstanding cuisine, lush tea plantations, exciting national parks and beautiful golden sand beaches. This relatively small country has 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Island’s tropical climate makes it a year-round destination.

 

It is one of the best places to observe Sri Lankan Elephants and the Sri Lankan leopards in the wild and its Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a birding hotspot. The South Coast is the best place to watch whales between November and April.

 

Sri Lanka offers a great variety of cultural and natural sights, wildlife watching and some excellent spots for relaxation at the end of your holiday.

Territory

65,610 Sq Km

Local time

GMT +5:30

Birds

Sri Lanka spurfowl, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Layard’s Parakeet, Green-billed Coucal, Serendib Scops-Owl, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-Fronted Barbet, Black-capped Bulbul, Dusky-blue flycatcher, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Red-billed Tropicbird, Indian Nightjar, Painted Stork,

Population

21 Million

Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee

Mammals

Blue Whale, Sperm Whale, Humpback Whale, Purple-faced langur, Red slender loris, Indian porcupine, Indian flying fox, Indian pangolin, Golden jackal, Indian grey mongoose, Sloth bear, Sri Lankan Leopard, Sri Lankan Elephant, Asian palm civet, Small Indian civet, Chital, Gaur, Sambar deer

WHERE TO GO

Wilpattu National Park

Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. It is located in the dry zone near the northeast coast. The park is an hour away from Anuradhapura which gives clients an excellent option to combine wildlife and explore the old capitals of Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is famous for its leopards, sloth bears and elephant sightings.

 

Anuradhapura

This north-central city is well-known for its beautiful Buddhist stupas. It used to be the Sinhalese capital of the Island and was founded in the 5th Century (BCE). Its old town belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1982.

Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage site which is also called Lion Rock. This fort was built in the 5th Century on the top of a monolithic rock formation. It takes around 1200 steps to reach the top. It is probably one of the most famous landmarks in Sri Lanka but is worth a visit.

 

Minneriya National Park
An impressive National Park in the Central North part of Sri Lanka, 30-minute drive away from Dambulla. During the dry season, large herds of Sri Lankan Elephants are gathering on the grasslands. A great place to see these big mammals in the wild.

Kandy & The Central Highlands

Kandy is a famous and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings. It is home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and travellers can also visit the Lake or the Bahiravokanda Vihara Buddha Statue. Kandy also belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Kandy is a good option to start discovering the Central Highlands of the country with its countless tea plantations. It also provides a great opportunity to ride one of the World’s most scenic train ride from Kandy to Ella.
As the Central Highlands rise 2500m above the sea level temperatures can drop significantly compared to the rest of the country.

Yala National Park
Sri Lanka’s most famous National park is located on the southeast part of the country. It is an excellent place for safaris. Nature and photography enthusiast has the best chance to spot Sri Lankan leopards. The travellers can see here Sri Lankan Elephants, sloth bears and some unique birds as well. The park is closed from September until mid-October.

 

Udawalawe National Park
Another excellent park to see wild Sri Lankan Elephants. It is a bit less popular than Yala. Apart from elephants, you may spot here golden jackals, leopards, water buffalos, mongoose. Endemic birds can be found in the park, like the Sri Lanka spurfowl, Sri Lanka grey hornbill.

Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Sinharaja is Sri Lanka’s last remaining primary lowland rainforest which is located in the Wet Zone at the South part of the country. The forest is a biodiversity hotspot, the travellers can find here 19 out of the 20 endemic birds and 50% of the endemic mammals as well as different insects, reptiles, and amphibians of the country. This unique rainforest belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 

The South Coast

The southern coast of Sri Lanka offers a great option to relax after a beautiful round trip. There are plenty of sandy beaches with excellent hotels where travellers can rest and enjoy the Indian Ocean. Mirissa and Kalpitiya are the best places to be to watch Blue whales, Humpback whales, and Sperm whales from late October to early April.

HOLIDAY IDEAS

WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS

SRI LANKAN ADVENTURE

Explore the culture, the history and the wildlife of Ceylon on this luxurious, private holiday.

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WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS

SRI LANKAN EXPRESS

Discover Sri Lanka on a short private holiday that takes you to the most iconic locations on the Island.

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SRI LANKA

WILD SRI LANKA PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI

A 12-day fully guided wildlife photography safari to witness the incredible wildlife of Sri Lanka focusing on birds, leopards and elephants.

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THE WEATHER

The Climate & When to Travel
Sri Lanka is a tropical country with relatively constant high temperatures year-round on the lowlands, but it can be chilly at the central highlands due to the higher elevation.
The weather is general determined by the Southwest and northeast monsoons which reach the country at different times of the year. The southwest monsoon is between May and September while the northeast monsoon lasts from November to January.

 

December to April: This is a dry season at a major part of the country, especially on the Southwest. The rainfall will be smaller; there is an excellent chance to have a lot of sunshine. These months are the peak tourist season. During December and April is the season for the Northeast monsoon, which means the northeast coast can have a significant amount of rainfall.

 

May to November: This is considered the low season as this is the time of the southwest monsoon. Although as the northwest monsoon has gone, the North and East part of the country is dry and offers great places to discover. July to September is the primary dry season in Yala National Park, so chances seeing leopards are good.

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