Yala
Day 2 · Block 1
Leopard & sloth bear
The two headline animals, worked from first light to last, alongside Asian elephant, mugger crocodile, spotted deer, painted stork and peafowl in full display.
Signature expedition
The Wildlife & Birding Expedition
Leopard country, rainforest and dry-zone plain in nine days
- Duration
- 9 days · 8 nights
- When
- Tailored to the season
- Parks
- Yala · Sinharaja · Minneriya · Wilpattu
- Group
- 4, 6 or 8 travellers
The expedition
Few places on earth pack this much wild into so little ground. This journey is curated by the two of us, Toshan Wijeratne and Udara Karunarathna, wildlife photographers who shoot here in Sri Lanka and around the world.
We pool everything we have for it: the drivers and guides we personally trust, who know where the light falls and how to position a jeep for the frame rather than just the sighting. We know these parks in every season.
In nine days we work south to Yala, gate to gate with meals in the jeep, then north to Sinharaja, the UNESCO-listed rainforest, for two full days of feeding flocks and endemics found nowhere else. Then the dry zone: the elephant gathering at Minneriya, Kaudulla or Hurulu, and finally the quiet villus of Wilpattu, with leopards, a night drive and far fewer jeeps than the south.
Small group, private vehicle, and mornings that start before the birds do. Bring your longest lens, or simply your binoculars.
What makes this journey
- 01
Curated by two photographers
Toshan and Udara plan every stop together and are with you in the field throughout.
- 02
The crews we trust
Drivers, trackers and naturalists we've worked with for years, briefed to position the jeep for the frame.
- 03
Built around the light
Pre-dawn starts and late finishes. We work the best hours, not a checklist.
- 04
A photo-ready vehicle
A private air-conditioned 4x4 on the road, and dedicated jeeps in the parks set up for low-angle work.
- 05
No day broken in half
Meals are taken in the jeep on full-park days, so we never leave the field at midday.
- 06
Small & private
4, 6 or 8 travellers, deluxe rooms throughout, and every transfer and park fee handled.
What we're after
Tissamaharama
Days 1–3 · Debarawewa
Owls, woodpeckers & the tank
Jungle owlet, Indian scops owl, brown fish owl and barn owl, with a shot at spot-bellied eagle-owl. Several woodpecker species and waterbirds working the lake at first light.
Sinharaja
Days 3–5 · Rainforest
Endemics, snakes & macro
Sri Lanka blue magpie, grey hornbill and spot-winged thrush among the endemic birds, green pit vipers on the trailsides, and our best ground for macro.
Minneriya
Day 6 · Dry zone
The elephant gathering
Large herds drawn to the reservoir grasslands. If they've moved, we switch to Kaudulla or Hurulu on the day.
Wilpattu
Days 7–8 · Villus
Leopards on sand, and the night shift
Leopards on open sand tracks, sloth bear in the scrub, and a buffer-zone night drive for jungle cat, fishing cat, chameleon and grey slender loris.
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrival & transfer south
Colombo → Tissamaharama · 4.5–5 hrs
Land at Bandaranaike International Airport and drive south to Tissamaharama. Settle in and rest ahead of a long day in the park.
Overnight · Tissamaharama
- Day 2
Yala full-day safari
A full day inside Yala, in at the gate at 5:30am and out at 6pm, with all meals in the jeep. Block 1 holds the densest leopard population on earth.
Overnight · Tissamaharama
- Day 3
Debarawewa birding & north to Kudawa
Tissamaharama → Kudawa · 5–5.5 hrs
Tank birding at Debarawewa at first light, then the drive to Kudawa. In the evening, a gentle birding walk around the village on Sinharaja's doorstep.
Overnight · Kudawa
- Day 4
Sinharaja full day
A pre-dawn start into the UNESCO-listed rainforest, timed for the mixed-species feeding flocks between 6:30 and 9am, when dozens of endemics move through as one wave.
Overnight · Kudawa
- Day 5
Sinharaja, deeper trails
A second full day in the forest, heading towards Sinhagala or Moulawella for deeper trails, different elevations and the wet-zone specialists that keep away from the main paths.
Overnight · Kudawa
- Day 6
North to the dry zone & evening safari
Kudawa → Habarana · 5.5–6.5 hrs
A 5am departure for the long drive north. In the evening, a safari to Minneriya, Kaudulla or Hurulu, wherever the herds have gathered.
Overnight · Habarana
- Day 7
Wilpattu evening safari & night drive
Habarana → Wilpattu · 2.5–3 hrs
Transfer west for an evening safari from 2:30 to 6pm, then a buffer-zone night drive at around 7:30pm, a rare chance at the nocturnal species.
Overnight · Wilpattu
- Day 8
Wilpattu full day
A full day working the northern villus, Kumbuk Wila and Manik Wila among them. Wilpattu is quieter than Yala, and its leopards are all the more rewarding for it.
Overnight · Wilpattu
- Day 9
Departure transfer
Wilpattu → Colombo · 3.5–4 hrs
A final breakfast before the drive back to Bandaranaike International Airport for your flight home.
Wildlife you may see
- Leopard
- Sloth bear
- Asian elephant
- Endemic birds
- Owls
- Fishing cat
Included
- 8 nights in deluxe rooms on a shared basis
- Meals as contracted at each property (half or full board)
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver throughout
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- Expert naturalist and birding guides at Sinharaja and Debarawewa
- Private 4x4 jeep safaris at Yala, Minneriya and Wilpattu, plus the night drive
- National park and reserve entrance fees
Not included
- International flights
- Sri Lanka visa / ETA and travel insurance
- Meals not covered by a property's contracted basis
- Alcoholic drinks and beverages
- Single-room supplement
- Tips, gratuities, laundry and personal expenses
From this journey
Request this expedition
Ready when you are
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