Sandwich Bird Tours

Sri Lanka: Bespoke Tours Itineraries

Birding & Culture Holiday

A 16 day Birding and Culture Holiday in Sri Lanka.

Day 01 Arrival in Sri Lanka and transfer to Hotel Sigiriya for two nights. Afternoon at leisure.
Enjoy s sumptuous buffet dinner with a good choice of western and eastern delicacies.

Day 02 Morning local birding in Sigiriya Sanctuary. We will look for Indian Pitta, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Brown-capped Babbler, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon & Sri Lanka Swallow. Afternoon climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is popularly believed to be a pleasure capital of a single king called Kashyapa in the 5th century A.D. Sigiriya rises 200 m above the surrounding forested plains of Sigiriya Sanctuary. Highlights of this World Heritage cultural site will include 5-7th century garden types such as Water, Boulder & Terraced Gardens, Mirror Wall Lion’s Paws, Audience Hall & frescoes of heavenly maidens. Birding highlights will undoubtedly include Shaheen which is the local race of Peregrine Falcon, Sri Lanka Woodshrike, Crested Hawk Eagle, White-browed Fantail, House Swift & perhaps Rock Thrush.

Enjoy yet another sumptuous buffet dinner with a good choice of western and eastern delicacies.

Day 03 Drive to the colonial Hotel Suisse for 2 nights, which lies right at the heart of Kandy overlooking the Kandy Lake and the historic Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. En route pause at a local Spice Garden for a guided tour for local spices & traditional medicine. Afternoon city tour of Kandy and visit Temple of the sacred Tooth Relic which houses the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. Also optionally see a 40-minute cultural dance performance.

Enjoy a sumptuous dinner at Hotel Suisse where we will stay overnight.

Day 04 Morning visit Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, which was founded by the British in 1821. Botanical; highlights will include Double Coconut, Giant Fig, Orchid House, Cannon-ball tree & Drunken Pine Avenue. Birding distractions will include Sri Lanka Small Barbet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Lard’s Parakeet, Alexandrine Parakeet, Lesser Hill Myna, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon & Orange Minivet. Afternoon more sightseeing in Kandy and & shopping.

Enjoy a Chinese style dinner in a local Chinese restaurant.
Overnight stay at Hotel Suisse, Kandy.

Day 05 Drive to the famous hill station Nuwara Eliya (1,890 m) the head quarters of Ceylon tea and montane endemics & specialties. En route we will pause at a tea factory to see the production process of Ceylon tea & nesting Hill Swallow. You may also purchase high quality Ceylon tea directly from the factory. Reaching Nuwara Eliya, we will check in to Alpine Hotel. Afternoon birding in Victoria Park for migrants Kashmir Flycatcher, Pied Thrush, Indian Blue Robin, Forest wagtail & Slaty-legged Crake.

A sumptuous dinner at Alpine Hotel, Nuwara Eliya will end an exciting day.

Day 06 Visit Horton Plains National Park (2,100 m) for highland endemics Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Sri Lanka Bush Warbler, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka White-eye & Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon. Afternoon visit a local forest for more montane birding. We will look for Mountain Hawk Eagle, Alpine Swift & Jerdon’s Baza.

Enjoy a fine dinning style dinner at St Andrew’s Hotel. Overnight stay at Alpine Hotel, Nuwara Eliya.

Drive down to the bird rich lowlands of Kithulgala for one night. Visit Kithulgala Forest Reserve by crossing the Kelani River in a Dug-out canoe. Birding highlights may include Green-billed Coucal, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Sri Lanka Frogmouth & if lucky the newly discovered avian jewel, Serendib Scops Owl.

Enjoy a tasty Sri Lankan rice and curry dinner.
Overnight at Kithulgala Resthouse overlooking the Kelani River and Kithulgala Forest Reserve.

