The Birdlife of Sri Lanka

DAY 1 DEPART THE UK

Depart The UK on your overnight flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

DAYS 2 - 3 NOTARY’S HOUSE 

On arrival, you’ll be met by your private chauffeur-guide for the transfer to your hotel. The residence is a great place to relax with good hospitality, a swimming pool and a light introduction to Sri Lanka’s birds – with Crimson-Backed flame back, Pied Kingfishers and Red Wattle Lapwings spotted in the area.

DAYS 4 & 5 KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE

With your chauffeur-guide, you’ll travel to the edge of the Knuckles Mountain Range for your stay at Rangala House. This spacious villa is located on a hillside surrounded by tea plantations. With abundant birdlife in the vicinity, the house provides a telescope on the balcony to allow for a more detailed view. We recommend a trek deep into the Knuckles Mountains; your efforts will be rewarded as the range contains almost 75% of Sri Lanka’s endemic bird species, including Layards Parakeet, Brown Capped Babblers and Yellow Fronted Barbets.   

DAYS 6 & 7 THE TEA COUNTRY

Transfer with your guide to Kandy station and board the train towards Nanu Oya. Your chauffeur-guide will meet you there for the rest of the journey to your lodge, which is high in Sri Lankan tea country. You won’t need to venture far to look for wildlife, as you will be right in the middle of it! Spend a day trekking at Horton Plains and look out for the endemic Ceylon White Eye, Dull-Blue Flycatcher, and Whistling Thrush, and migratory birds like the Kashmiri Flycatcher.   

DAYS 8 – 10 FLAMEBACK ECO LODGE 

Continue southeast and check in at Flameback Eco Lodge. The property is next to a bird sanctuary between Yala, Uda Walawe and Bundala National Parks and close to Kalemtiya Bird Sanctuary. This location makes it a great base from which to explore more than one aspect of Sri Lanka’s birds and wildlife, from leopards to elephants to a variety of dry zone birds and waders. Yala is home to rare species, such as the black-necked stork, and Bundala alone has some 197 species. 

DAYS 11 & 12 SINHARAJA RAINFOREST 

Continue around the island back up to the lowland rainforest reserve of the Sinharaja. This reserve contains at least 17 of the 33 bird species endemic to Sri Lanka. Here, you will stay at a lodge overlooking the rainforest. Spend an entire day exploring the rainforest with a qualified guide. 

DAYS 13 & 14 KITHULGALA 

Follow the curve of the southeast coast and head north through the small town of Kithulgala and into the hills to your boutique jungle lodge. The surrounding rainforest is home to an impressive array of bird species, including the Sri Lankan Spot-Winged Thrush, the Grey Hornbill, the Ceylon Jungle Fowl, and the recently discovered Serendip Scoops Owl. Take a guided trip into the forest to see what you can spot, or stay at the lodge and let the birds come to you as you relax by the pool. 

DAYS 14 & 15 COLOMBO

Spend your last night in the heart of Colombo. With a naturalist, explore the city’s fascinating wetlands region and get under the city’s surface with our local signature tour. 

DAY 16 FLY HOME

Depart Sri Lanka for your flight back to the UK.