Sri Lanka 102 F O R R E S E R V A T I O N S C A L L U S O N 0845 130 6982 Sri Lanka’s Highlights Day 1. Depart London Depart for Colombo. Day 2. Kandy [D] On arrival you will be met and transferred to Hotel Suisse in the Royal City of Kandy for a 2-night stay. The Hotel Suisse overlooks Lake Kandy and provides comfortable accommodation in air-conditioned rooms, each with en-suite facilities. Public areas include a bar, restaurant and lounge areas, and there is also a swimming pool. From here you may wish to visit the Peradiniya Botanical Gardens en-route where you will find over 4,000 species of plants, with 300 species of orchid! With Sri Lanka's longest river the Mahaweli as its boundary, this magnificent park is also home to 55 species of bird, including the Blossom-headed Parakeet, Emerald Dove, Common Hill Myna and Shikra. Kandy meanwhile is a charming town and was once the capital of the Kandyan Kingdom. Situated at an altitude of 465 metres, it is surrounded by hills, valleys, rivers, lakes, cascading waterfalls and forests which may provide an opportunity to see the endemic Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot and Layard's Parakeet. Day 3. Millennium Elephant Foundation [B, D] After breakfast you visit the Millennium Elephant Foundation which functions as a ‘hospital’ for domesticated Elephants in need of veterinary care. You will have the chance to get involved in their day’s activities. Pond Heron Elephant Rock, Yala

S E E U S O N T H E W E B AT wildlifeworldwide.com 103 Asia / Sri Lanka Days 4 to 6. Nuwara Eliya This morning visit Udawattakele Rainforest Reserve on the lookout for Mouse Deer, jackals, porcupines and civets, as well as Yellow-browed Bulbul, White-rumped Shama and Tickel's Flycatcher. Later you continue to Nuwara Eliya by road, once a popular hill station of the British, situated in the heart of 'tea country'. Your stay here will include visits to Hakgala Gardens, Victoria Park and Galways Reserve. A full day at Horton Plains, Sri Lanka's highest plateau of over 3,000 hectares, will also give you ample opportunity to see Wild Boar, Sambar, and Giant Squirrel, as well as almost all of the endemic bird species in the country. Supporting grassland together with dense montane cloud forest, Horton Plains is perhaps most famous for the precipice at 'World's End', where there is a sheer drop of 1,050 metres to the plains below. You spend three nights at Galway Forest Lodge. Days 7 to 9. Yala National Park [B, L, D] Head south to Yala National Park visiting Tissamaharama for a 1-night stay en-route at the Priyankara Hotel. At Yala, you stay at the Yala Village Hotel for two nights. Spend a full day at Yala enjoying the varied terrain and incredible wildlife. Flat plains, dense jungle, lagoons and stunning beaches are home to large herds of Indian Elephant, Chital, Wild Boar, Leopard and Marsh Mugger Crocodiles. Days 10 & 11. Bundala/Kalametiya Reserves [B, L, D] Today you transfer on by road to Hambantota where you spend the night at the Oasis Hotel. Spend time exploring the important wetland areas of Bundala Lewaya and the Kalametiya Reserve, home to almost all water birds resident in Sri Lanka, as well as countless migratory birds between November and March. Elephant, Chital, Grey Langur, Water Monitor and crocodile are often seen, with Olive Ridley, and Leatherback Turtles nesting on the beaches from April to June. The evening of Day 11 will spent at the Centauria Hotel in Embilipitiya. Day 12. Udawalawe National Park [B, L, D] Today you visit the Walawe Reservoir en-route to Ratnapura, which is surrounded by open plains and hills at the foot of the prominent Kaltota Escarpment and spectacular Diyawinne Falls. Sambar, Chital, Indian Elephant and Wild Boar may all be seen together with Black-winged Kite, Pygmy Woodpecker, Chestnutheaded Bee-eater, Malabar-pied Hornbill and Velvet-fronted Blue Nutcatcher. Spend three nights at the Ratnaloka Hotel in Ratnapura. Days 13 & 14. Sinharaja Forest [B, L, D] Based at Ratnapura, a visit to Sinharaja, the last remaining primary lowland tropical rainforest in Sri Lanka, is a must. It is home to many endemic plants, animals and birds, and some 139 varieties of Sri Lanka's 830 endemic trees! Rufous-bellied, Crested Serpent, Black, and Mountain Hawk Eagle, Red-faced Malkoha, Asian Paradise Fly-catcher, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie and White-faced Starling may also be seen here. Should you prefer to spend a night closer to Sinharaja rather than returning to Ratnapura for the second night - just let us know! Blue Magpie Lodge is situated three kilometres from the entrance to Sinharaja Forest and offers comfortable accommodation with twelve rooms, each with a fan and en-suite facilities. Day 15. Muthurajewela Swamps [B, L, D] Return to Colombo for your final night at the Airport Garden Hotel, taking a boat safari through the mangrove swamps of Muthurajewela en-route. Day 16. Homeward [B] Please note that for all our Sri Lankan itineraries there is a peak season supplement for departures between 20th December and 15th January (inclusive). Please also note that Yala National Park is shut between the 1st September and 15th October. Sri Lanka is home to a vast variety of birds, including 25 endemic species, making this a bird watchers paradise. Specialist watching tours can be arranged using expert birding guides. Please give us a call to arrange a tailor made birding holiday for you. Variations on a theme... If you would like to extend your stay in Sri Lanka, perhaps by spending longer in Kandy to experience the Elephant Perahera, or visiting Tasks Safari Camp near Yala, or even including a beach sojourn - please do give us a call and we will be happy to tailor an extension to suit your needs. You might also consider an extension to the Maldives which is only a short flight away. Cost per person: Jan to 23 Mar, 5 Apr to 14 Jul, 13 Aug to 13 Dec £2,195 24 Mar to 4 Apr, 15 Jul to 12 Aug £2,295 14 to 23 Dec £2,495 Single supplement: Available on request What is included: Flights, meals as indicated, transfers & guided activities Accommodation: Hotels & lodges Departure dates: Daily, throughout the year Sinharaja Lotus Flower At Wildlife Worldwide we specialise in tailor-making our holidays. It is what we started doing in 1992, it has been our philosophy right from the start. A tailor-made journey gives you the freedom and flexibility to travel how, when and where you want to. And of course, you are unconstrained by the wishes of a group. Throughout the brochure we show a series of itineraries to whet your appetite. These are all suggestions and ideas, none are cast in stone. We can change the properties, extend or shorten your trip, combine destinations and countries, fly you in Business Class, organise car rental and of course offer advice and suggestions from a wealth of experience that we have gained over many years. Call us on 0845 130 6982 and we will be happy to discuss the options with you! Tailor-made holidays – a unique journey designed just for you!