Day 1 & 2Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer to the luxurious Wallawwa, a newly opened boutique hotel located just 15 minutes from the International Airport. This refurbished manor house is an ideal haven for acclimatising to Sri Lanka’s tropical climes and rejuvenating after the long flight. Explore the Muthurajawella wetlands situated just 10 minutes from the Wallawwa. These wetlands cover an area of about 6,000 hectares inclusive of the Negombo lagoon. The daily high tide brings in seawater from the ocean into the wetland. Continuous mixing of these two waters over thousands of years, has led to a brackish, integrated coastal ecosystem that is biologically diverse and teeming with life. A variety of mangroves and other types of flora including medicinal plants; numerous types of birds, butterflies and fish, some of which are endemic, are found in this habitat. Crocodiles, monitor lizards, and Sri Lanka’s largest snake – the Python, is also found here.

Day 3 & 4Journey to Sigiriya in the north central province where you will stay two nights at Vil Uyana situated just minutes from the famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. En route, stop off for at Ritigala and climb through the nature reserve to an ancient monastic complex. This visit will give you a satisfying feel of nature as well as history and an appreciation of the great Hindu legend of Ramayana. Remains of an ancient monastery can be seen on the hillside, as well as several drip-ledge caves with pre-Christian inscriptions. Ritigala is a refuge for many species of birds as well as a variety of plants, some of which are endemic to Ritigala Nature Reserve. Built in the 5th century by King Kasyapa, the remains of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress atop the tabletop mountain, coupled with the colourful frescos and the symmetrical royal gardens, are amazing feats of this period. The surrounding Sigiriya sanctuary is home to numerous species of birds including the Orange-headed Thrush, Purple Sunbird, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, White-rumped Shama and Shahin Falcon. Look for the rare Blue-eared Kingfisher around the Sigiriya Moat. You can also get a chance to see all three types of Primates here: the dry zone race of the endemic Toque Monkey, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey and the Grey Langer. When climbing the Sigiriya Rock Fortress look out for the Shaheen Falcon (sub species of the Paragin Falcon) hawking for House Swifts close to the Rock.

Day 5, 6 & 7Leave in the morning and travel to the central highlands where you will stay three nights at Warwick Gardens situated amidst the mountains of Ambewala in Nuwara Eliya. The wild expanse of Horton Plains National Park, more than 7,000 feet above sea level, offers a memorable start to the following day. The walk to 'World's End' and "Little World's End" offers one of the finest views in Sri Lanka. With a mixture of grasslands and forests, including the last montane forest in the country, Horton Plains have a healthy variety of birds to watch. Just 20 kilometres from Nuwara Eliya, the park offers the chance to observe five endemic bird species that can be seen only at this altitude. These include the Sri Lanka Bush Warbler, Dull-Blue flycatcher, Yellow-eared Bulbul, the elusive Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush and the Sri Lanka Woodpigeon. Other species include the Black Bird, Indian Blue Robin, Zitting Cisticola, Pacific Swallow, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Jerdon’s Baza, Crested Goshawk and Indian Pied Bush Chat. Mammals include plenty of Sambar, the Slender Loris, Bear Monkey and, occasionally, a Leopard. The Park has a diversity of endemic lizards such as Rhino-horned Lizard, Black- lipped Lizard and Dwarf Chameleon. This is the only National Park in Sri Lanka where visitors are allowed to roam around freely inside.

The town of Nuwara Eliya sprawls over the fertile valley flanked by Mount Pidurutalagala and Single Tree Mountain and is scattered with Victorian-style 19th century homes, bungalows, guesthouses and hotels complete with gabled roofs and large open fireplaces. Nuwara Eliya takes pride in its beautiful gardens with neatly-clipped lawns and colourful flower beds. Visit Victoria Park located in the centre of the city where you will spot numerous species of birds including the Himalayan migrants such as the Kashmir Flycatcher, Pied Thrush Indian Pitta, and the Indian Blue Robin.

