Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Herpetology Tour

15 Days

Discovering the endemic reptiles & amphibians of Sri Lanka with a local professional herpetologist guide

This holiday can be re-designed and tailor-made for your own unique experience

Introduction

We are fortunate to have a young herpetology expert among our terrific guides in Sri Lanka and he will lead you on a private tour of the best locations for discovering the wide diversity of reptiles and amphibians across Sri Lanka's key locations. If you have a specific interest, e.g. frogs or snakes, then we can alter this general herpetology holiday to your preferences.

Highlights

	Sinharaja rainforest ecological hotspot
	Montane cloudforest species at Horton Plains
	Endemic frogs of the Knuckles Range
	Dry scrub snakes
	Wildlife of Wilpattu National Park

Activities

	4x4 Game drives
	Boat trips
	Treks to observe chimpanzees & gorillas
	Birdwatching

Itinerary

	Depart UK from London Heathrow to
	Arrive Colombo and transfer to Sinharaja rainforest.
	A full day exploring Sinharaja.
	To Kitugala lowland forest.
	Transfer to Nuwara Eliya via Nawalapitiya.
	Excursion to Horton Plains.
	To the Knuckles Range.
	A full day exploring the Knuckles.
	To Dambulla area - Intermediate Zone forests.
	To coastal Mannar - Dry Zone.
	Explore around Mannar.
	To Wilpattu.
	Explore around Wilpattu.
	Return to Negombo.
	Depart Sri Lanka, arrive UK.

Description

Our luxury safari flies you in to the best wildlife viewing in Uganda.
Leaving Entebbe you fly to the far north of Uganda, a land so different to much of the rest of the country with rolling grassland plains and rugged valleys. Here you will find lions and zebra, both infrequently found in Uganda's other parks, and a host of other wildlife living in this remote wilderness outpost that is one of the highlights of the country yet a special place visited by so few. There is also an opportunity to visit a local Karamajong community. Apoka Lodge will be your base for a couple of nights, although we would recommend longer.

Next a light aircraft whisks you to Murchison Falls National Park where you will stay on the northern side of the Nile River. The advantage of the north bank is that it allows you to head out on safari early in the morning without having to wait to cross on the Nile ferry. Your time out on the borassus studded grasslands is likely to be spent closer to the delta on Lake Albert where some of the animals congregate and bird life is prolific, the woodland here is good for leopard sightings too. There is also time to enjoy a boat trip to the bottom of the falls to witness the raw power of the Nile crashing through a narrow gorge.

Another short flight brings you to the delightful small town of Fort Portal from where you can reach Kibale Forest for some of the easiest and best chimp tracking in Africa. You will stay in the wonderfully scenic crater lakes region and itself overlooking a lake.

A morning's drive brings you to Queen Elizabeth National Park where again you can mix your time between game drives and the excellent boat trip on the Kazinga Channel which showcases terrific bird life, hippos galore and crocs lazing on the shore.

With your guide you head south to reach Bwindi and the opportunity to experience one of the most memorable walks of your life as you go gorilla trekking the next morning from your comfortable base of Mahogany Springs.

With the gorilla encounters firmly fixed in your head, the next day a scheduled flight from the nearby airstrip takes you back to Entebbe from where you are transferred to the wonderful Wildwaters Lodge set among rapids on the Nile. This very well run lodge with a wide range of activities including white-water rafting, is located in a unique location that provides a great end to this luxury safari.

Best Time To Travel

May - July & November - December - the wettest months that are good for amphibians.

Expected Wildlife Species

Highlight species

Key species

Additional Details - Cost, Dates, