A Spectacular Safari Through Sri Lanka
A safari in Sri Lanka takes you into a distinctive natural world found only on this Indian Ocean island. Over 16 days, you’ll explore the country’s varied landscapes with time in the tea-covered hills of Tea Country and the elephant-rich plains of the Cultural Triangle. Through game drives and boat tours across three national parks, you’ll search forests and wetlands for Sri Lanka’s own Big Five, including the endemic Sri Lankan leopard that roam only here.
Trip highlights
- Look for leopards in quiet corners of Yala National Park
- Walk through the jungle with a Veddha chief
- Meet monkeys among the ruins of Polonnaruwa, the medieval capital
- Go kayaking through mangroves to spot endemic birds
- Observe elephants with Smithsonian field researchers
- Taste upcountry teas and tour a factory in Ella
Our bespoke trips include
We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Privately guided tours
- Private transfers
- Meticulously selected experiences
- Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Itinerary in detail
Every Jacada trip is tailored to your personal preferences and interests. Below you’ll find a sample itinerary to inspire your journey.
Days 1–2
Get lost in Colombo
Sri Lanka’s capital is a mix of old and new traditions and cultures. Skyscrapers dominate the skyline over the island’s western coast and around manmade Beira Lake. Among the gleaming office blocks of Fort – Colombo’s central business district – you will notice Buddhist shrines, Hindu temples and ramshackle cafés serving cups of robust Ceylon tea.
Flag down a tuk tuk to navigate the maze-like streets and alleyways. Stop at roadside stalls serving hoppers – pancakes made with rice flour and coconut milk, often topped with an egg. At sunset, head to Galle Face Green. Food vendors sell chilled beers and isso wade – lentil fritters topped with shrimp – as families fly kites against the orange sky.
Where you could stay
The Wallawwa
Uga Residence
Days 2–4
Stay in Wilpattu National Park
Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s oldest national park. It’s also the largest, including varied landscapes of forest, mangroves and grassy plains. The land is punctured with distinctive, crater-like villus – salt-rimmed natural lakes that draw animals to drink, particularly in dry season (May to September).
To the west, the park is bordered by the Indian Ocean offering opportunities to spot two of Sri Lanka’s Big Five: blue whales and sperm whales. On game drives, seek out the final trio: leopards, elephants and sloth bears.
Wilpattu’s rivers are home to crocodiles and freshwater terrapins. And listen for barking deer, whose hoarse, dog-like cry often signals a leopard is nearby.
On the water
Kayak the mangroves
River boat tour
Paddle through Uppu Aru in a kayak
Explore Wilpattu’s abundant birdlife from the water. On a guided kayak tour of Uppu Aru, paddle through mangroves and riverine forests. Herons and egrets compete for fish with white-bellied sea eagles. Watch the water for the leopard-like spots of water monitor lizards. Listen out for rustling among the branches; grey langurs and toque macaques are among species of monkey that swing by the river.
Tour the Kala Oya river
The fishing village of Gangewadiya is a highlight of a boat tour along the Kala Oya. It sits where the river meets the lagoon, close to mangroves dotted with ancient kumbuk trees. As you slice through the water, your guide will point out endemic birdlife and a lone baobab tree. One of just three in Sri Lanka, its four fat trunks and spindly branches can only be viewed from the river.
Days 4–8
Explore the Cultural Triangle
In Sri Lanka’s central plains, the Cultural Triangle is considered the island’s spiritual heart. Its corners are anchored by three ancient capitals: Anuradhapura, the first capital, the medieval capital Polonnaruwa and Kandy, the last royal capital. In-between are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and habitat for elephants and monkeys.
Your hotel, Water Garden Sigiriya has clear views of the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, Sigiriya Rock Fortress. This hulking, granite rock was carved into an ornate palace city in the fifth century.
Tour the ruins with a guide and end your day with sundowners and views from Water Garden’s rooftop bar.
Where you could stay
Make it mine
High-perched palace ruins
Elephant education
Polonnaruwa’s primates
Climb Lion Rock with a guide
Sigiriya Rock Fortress looms at nearly 200 metres high, surrounded by forest. Known as Lion Rock – a nod to the lion that loomed over the entrance gate – it was built for King Kassapa in the fifth century. Access through the mouth of the lion, ascending through galleries and 1,200 steps to reach the well-preserved palace ruins and pleasure gardens, complete with the remnants of a rooftop pool.
Visit Wasgamuwa National Park Safari with a conservationist
Learn about the island’s most majestic residents with those who know them best: elephant field researchers from Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society. On a jeep tour through Wasgamuwa National Park, you’ll see elephants in their natural habitat, hearing how the conservationists work with people in rural communities to help foster peace and mutual respect with the animals.
Hang out with monkeys in medieval Polonnaruwa
Today, the impeccably preserved residences, giant Buddha statues and dagabas (dome-shaped Buddhist shrines) of Polonnaruwa are roamed by endemic primates. Accompanied by researchers from ‘Monkey Camp’ – the Smithsonian Primate Research Center – you’ll encounter torque macaques, grey langurs and purple-faced langurs eaters. Hear how the researchers have worked to reverse once-dwindling populations of these playful primates.
