Kitulgala
The Kelani River at Kitulgala is the location David Lean chose for The Bridge on the River Kwai in 1957 – the original bridge supports are still visible in the river. Grade 3 to 4 rapids through a gorge where the rainforest comes down to the water on both sides. Around 12 kilometres, safety kayakers […]
Wilpattu National Park
Wilpattu is defined by its villu lakes – natural circular water holes in the forest that hold water through the dry season and attract wildlife throughout the day. Far fewer visitors than Yala, a very different atmosphere. Leopard sightings are possible but not promised, which is accurate and important to know. The photography conditions and […]
Minneriya National Park
As the dry season lowers the Minneriya reservoir, wild elephant herds converge on the exposed lake edge to graze and socialise. During the peak – August and September – hundreds of elephants gather in one place with no equivalent spectacle elsewhere in Sri Lanka. Kaudulla National Park, five kilometres away, is the recommended alternative outside […]
Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe delivers what some other parks make you wait for: large wild elephant herds in open terrain, visible throughout the day, at the reservoir edge in the golden hour. The Elephant Transit Home adds an encounter with orphaned calves that is genuinely moving rather than staged. Open terrain makes it excellent for families and for […]
Yala National Park
Block 1 of Yala is the most productive leopard habitat on earth by density. Wild elephants, sloth bears, mugger crocodiles, painted storks and flamingos at the coastal lagoon make up a supporting cast that would be headline news anywhere else. A private jeep with a dedicated tracker makes the difference between a day in the […]