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We were searching for night mammals - this entailed long hours out in safari jeep until the early hours; Our main focus was to try to see various cats. Our guide was really patient and was prepared to just wait and keep watching. We had excellent views of the rare fishing cat and the jungle cat as well as excellent views of a variety of night birds and mammals And we had fun and a lot of laughter. Our guide always made sure that every person on the tour got a really good look at the animals. I have used Naturetrek many times over the years. The office staff are excellent and very patient with my endless queries. Our pre-departure packs contain all the relevant information needed. We get excellent checklists and a detailed itinerary. And they really do take note of the feedback we give at the end of a tour and try to correct anything that has been less than satisfactory.
S.D. Worcestershire, Mar 24
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Sri Lanka ... by Night
Tour Code: LKA11A 15-day tour in search of Sri Lanka's nocturnal and other wildlife, with an optional pre-tour extension in search of Blue Whales.
£3,995 (Inc flights)
£3,495
Highlights
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Summary
Sri Lanka is a superb destination for birds and mammals, and you can hardly miss some of the residents, such as Indian Elephants and Toque Macaques. However, while the island’s forests and savannahs swarm with wildlife during the day, they also harbour special treasures at night, and this tour has been specially devised to track down some of the most elusive nocturnal gems. Featuring spotlighting drives and walks taking place in the evening, and sometimes also into the dead of night, we will hope to find such mammals as Rusty-spotted Cat, Red and Grey Slow Loris, Palm Civet and, with much luck, Indian Pangolin. Birds will inevitably include owls, perhaps including the amazing Spot-bellied Eagle Owl. We will also enjoy many daytime highlights, not just wildlife, but also the fabulous scenery and cultural delight of this unique island.
- 15-day tour to many of the best sites for mammals in Sri Lanka
- Special emphasis on evening and night excursions for many of the more elusive species
- Nocturnal trips on foot and vehicle
- Chance of 4 species of cat – Leopard, Jungle Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat and Fishing Cat
- Special effort to see critically endangered Indian Pangolin
- Good chance of Grey Slender Loris and Red Slender Loris
- Other iconic mammals such as Asian Elephants and Sloth Bear
- Superb scenic locations all over the island
- Cultural marvels at Sigiriya and Kandy
Following the popularity and success of our ‘Borneo by Night’ tours, we are now pleased to offer you the chance to see the lesser-known, nocturnal species of Sri Lanka. Amongst these will be the island's four cat species — the elusive Rusty-spotted Cat and Fishing Cat, and the more regularly encountered Jungle Cat and Leopard. Whilst the latter two species may also be seen during daylight hours, we will need to venture out in the dead of night to search for such seldom-seen nocturnal mammals as the Grey Slender Loris and endemic Red Slender Loris. On these nocturnal forays we will also hope to see Small Indian Civet and Sri Lanka's two endemic mouse-deer species, the Yellow-striped and Sri Lanka Spotted Chevrotain. Perhaps the distinctive movements of the Indian Gerbil will attract our attention, or a rustling amongst overhead palm leaves betray the presence of a Common Palm Civet.
We will need to maintain the utmost silence if we are to locate the elusive and critically-endangered Indian Pangolin, which shares its home with the Asian Elephant, Wild Boar, Black-naped Hare, Eurasian Otter, Rusty-spotted Cat, Jungle Cat and Fishing Cat, all of which we hope to see. In this silence we will be searching for sounds ... a call, a rustle or the crack of a branch — tell-tale indicators of another exciting nocturnal treat. Sleeping birds will be encountered aplenty, but it will be the night-time hunters of the avian world that, with the mammals, most excite us. A Brown Fish Owl or Brown Wood Owl perhaps? Maybe a Collared Scops Owl or, if we are extremely lucky, the bizarre, even comical, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl.
As we move further into the highlands, our target species will include the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel, Golden Palm Civet, Dusky-striped Squirrel, Layard’s Striped Squirrel and Sambar Deer. Many of Sri Lanka's mammals, such as Purple-faced Langur, Giant Grizzled Squirrel and Golden Palm Civet, are represented by a baffling variety of subspecies and different colour morphs on account of geographical segmentation — wet zone, dry zone and highland forms being most prominent. We shall hope to spot and differentiate most of these varieties as we cover a wide range of altitudes and travel from the dry zone to the wet zone.
We will not, though, spend all our time in the dark. The Leopard, for example, may be seen early in the day, and on daytime safaris in Udawalawe and Lunugamvehera National Parks we will look for Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant, Muntjac, Spotted Deer, Golden Jackal, Tufted Grey Langur, Toque Macaque, Purple-faced Langur, Grizzled Giant Squirrel and the three mongoose species — Indian Grey, Ruddy and Stripe-necked Mongoose. We will also enjoy many of Sri Lanka's colourful bird species, especially during the periods when the mammals of our quest are less obliging.
Outline Itinerary
Reviews
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Sri Lanka......by Night gave us an amazing opportunity to see nocturnal wildlife we would not normally see as well as taking us out during the day to see the animals and birds that are more usually seen on tours. The hotels were excellent and we also managed to visit some cultural and historical sites and an artisan workshop. Nothing is too much trouble for Naturetrek even though we sometimes want something tailormade. Their tour guide in Sri Lanka, and in every destination we have visited with the company, are exceptionally knowledgeable and very keen to make sure the holiday is perfect for the visitors. We feel they go above and beyond the job description.
L.H. Somerset, Mar 23 -
A holiday with a difference looking for nocturnal mammals in Sri Lanka, but not forgetting the diurnal ones. Superb sightings of Loris and Jungle Cats at night and a wonderful display by a young male leopard were some of the many highlights. Long days and sometimes nights made unforgettable by a great guide, wonderful hospitality and food and the ever changing Sri Lankan landscape. Very well organised tour by Naturetrek who we will certainly use again. So sad to read about the terrible bombing just a week after our return.
D.W. Derbyshire, Mar 19
Dates & Prices
2025
2026
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Mammal Watching Holidays
Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.
Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours
Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.
Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:
- India’s Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves
- A cruise to Spitsbergen in search of Polar Bears
- A chance to see the ‘Big Five’ and much more in South Africa’s Kruger National Park
- Search for Blue, Fin and Sperm Whales in the Azores
- Close-up views of Brown Bear and Wolverine in Finland
- Enjoy the mammals of Kenya’s Masai Mara, while staying in luxury camps
- Search for elusive nocturnal mammals, such as Aardvark, Black-footed Cat and Aardwolf, in the Kalahari Desert
Bargain mammal selection
We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - 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!
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