Camping Safaris
Sri Lanka's national parks are many and various, each having
its own particular mixture of features - terrain, animals,
birds, plants, trees, water-holes, lakes and rivers - all
of which take time to explore and enjoy. For those with limited
time, budget or interest in wildlife, a simple day-trip restricted
to daylight hours and a view from the back of a jeep, is a
perfectly practical option. But for those looking to get more
out of their visit, Red Dot strongly recommends a camping
safari. Admittedly these are not cheap, but they give you
a much more expansive experience and are therefore well worth
paying for.
One of the more obvious advantages of being on camping safari
is being able to immerse yourself in an entire 24-hour cycle;
the very fact that you are able to eat, sleep, shower, walk
around (campsite only!) inside the parks means that far from
being the outsider looking in at the wildlife, you actually
become part of it. And having the facilities at camp to fall
back on - whether for relaxation, freshening up or having
a meal - makes it all more enjoyable so that rather than always
administering to that pressing urge to chase after nature
you have the time and the scope to let it come to you.
Another important perk, is that when out on safari you can
reap the rewards of having highly exclusive access to the
parks' hotspots at the best times of day. Good areas for game-viewing
and scenery are often located well inside the parks and are
best seen at dawn and dusk. With the sun low in the sky, cool
temperatures bring many more animals out into the open and
the softer light makes every piece of scenery that much more
colourful. Due to restrictions placed on day-time visitors,
you can take full advantage of your close proximity to these
places by getting the best out of them before the sun gets
too high and others arrive or as it goes down when they leave.
Of all the camping safari operators available in Sri Lanka,
there are two that we particularly recommend: Kulu Safaris
and Mahoora Safari Camps. They are both excellent companies
who have a heartfelt interest in the observation and conservation
of their country's abundant wildlife. Kulu Safaris operate
only in Wilpattu, Uda Walalwe and Yala. Their focus is the
high-end market and they only offer an all-inclusive package
with a minimum two-night stay offer. Mahoora (formerly known
as Eco Team), meanwhile, offer a wider range of parks and
locations, including Yala, Bundala, Uda Walalwe, Sinharaja,
Horton Plains, Minneriya and Wasgomuwa. They have two products:
luxury and standard.
