Sri Lank wildlife safaris and holiday tours … a fabulous destination that we will focus in this article. Yala National Park: is famous for its population of leopards, but sightings are not so frequent, so make sure you don’t plan your safari just on this. Yala boasts a high biodiversity including 44 species of mammals, 215 kinds of birds and many reptiles. During our safari at Yala, we spotted the beautiful red-spotted deers, a dozen of crocodiles, serpents, water buffaloes and many birds. And, we were fortunate enough to spot 2 leopards resting on a tree branch.
Towering up in the central highlands, Horton Plains is the highest plateau on the island. The cloud forests here are rich in endemic plants and animals that have adapted to the cooler climes (temperatures can fall below freezing at night). Birds such as the Sri Lankan whistling thrush and Sri Lankan bush warbler are best seen here. The dwarf lizard, found only in the montane zone, has evolved the ability to give birth to live young in order to avoid the problems of laying in such egg-chilling temperatures. Discover additional info Sri Lanka wildlife tours.
The south coast of Sri Lanka is a surfers paradise. Around each corner is a new break being enjoyed by only a handful. A searing sun, the warmest water and endless waves makes the south the perfect surfari destination. What makes it a surfari? No matter where you travel along the coast you are never far from the jungle, monkeys, peacocks and jungle bliss. There really aren’t too many places in the world that combine both the jungle and surf in such close proximity. Hikkaduwa surf beach was one of my favorite spots to head out into the water. The town is pretty well developed having been on the tourist map for a number of decades. However, a chill vibe remains with bars and huts lining the beach, watching out over the surfers taking wave after wave. A reef sits below the break but the water is deep enough to make sure a bad landing is highly unlikely.
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Sri Lanka, the Kataragama Festival takes place every year in July or August and is dedicated to one of the Hindu gods. It takes place over a two-week period and people from all over the world come to join in. The festival is jam-packed with parades of elephants and colorfully dressed performers. There are countless traditional dances that take place; with musicians, acrobats, and fire-breathers feeding into the festival’s contagious energy. There are few places in the world where elephant sightings are so frequent. However, elephants are not the only animals to see within Udawalawe National Park; peacocks, jackals, water buffalo, crocodiles, monkeys and deer also roam the area. Safaris are most popular in the early morning hours when animals are at their most active. The biodiversity of the park can be attributed to its varied landscape; it is flanked by mountain ranges to the north with wetlands and rivers hugging the grasslands and forests at the base of the mountains.