Compare Sri Lanka Express by G Adventures vs Sri Lanka's wildlife highlights by Audley Travel
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
Trip |
5 | Excellent
|
5 | Excellent
|
Duration | 8 days | 10 days |
Price From | $ 999 | $ 3,227 |
Price Per Day | $ 125 | $ 323 |
Highlights |
|
N/A
|
Trip Style | Small group tour | Private guided tour |
Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
Physical Level |
|
|
Travel Themes |
|
|
Countries Visited | ||
Cities and Attractions |
|
N/A |
Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
Activities |
|
|
Meals Included | 6 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners | N/A |
Description |
Discover Sri Lanka's incredible cultural and natural highlights on this eight-day tour. Explore a spice plantation, look for elephants on safari in Udawalawe National Park, and visit a stunning tea plantation. Wrapping up in Unawatuna, this tour is designed for add-on beach time to complete your vacation. |
. |
Day 1 Negombo
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.
Day 2 Negombo/Kandy
Drive to Kandy, visiting a spice plantation en route. Enjoy lunch at G Adventures-supported Sthree Craft Shop and Café. Later, explore Temple of the Tooth.
Day 3 Kandy
Explore Kandy with a free day.
Day 4 Kandy to Ella area
Travel by private vehicle to the historic town of Nuwara Eliya and enjoy some free time. Continue the journey to the rolling green valleys of the Ella area and spend 2 nights at the G Adventures-supported AMBA estate, an organic farm and guest house.
Livelihood opportunities in the valley of Bandarawela, Sri Lanka are limited for low income community members. Many rely on agricultural work, especially in the tea plantations, which can be arduous with little financial gain. Amba Estate came to the area with the purpose of promoting economic growth through their organic tea plantation, paying fair wages, sharing their profits with their workers, and creating opportunities for growth. Having established its place in the travel market, Amba is now ready to support community cooperatives as a means of better spreading the income of tourism throughout the valley. Planeterra is working alongside Amba Estate by supporting the initial investment for the first community-led microenterprise that will work in partnership with Amba. Planeterra’s catalyst grant covers the equipment, training and setup costs for a group of six women to formally become a chutney co-operative. The chutney will be sold back to Amba Estate for travellers to consume, as well as sold to guests and in markets throughout Sri Lanka. G Adventures travellers began visiting Amba in July 2018. They now have the opportunity to eat the delicious chutneys, meet the women and see how it’s made!
Day 5 Ella area
In the morning, enjoy a tour through the tea plantation and learn about one of the nation's most popular exports followed by a tea tasting. After enjoy free time to soak in the stunning scenery, opt to hike to Ella Rock, or visit Ella town by tuk tuk. This evening, enjoy a cooking demonstration of classic homestyle Sri Lankan dishes, a delicious mixture of savoury and sweet.
Day 6 Ella/Udawalawe National Park
Depart Amba Estate in the morning after enjoying a delicious home cooked breakfast. Begin the journey to Udawalawe National Park and visit the Elephant Transit home before enjoying an afternoon wildlife safari through Udawalawe National Park. Afterwards, head to a tented camp by the lake on the boundary of National Park and relax with a BBQ dinner around the campfire.
Day 7 Udawalawe National Park/Unawatuna
After breakfast transfer from Udawalawe to Galle for a tour of the fort and city. Later, head to Unawatuna, on the south coast.
Day 8 Unawatuna
Depart at any time.
The Colombo airport can be reached by taxi or there are train and bus connections from nearby Galle for much less. Your CEO can help you arrange a transfer.
Day 1 : International outbound flight
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Colombo.
Day 2 : Nuwara Eliya
On arrival into Colombo you're met and driven up into the Tea Country by your private chauffeur guide. This journey usually takes around five hours as you get to watch the beautiful scenery change as you ascend into the tea hills. Your chauffeur guide can suggest places to stop for refreshments if you wish.
Day 3 : Nuwara Eliya
We recommend that you rise early today ahead of your private excursion. Your chauffeur guide is on hand to drive you to Horton Plains National Park. The plains here form an undulating plateau over 2,000 m (6,561 ft) high, covered in wild grassland, waterfalls and misty lakes. You can walk to the end of the plateau, known as World's End, which offers some of the best views in Sri Lanka on a clear day.In the afternoon, visit a working tea estate with your private chauffeur guide. Going into a tea factory is a fascinating way to learn about how tea is processed and produced.
Day 4 : Yala National Park
From Nuwara Eliya drive down to Yala National Park today with your chauffeur guide. You have a couple of nights to maximise your chances of seeing the leopard and sloth bear of the area. It's a long drive but there's plenty to see en route and you can ask your chauffeur-guide to stop for any photo opportunities.
Day 5 : Yala National Park
In the morning and late afternoon enjoy private safaris into Yala National Park. You are likely to see spotted deer, wild boar and wild elephant in addition to a wide variety of birds. If you are really lucky you may also spot sloth bear and leopard. (With on average one leopard per square kilometre Yala has the highest density of leopard in Asia).
Day 6 : Uda Walawe
Transfer to Uda Walawe today with your chauffer-guide which takes a couple of hours. Here you can visit the Elephant Transit Centre where the baby elephants jostle their way to the gate at feeding times, some cheeky ones pushing back into the queue for a second feeding.
Day 7 : Uda Walawe
Enjoy two private game drives in the Uda Walawe National Park today, where the bird and animal sightings differ to your Yala experience. Uda Walawe National Park is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to see elephants, with around 500 taking residence in the park. Other animals that you may spot include; sambar deer, spotted deer, wild buffalo, crocodiles and water monitors.
Day 8 : Sinharaja
Enjoy another private game drive this morning before continuing on your journey to the Sinharaja Biosphere - the driving time can differ dramatically depending which accommodation you choose. Sinharaja is situated in the country's wet zone and is the last major undisturbed area of rainforest in the country. This is a fantastic place to explore as there are over 150 species of birds to spot as well as other interesting animals to see.
Day 9 : Colombo
This morning embark on a private guided tour of the rainforest with a local tracker. Explore the reserve on foot while the tracker helps you to see what wildlife inhabits the area, as well as showing you different plants and trees. There is much to see here, with some wonderfully exotic insects and endemic species of bird. Later in the afternoon drive to Colombo and check in to your hotel in a rural area close to the airport. The drive takes about five hours through quaint local villages and banana plantations.
Day 10 : International return flight
You can make a fairly leisurely start for the drive to Colombo airport, a brief thirty minute journey. Here you will be met by the airport representative and directed to the correct check in areas, ready for your flight. Your return flight will arrive the same day.