Sri Lanka - Wilpattu National Park & Kalpitiya

Sri Lanka's north-west coast is a wild and little-visited region of the country lined with pretty coastal villages, sandy beaches backed by swaying palm trees and mangrove-lined lagoons. The warm tropical seas offshore are home to an exciting array of marine-life including whales, dolphins and the occasional Dugong. Lying on the shores of the huge Puttalam Lagoon is the fishing village of Kalpitiya. The village's strategic position at the mouth of the lagoon has not gone unnoticed, and over the centuries successive colonists, invaders and traders — from the old kings of Sri Lanka to the Portuguese and Dutch colonists and Arab spice merchants — have all left their mark. To the north-east of Kalpitiya is Wilpattu National Park, one of Sri Lanka's oldest and largest wildlife reserves and arguably its most scenic. Wilpattu is home to a healthy population of Sri Lankan Leopards, plus Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant and Water Buffalo. The birdlife is abundant and includes Sri Lankan Junglefowl, Brown Fish Owl and Sri Lankan Frogmouth. This 2-centre holiday focuses on enjoying the coastal and marine-life around Kalpitiya before heading inland to Wilpattu in search of its special birds and mammals.

We begin our holiday with a flight to Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, from where we transfer north to a delightful beach resort in Kalpitiya for four nights. This will be our base as we head offshore each morning in search of the cetaceans, birds and other marine-life that lives in the warm seas between Sri Lanka and India. Bottlenose and Spinner Dolphins are common, the latter often being seen in pods of several hundred animals, whilst, for the fortunate, rarer species such as Blue Whale, Sperm Whale and the shy Dugong are also seen from time to time. Birds to look out for during our time on the water include Persian and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Crested Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Brown Noddy and Pomarine Skua. After a morning at sea, our afternoons will be taken at a more leisurely pace with opportunities to birdwatch around the hotel, relax, or simply experience everyday life in Kalpitiya.

Moving on, we drive north for two hours to the town of Anuradhapura for a 4-night stay in the comfortable Rajarata Hotel, our base whilst we explore Wilpattu National Park which lies to the west of the town. We will stop en route, however, to birdwatch around the agricultural fields and man-made lakes (known as 'tanks') that are home to a wide variety of birds including Indian Pond Heron, Red-wattled Lapwing, Black-headed Ibis, Crested Serpent Eagle, White-throated and Stork-billed Kingfishers, Crimson-backed Woodpecker and Jacobin Cuckoo, as well as reptiles including both Bengal and Asian Water Monitors.

During our stay in Anuradhapura, we will head out into Wilpattu National Park each day in search of a wide variety of mammals and birds. Wilpattu National Park covers over 1,300 square kilometres and is clothed in a mix of forests, grasslands and wetlands that are home to Sri Lankan Leopard, Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant and Wild Boar, as well as Sambar, Barking and Spotted Deer. Birds are abundant and include, amongst many others, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Brown Fish Owl, Crested Tree-swift, Brown-capped Babbler and White-rumped Shama. The familiar outlines of Mugger Crocodiles can be seen as they lie motionless in the lakes, whilst smaller reptiles to look out for include Indian Cobra, Indian Rock Python and, if fortunate, perhaps the rare Sri Lankan Chameleon. We will also take time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Anuradhapura itself. This bustling and colourful town was Sri Lanka's first capital, founded around the 4th century BC, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we admire the remains of the ancient city, however, we must also keep a look-out for wildlife. There will be plenty of interesting birds to see amongst the monuments and on the nearby lakes, including White-breasted Waterhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Brahminy Kite, Black Drongo and Indian Roller, plus the agile Grey Langur and the ubiquitous, but endearing, Palm Squirrel.

Having enjoyed Sri Lanka's abundant marine and terrestrial mammals and birdlife, it will be time to leave this wild and little-explored region of the island and return to Colombo for our flight home. Those wishing to maximise their chances of seeing Blue Whale, however, should consider our 4-night extension to Mirissa on Sri Lanka’s southern tip.