Tour Leader: Rockjumper Tour Leader TBC
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): USD4,450 * GBP3,440 * EUR4,111 * AUD7,083
Single Supplement: USD740 * GBP572 * EUR684 * AUD1,178
Embark on an 11-day wildlife and nature adventure through Sri Lanka, beginning with an overnight stay in Veyangoda and a journey to the ancient Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Explore the diverse wildlife in Polonnaruwa and Minneraya National Park, including Asian Elephants and endemic primates. Discover the cultural and natural wonders of Kandy, Horton Plains, and Hakgala Botanic Gardens, where you'll encounter unique bird species and stunning landscapes. Enjoy safaris in Udawalawa and Yala National Parks, home to leopards, sloth bears, and an array of other wildlife. Conclude your adventure with a thrilling whale-watching excursion off the coast of Mirissa before returning to Veyangoda for your departure. This tour offers a perfect blend of history, culture, and exceptional wildlife experiences in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Crimson-backed Flameback, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Layard’s Parakeet, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush, Sri Lanka White-eye
Leopard, Asian Elephant, Sloth Bear, Blue and Bryde’s Whale, Spinner and Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Jungle Cat, Grey Slender Loris, Rusty-spotted and Fishing Cat, Golden Palm, Small Indian and Asian Palm Civet, Eurasian Otter, Ruddy, Indian Grey, Brown and Stripe-necked Mongoose, White-spotted Chevrotain, Indian Porcupine, Tufted Grey Langur, Toque Macaque, Purple-faced Langur, Golden Jackal, Indian Giant Flying Squirrel, Indian Flying Fox, Indian Muntjac, Layard’s Palm Squirrel, Dusky-striped Squirrel
Kandy - Temple of the Tooth, Sigiriya, Horton Plains National Park, Yala National Park, Udawalawa National Park, Mirissa, Polonnaruwa, Minneraya National Park
In December, the tour covers locations in Sri Lanka with a tropical climate, featuring warm temperatures ranging from 22-30°C (72-86°F), with occasional rainfall, particularly in Kandy, Horton Plains, and Yala National Park, while the coastal areas like Mirissa enjoy warm, sunny weather ideal for outdoor activities and wildlife viewing.
8 and 1 Rockjumper Leader
Expect abundant photo opportunities at Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Yala and Udawalawa National Parks, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, and the landscapes of Horton Plains and Minneraya National Park.
This was a fantastic tour and I attribute its success to the guides, Greg de Klerk and Stu Elsom. They are professional and skilled, both at finding birds and handling people, and I learned a lot from them. We saw all of the endemic bird species and had some great views of game, including a jungle cat. At the beginning of the tour, I thought that a group size of 12 was going to be too many, but I had better experiences seeing birds than I have on tours with half as many participants.
The leadership on this trip was great! Glen Valentine was fantastic as usual. He is very responsive to everyone's needs, and constantly adjusting in response to even casual comments. He is wonderful at spotting and hearing birds up, down, far away, in the dark - wherever they are. I especially appreciated his wizardry with a scope - getting us great views of many birds through impossibly think vegetation. He makes everyone feel comfortable. The local guide Ashoka was absolutely fantastic at spotting, at local expertise, and general natural history background. Some amazing examples, he spotted an Indian Pitta in dark thicket from a moving jeep, and found a clear view of the head of a Legge's Hawk Eagle through thick vegetation that eluded all the rest of us - and then Glen got it in the scope in seconds! Glen and Ashoka were a great team. Ashoka speaks great English and was able to keep in mind what everyone had seen or missed, just as Glen does. Ashoka had great background knowledge on other animals and plants, and was enthusiastic to share.
We really enjoyed both tours. The leader, Stephan Lorenz, was very helpful and worked hard to make the birding trips a success. We appreciated the local guides on both trips as well. They were all very good at getting the job done and making it all enjoyable and seamless. We always feel we are in good hands when we go on a Rockjumper tour.
I am so glad that this tour was able to run amidst another Covid wave. The tour exceeded my expectations. Glen is an outstanding guide with a superb ability to find birds and show them to the participants. He is enthusiastic and personable, and we look forward to traveling with him again. The local guide was determined to find all the elusive owls possible. His perseverance is greatly appreciated. I also want to acknowledge the first-rate tour bus and crew that drove us safely over the winding roads of Sri Lanka. Finally, we very much enjoyed the food and the nice beer (thanks to Glen!).
This was a really successful tour, IMO. We got all the targets with time to spare and weren't totally spent by the end of it. Well done. All of the guides - David & Daniel were top notch. I'd bird with any of them again in a heartbeat.
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