Day 8 & 9Head south to the Sinharaja, Sri Lanka’s Heart of Darkness. Moist and muggy, murky and mysterious – an experience of Sinharaja is like nothing else in Sri Lanka. Trekking through this magnificent tropical jungle – the last surviving stretch of virgin rainforest on the island – you should be ready to pour with sweat as they make their way through a bewildering land of exotic colours and wonderful sounds. From top to bottom the forest is teeming with life whether it be gushing waterfalls, gurgling streams, ants marching, leaves rustling, leeches waiting (you’ve been warned!), crickets creaking or butterflies fluttering by. Apart from the very distinct atmosphere, which is created by this great cacophony of noise and movement, Sinharaja is particularly renowned as a hotspot for bird life. There are 140 bird species seen here during a calendar year including 34 out of 36 species endemic to Sri Lanka. And should your tracker manage to find you one of the ‘mixed hunting flocks’ all you will need to do is stand and savour. Roads around the area are not renowned for their quality and although it requires a certain amount of dedication to get yourself there, this is partly what protects the place and makes for a relatively exclusive experience.

Day 10 & 11Rise early and head to Uda Walawe National Park in the south-central region for an adventurous camping safari. According to Wildlife reports there are about 500 elephants in the park and they often roam in herds of up to 100. Leopards, buffalo, deer and sloth bears keep them company along with mongooses, bandicoots, monitor lizards and crocodiles. Visit the Elephant Transit Camp at Uda Walawe run by Sri Lanka’s Wildlife Department. Here about 22 young elephants, mostly babies, who have been orphaned or recovering from injuries, are being rehabilitated before release into the wild. The elephant population in Sri Lanka was at one time as high as 20,000 on this island. Unfortunately, today it has come down to 3,500. Conservation efforts such as the Elephant Transit Camp in Uda Walawe are vital to the future of this endangered species. The orphaned baby elephants reside at the transit camp for about four years until they are old enough to be weaned of milk and learn to eat grass and other vegetation from the bush. The Wild Life Department has initiated a Baby Elephant Adoption Programme where individuals can provide funding on a monthly basis and become a foster parent to a baby elephant of their choice. Support this valiant effort at conserving the dwindling elephant population of Sri Lanka.

Day 12 & 13After a farewell breakfast, journey south east to the gates of Ruhunu National Park (Block 1 of Yala National Park.) For quite some time, Yala National Park has been Sri Lanka’s most popular wildlife attraction. Apart from the rare exceptions that can be found elsewhere – such as the plethora of birds and butterflies at Sinharaja, the breath-taking views at Horton Plains or the extraordinary landscapes of Wilpattu (all of which you will, by now, have seen, enjoyed and understood) – Yala contains large quantities of just about everything and therefore probably offers the broadest cross-section of the country’s flora and fauna. In terms of game-viewing this is probably the best place to see all of the ‘big three’ (elephant, leopard & water buffalo) as well as countless other mammals, birds and reptiles (spotted deer, wild boar, monkeys, eagles, kingfishers, crocodiles, lizards, sea turtles - to name just a few). Animals are quite habituated here so where the animals in Wilpattu might have proved shy and elusive, Yala might just be the place that gives you that unforgettable leopard sighting. Stay two nights at Yala Village hotel situated nearby.

Day 14, 15 & 16Leaving Yala you will head west along the south coast of Sri Lanka to Tangalle. Along the way you have the option of calling in at Bundala. This bird sanctuary consists of five lagoons, which not only accommodate every species of water bird resident in the country but also lend the park a charming tranquility. In addition to an extraordinary variety of resident and seasonal avifauna, the park houses a number of other noteworthy animals such as the sea turtle, elephant, water buffalo and spotted deer. If you’re a keen twitcher, Bundala is well worth a visit. If Yala has sated your appetite for wildlife for the time being, you might find the beaches of Tangalle a more alluring option.

Day 17 & 18Continue west towards the Galle Coast. The drive should take approximately two hours. A few kilometres inland from the historic city of Galle, near a small town called Akuressa, is your next destination, Illuketia, where you will stay, is an exotic garden paradise. We recommend that you take a day trip to historical Galle Fort, an exhilarating place just to stroll around. Galle's 17th century Dutch Fort, a UNESCO-protected World Heritage site and a melting pot of cultural influences is an interesting morning's excursion. Several hours can be spent wandering along the narrow streets, well preserved ramparts, the lighthouse, the Dutch Reform Church, and several houses with the typical manor house style architecture with columns, courtyards, and verandas. The thick, high ramparts that protect and distinguish the Fort are today used for romantic evening strolls and convenient viewpoints to catch the sweaty action of local 'village' cricket games and the international games held in the adjacent Galle cricket stadium.