Wild Life Tour in Sri Lanka (198983),Holiday Packages to Kandy, Nuwara Eliya

Day wise Itinerary

Day 1 : AIRPORT/PINNAWELA/KANDY (Approx. 04 ½ hours drive – about 135 KM)

You will be met by a representative of Mac Travels and transferred to Kandy. En route visit Pinnawela Zoological Garden. Spend the evening resting at the Hotel.

The Dehiwala National Zoo, which has a remarkable collection of exotic and indigenous fauna, is one of the oldest Zoos in Asia. The Zoo in Sri Lanka is widely known as Colombo zoo all over the world.

Currently, Dehiwala Zoo houses 72 species of Mammals, 65 species of Birds, 31 sp eci es of Reptiles, 89 species of Fish, 03 families of Amphibians and 30 species of Butterflies etc. The total number of animals varies from 2500-3000 due to breeding and free living colonies of birds. Dehiwala Zoo has become famous among the visitors not only for collection of local and exotic animals but also for landscaping with lush greeneries. The Zoo supports and promotes conservation by breeding certain rare and endangered species through proper animal welfare.

Annually, over one and half million local and foreign tourists visit the zoo. And over 2000 students and groups of students from schools and universities visit the zoo for educational purposes.

The zoo is trying to keep the pace with the changing world. It has been involved in some major redevelopment programmes with the aim of enhancing the overall image of the zoo while providing maximum facilities for animals and the visitors.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Randolee Hotel , Kandy.
- Themes : Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks
Day 2 : KANDY/ NUWARA ELIYA (Approx. 02 ½ hours drive – about 85 KM )

AM After breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya en route visiting a tea plantation & a factory.

Tea Plantation

Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, when a few plants were brought from China. More were introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867, a Scottish Planter named James Taylor planted tea seedlings on 8 hectares of forest land, in the Loolkandura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23lbs being shipped to London. Tea will grow only on rolling terrain and is classified

be elevation into low grown, medium, grown, high grown into 3 main groups. In 1996 Sri Lanka has produced 258 million Kgs. of tea and has earned Rs. 34,068 million by exporting 244 million Kgs of tea.

Nuwara Eliya

The ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations. It is supposed to be one of the coldest places on the island, but it is really just like an English spring day, although the temperature does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence. Houses are like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions.

Evening you may do a city tour or a walk to the City and some Shopping.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Oakray Summer Hill Breeze in Nuwara Eliya.
- Themes : Hill Stations & Valleys
Day 3 : NUWARA ELIYA /ELLA/ UDAWALAWA (Approx. 03 ½ hours drive – about 150 KM )

AM: Leave to visit the Horton Plains National Park. Later in the afternoon take a drive to Udawalawe and spend the day at leisure.

HORTON PLAINS NATIONAL PARK

20 miles (32 km) from Nuwara Eliya is the Horton Plains only 3160 hectares in extent. Known to Sri Lankans as Mahaeliya, it became Horton Plains after Sir Robert Horton, British Governor from 1831- 1837. Horton Plains became a Nature Reserve in 1969 and upgraded as a National Park in 1988 due to its unique watershed and bio-diversity values. Its flora has high level of endemism. The hills are covered with diverse wet low evergreen forest with even large trees grown flattened to the ground on the higher windswept slopes.

Horton Plains harbors 52 species of resident birds and 11 species of migrant birds More than 2,000 to 3,000 Sambhur, Bear Monkey, Leopard, Barking Deer, Giant Squirrel, Fishing Cat, Wild Boar and Hares roam in the forests and grasslands but only seldom they could be seen other than the Sambhur in the evening and morning.

Two escarpments- “World’s End” and “Little World’s End” falling from the Horton Plains 1000 feet and 3000 feet respectively, to the land below and the Baker’s fall are places you should visit.

This is the only National Park where visitors could walk on their own in the designated tracks.

Thereafter proceed to Udawalawe

Dinner & Overnight stay at Grand Safari Hotel, Udawalawa.
- Themes : Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks
Day 4 : UDAWALAWA/ TISSA (Approx. 01 ½ hours drive – about 70 KM )

AM Proceed to visit Udawalawa National Park. After Lunch leave for Tissa and spend rest of the day at leisure.

