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Places to see
Gal Oya National Park, Kumana & Arugam Bay
On Sri Lanka’s wilder eastern frontier, Gal Oya National Park, Kumana National Park, and Arugam Bay blend untouched natural beauty with wilder beaches. Delving into this region provides a deeper perspective of Sri Lanka and something more authentic and unspoiled. We are huge fans of Gal Oya National Park, which is the only place in the country where boat safaris reveal elephants swimming between islands on the vast Senanayake Samudraya reservoir. Here you'll also find the most amazing hiking, nature walks, cycling and even indigenous tribal people, known as the vedda community. Nearby, Kumana’s wetlands and forests transform into a birdwatcher’s paradise during migration, with pelicans, painted storks, and rare black-necked storks filling the skies, along with elephants and even leopards. Nearby on the coastline, Arugam Bay offers world-class surfing. Let us know if you would like to include this wilder region into your private tailor-made itinerary with Red Dot.
Unique places to visit in Gal Oya National Park, Kumana & Arugam Bay
Guests have the rare opportunity to be guided by the village chief himself on a walk through the ancestral jungles of his tribe. As you explore the forest together, he’ll share generations of knowledge, from the use of medicinal plants to the location of ancient hunting grounds and cave dwellings.
This immersive experience offers a profound and respectful insight into the traditional way of life of Sri Lanka’s original hunter-gatherers — a culture deeply rooted in the rhythms of the natural world.
Places to see in Gal Oya National Park, Kumana & Arugam Bay
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Some of our favourite places to stay in Gal Oya National Park, Kumana & Arugam Bay
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