Days 8–11
A wilderness adventure in Gal Oya National Park
Gal Oya National Park, in southeast Sri Lanka, is home to Senanayake Samudraya, known as ‘the sea’. It’s also home to herds of wild elephants that can sometimes be spotted swimming between islets on the vast lake.
Jeep safaris and boat tours provide opportunities to witness this unusual behaviour. They’ll also take you deep into the wilderness, scouring savannah and forest for leopards, water buffalo, sloth bears and monkeys.
The park is home to Indigenous Veddha people and visits to their village are community-led. Walk out with a chief to discover the ancient traditions of these guardians of the land.
After days spent delving into the wilderness, retreat to your private bungalow at Gal Oya Lodge. Or slip into the hotel’s outdoor pool for a dip with views of forest-clad Monkey Mountain.
Deep into the wild
Footsteps of ancestors
Where elephants swim
Into the wilderness
Discover ancient traditions with a Veddha chief
The Veddha were among the island’s first inhabitants. Today, the Indigenous community is made up of fewer than 200 people. On a walk out with a village elder, you’ll learn about Veddha traditions, culture and language. View ancient hunting grounds and cave dwellings. And soak up the chief’s ancestral wisdom as he explains the tribe’s use of medicinal plants.
See giants in the water on a boat safari
Just before sunset, board a small covered boat at the pier of Senanayake Samudraya reservoir. Dusk brings the best chance of spotting elephants. On this naturalist-led tour, look out for them shuffling from tree shade down to the water. And, if you’re really lucky, watch them wade in to swim from islet to islet.
Drive deep into the park with a naturalist guide
Gal Oya’s wilderness encompasses evergreen forest, open savannah and the waters of Senanayake Samudraya lake. The wildlife is equally beguiling and varied. On this tour with your naturalist guide, you’ll learn about resident animals including leopards, wild boars and mugger crocodiles. And hopefully spot them along the route.
Days 11–13
Into the heart of Tea Country
Sri Lanka’s Tea Country is as scenic as the island’s ubiquitous Ceylon is strong. Here, in the hilltop town of Ella, the air is cooler and the scenery stretches further. Little Adam’s Peak offers a relatively short climb for sunrise views.
Marvel at Nine Arches railway bridge, or take a cooking class to learn how to make a fragrant Sri Lankan curry in a clay chatty.
Your home in Ella is Nine Skies, with just five bedrooms arranged in a tea bungalow. Rise early to visit a local tea factory. Accompanied by one of the managers, you’ll learn about each stage of production from sifting to drying and packing. The tour ends with an in-depth tasting of fine upcountry teas, which can be purchased to take home.
Back at the hotel, sip sundowners on the verandah, surrounded by landscaped gardens. And dine on dishes made with locally sourced produce and vegetables from the kitchen garden.
Days 13–15
Look for leopards in Yala
On Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, Yala is said to have the highest density of Sri Lankan leopards on the island. Head out with a driver-guide at dawn or just before sunset for the best chance of seeing them emerge from their treetop hideaways.
Over three incredible days, you’ll go beyond the busier areas and delve into the park’s wildest, most tranquil corners.
Its five zones encompass open grasslands, monsoon forests and a jungle-trimmed coastline. Elephants occasionally stroll on the honeyed sand, while beaches like Patanangala have been known to attract sunworshipping crocodiles, too.
Where you could stay
Leopard Trails Yala Camp
Far from the crowds
Golden hour birdwatching
Deeper into the park
Spot endemic birds by the river
The Menik River is particularly rich in birdlife. During this experience you will settle in for a waterside picnic and learn about endemic species. A guide will direct you where to look (and listen) for Sri Lankan grey hornbills and brown capped babblers. End the afternoon with sundowners, sipped beneath a canopy of arjun trees.
Discover the quieter side of Yala
The majority of visitors stick to Block 1, the main section of the park. Take less beaten paths on a safari through Block 5, near the Galge entrance. This is Yala at its quietest and most tranquil. Join a private guided drive in the morning or for sunset. Or opt for both, scouring the dry zone forests, grasslands and rocky outcrops for wildlife.
Days 15–16
An authentic taste of Colombo
Back in Colombo, there’s time for more adventure. On a knowledge-fuelled tour, you’ll try some of the city’s best street food and hear the fascinating stories behind every bite.
Your guide will tell you the tales of the city’s once-bustling port, whose labourers subsisted on sweet and fatty snacks. Gruelling shifts ended in the pubs and bars.
You’ll taste your way around cafés and street carts, stopping at a tea shop where sailors soothed sore heads with frothy, sugary brews. After a tuk tuk ride to a former British mason mansion, toast the end of your trip with a glass of raa or toddy, made with coconut flower sap.
Where you could stay
The Wallawwa
Uga Residence
My partner and I recently returned from a fabulous 4-week holiday in Sri Lanka organised by David and Cathy at Jacada. They really listened to the kind of holiday that we wanted to have - the places and areas that we wanted to visit, the style of accommodation that we were after, the types of activities that we would enjoy,…
Why book with Jacada
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.
Positive Impact
We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.
