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Sri Lanka - A Butterfly Tour
Tour Code: LKA01A 10-day holiday to the island of Sri Lanka, to enjoy its wonderful butterflies, birds and other natural history.
£2,995 (Inc flights)
£2,495
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Sri Lanka is astonishingly rich in wildlife. Although geographically close to India, the zoology of the island displays many affinities with Indonesia and there is a marked degree of endemism, particularly in the remaining tracts of lowland forest to the south of the island. 242 species of butterfly have been identified, 42 of which are endemic to the island. As with the birds, the moist forests of the hill country and the south are home to some of the most interesting species but butterflies are a welcome sight throughout Sri Lanka and the aim of this short tour is to visit some of the very best areas to observe them and identify the species encountered.
- Look for Cruiser, Chocolate Soldier & Great Eggfly in evergreen sub-montane forest
- Chance of seeing the endemic Tree Nymph & Blue Mormon
- Common Mormon, Psyche, Jezebel, Leopard & Tailed Jay, Sinharaja
- Visit Temple of the Tooth, Kandy & the famous rock fortress, Sigiriya
- Mammals include the endemic Purple-faced Langur, plus tiny Palm Squirrels
- Endemic birds include Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot
- Babblers, mynas, laughing-thrushes, drongos, trogons, barbets, & flowerpeckers
- Common Birdwing, Banded Peacock, Red Helen & Ceylon Tiger at Corbett's Gap
- ‘Dry Zone’ butterflies such as Blue, Peacock, Yellow & Grey Pansies, plus Tawny Rajah
- Led by expert local naturalist guides
Grading
Easy day walks only.The tropical island paradise of Sri Lanka is astonishingly rich in wildlife and contains a wide variety of habitats ranging from misty highland forests and lush rainforest to arid, scrub-filled plains and an abundance of freshwater lakes. Over a tenth of the land mass is designated as protected areas for wildlife and the principal reserves are among the best in Asia. Although geographically close to India the zoology of the island displays many affinities to Indonesia and there is a marked degree of endemism, particularly in the remaining tracts of lowland forest to the south of the island where many of the birds, plants and insects are unique to Sri Lanka. Over 33 species of endemic birds is a high total for a country only a little more than a quarter the size of the United Kingdom, and the large number of endemic insects, plants, trees and reptiles is further evidence of the island's long isolation from the mainland. 242 species of butterfly have been identified, 42 of these endemic to the island. As with the birds, the moist forests of the hill country and the south are home to some of the most interesting species but butterflies are a welcome sight throughout Sri Lanka and the aim of this short tour is to visit some of the very best areas to observe them and identify the species encountered. In the course of our excursions we are sure to see a variety of other wildlife, particularly birds, but the focus will be very much on the butterflies in their myriad of colourful forms. Important note: The intention of this tour is to observe and identify butterflies in the wild. The collecting of specimens is not permitted on Naturetrek tours, and furthermore is illegal in Sri Lanka. Any tour member discovered procuring butterfly specimens will be asked to immediately leave the tour and could be subject to prosecution in Sri Lanka. In principle we have no objection to the catching of insects for the purpose of identification as long as they are not harmed and released as quickly as possible but tour members should be aware that this practice is not allowed in any of the Protected Areas in Sri Lanka, nor is it permitted to take nets into these areas. Please do not consider travelling on this tour unless you are prepared to abide by these conditions.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation: Standard tourist hotels, each room with private facilities
- Food: All included in the price.
Dates & Prices
2026
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Who can fail to be delighted by butterflies – the intensity and variety of their colours, their delicate beauty and fascinating life cycles? Our tours allow butterfly-watching enthusiasts to observe marvellous species all around the world. Sadly, butterflies are in decline in many regions. To help prevent the loss of these beautiful creatures, our butterfly holidays make a direct contribution to their conservation.
Naturetrek Butterfly Tours
- We offer an excellent range of dedicated butterfly holidays
- All tours are led by a Naturetrek butterfly-watching expert
- Although butterflies are the main focus of our butterfly tours, we also take time to observe other wildlife
- By booking one of our dedicated butterfly holidays you will automatically be making a contribution to their conservation.
Here’s a selection of our dedicated butterfly tours:
Although we include butterfly-watching in many of our holidays, we offer a wide selection of dedicated butterfly tours, including:
- The Cevennes – we look for butterflies in the Massif Central
- Butterflies in Normandy – we go in search of some of Normandy’s 160 species of butterfly
- Sweden's Butterflies & Dragonflies – Sweden is home to Large Blue, Apollo, Scarce Copper and many more species
- Butterflies of the Dolomites – we explore sheltered valleys and butterfly hot-spots in the Italian Dolomites
- Sri Lanka - A Butterfly Tour – seeking Sri Lanka’s dazzling tropical species
- Butterflies of Morocco's High Atlas Mountains – a search for the butterflies of the High Atlas Mountains, with a wealth of other wildlife and mountain walks in spectacular scenery.
Naturetrek & Butterfly Conservation
As a top category ‘Gold’ corporate sponsor of Butterfly Conservation (BC), we donate around £1,500 annually to the charity. As well as this, since 2002 we have donated 10% of all income generated by our annual programme of butterfly tours that we run in partnership with BC, and give BC membership to all non-members joining the tours.
Our specialist recommends...
"I'd recommend Naturetrek's Butterflies of South Africa holiday. On this butterfly holiday we look for butterflies in the Wajkkerstrom (montane grassland), which supports a wonderful diversity of species. Closer to home I'd suggest our Butterflies of Hungary tour, or Butterflies of Croatia for unspoilt landscapes and a density of butterfly-life rarely seen in western Europe now."
Tom Brereton - Operations Manager
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