The park is situated just south of the Central Highlands, of which escarpment brings about an enrapturing backdrop. At the center of the park lies the Udawalawe Reservoir. Udawalawe National Park established in the year 1972, with the objective of protecting the catchment area of Udawalawe reservoir, which provides water for agriculture and hydro-power generation spreads over an area 30,821,

resembles an African game park: it is mainly thorny-shrub jungle with grasslands. While the remnants of the Teak plantations that were planted at the time of the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir is scattered around, Kumbuk and the endemic Mandorang trees abound in the riverine areas.

Udawalawe National Park is one of the best places to see Raptors in Sri Lanka and afford excellent opportunities for photography. Endemic birds include the Ceylon Jungle fowl, Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Green Pigeon, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Ceylon Woodshrike and Ceylon Swallow. Among the other bird species seen are Spot-billed Pelican, Little Cormorant, Grey Heron, Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Large Egret, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Painted Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Green Bee-eater, Crested Tree-swift. In forested areas Sirkeer and Blue-faced Malkohas are found.

During the migrant season of birds (Nov to March): Booted Eagle, Common Kestral, Harries, Rosy Starlings, Black-capped Kingfisher, Wood Sand Piper, Common Sand Piper, Little Ringed Plover, Whiskered Tern, Yellow Wagtail, Forest Wagtail & Citrain Wagtail.

Thereafter proceed to Tissamaharama

Dinner & Overnight stay at Kithala Resort
- Themes : Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks
Day 5 : TISSA/MIRISSA (Approx. 02 ½ hours drive – about 120 KM )

After Breakfast Leave to visit Bundala National park.

Bundala National park

Located in southern Sri Lanka, Bundala National Park is home to the most vivid and abundant wildlife of the country. The park is spread across 6000 hectares of brackish lagoons, thorny scrub jungle, inter-tidal mudflats, and salt pans. During October and March as many as 10,000 birds visit this area and migrants and nomads from as far as Siberia come to make this their temporary home during this period. The lagoons attract an amazing variety of aquatic birds, including Ibis, Pelicans, Painted Storks, Egrets and Spoonbills, though the most famous visitors are the huge flocks of greater Flamingoes. Bundala is also home to 32 species of mammals, including Civets, Mongooses, Wild Pigs, Giant Indian Palm Squirrels, Black-Naped Hares and the ever present Grey Langur Monkeys.

KALAMETIYA BIRD SANCTUARY

This sanctuary, encompasses a wetland with two salty lagoons, mangrove swamps and pockets of scrub jungle. 96 species of birds make this sanctuary their home and another 54 are migratory birds. The sanctuary also has 38 reptile species.

Proceed to Mirissa.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Paradise beach Mirissa
- Themes : Beaches and Islands
Day 6 : MIRISSA (Approx. 03 ½ hours drive – about 145 KM )

Early morning proceed for whale watching with packed breakfast.

Located just 40 minutes drive from Galle is Mirissa Harbour. Here one boards an Indonesian fishing trawler restored for leisure cruising and sets sail for Weligama Bay where the giant mammals are known to cruise by. Guests can swim and snorkel from the boat, watch for whales and dolphins, do a spot of fishing with a hand line and have a picnic in a coconut-fringed cove.

The largest living animal on earth, Blue whales can grow up to 100 feet (30 metres) long and weigh almost 200 tons. They are among the Earth's longest-lived animals with an average lifespan of around 80 to 90 years. When breathing, Blue whales emit a spectacular single-column spout up to 12 metres into the air. They also typically raise their shoulders and blowholes much higher out of the water than other big whales when surfacing to breathe. These two characteristics make Blue whale watching an incredible experience.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Paradise Beach Mirissa.
- Themes : Beaches and Islands
Day 7 : MIRISSA MIRISSA / AIRPORT (Approx. 03 ½ hours drive – about 180 KM )

After breakfast transfer to the airport for departure.
- Themes : Beaches and Islands