Day 07 Full day explore Kithulgala once more before driving to Sinharaja rain forest in search of more endemics. Highlights may include Black Eagle, Besra, Crested Goshawk, Square-tailed Black Bulbul, Gold-fronted Nuthatch, Orange-billed Babbler, Sri Lanka Crested Drongo, Black-naped Monarch, Hill Munia, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Lesser Yellownape & Crimson-backed Flameback.

Day 08 Drive to Sinharaja rain forest, which represent the largest expanse of lowland rain forest in Sri Lanka and the premier site for endemics and mixed species bird flocks. We will explore this magnificent rain forest along former logging trails and look for highly sought-after Red-faced Malkoha, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Myna, White-faced Starling, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush, Legge’s Flowerpecker, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Bay Owl, Malabar Trogon, Red-winged Crested Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo & Spot-winged Thrush.

Enjoy a Sri Lankan rice and curry dinner.
Overnight at Martin’s Simple Lodge which is just 200 m from the park’s entrance.

Day 09 Full day explore Sinharaja rain forest.

Dinner and overnight stay at Martin’s Simple Lodge

Day 10 Drive to Udawalawe. Afternoon visit the wilderness expanse of Udawalawe National Park in open top safari jeeps. We will look for Sirkeer & Blue-faced Malkohas, White-rumped Shama, Orange-headed Thrush, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Blyth’s Pipit, Jerdon’s Bushlark, Jungle Prinia, Brown Fish Owl & White-naped Woodpecker. Overnight stay in Safari Village, Udawalawe, which is just 15 minutes from the park’s entrance.

Day 11 Drive to Tissamaharama. En route visit a several birding hotspots. Thereafter check in to Priyankara Hotel, Tissamaharama. Afternoon explore wetlands & woods of Tissamaharama for water birds and forest birds. Highlights may include Black & Yellow Bitterns, Black-crowned Night Heron, Baya & Streaked Weavers, Watercock, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Indian Scops Owl & White-naped Woodpecker.

Day 12 Morning visit Bundala National Park, for shorebirds. We will access this wetland reserve in open-top safari jeeps for Red-necked Phalarope, Western Reed Egret, Black-tailed Gotwit, Small Pratincole, Greater, Lesser Sand Plovers, Kentish, Little Ringed, Grey & Pacific Golden Plovers, Little & Temmink’s Stints, Curlew Sandpiper, Caspian, Gull-billed, White-winged, Whiskered, Lesser Crested & Greater Crested Terns & Great & Indian Thick-knees. Thereafter drive to Yala Village Hotel, Yala for 2 nights. Afternoon visit Yala National Park for dry zone birds and Leopards. According to a recent study, Yala Block 1 has nearly 40 Leopards individually identified by facial spot patterns, which makes it probably the place with the highest Leopard density in the world.

Enjoy a buffet dinner with a choice of western and eastern delicacies.
Overnight stay at the luxurious Yala Village Hotel, Yala.

Day 13 Full day visit Yala National Park with a midday break. Birding highlights may include Common Hoopoe, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Coppersmith Barbet, Spot-billed Pelican, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Brahminy Myna, Rosy Starling & Indian & Jerdon’s Nightjars. We will also look for the park’s fabled Leopards. Other wildlife will include Sloth Bear, Elephant, Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Hanuman Langur & Sambar.

Day 14 Drive to Amaya Reef Hotel, Hikkaduwa for one night. Enjoy sun-kissed beaches of Hikkaduwa. Optionally do water sports or take a brief visit to a local moonstone mine to see the traditional mining being done. You may also shop for jewellery at bargain prices at the showrooms. May-Aug is good for summer visitors Red-billed Tropicbird, Roseate Tern & distant Bridled Terns.

Day 15 Drive to Taj Airport Garden Hotel, Katunayake for one night. En route sight seeing and shopping in Colombo the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.

Chinese dinner at a quality Chinese Restaurant before departure early tomorrow morning

Day 16 Departure.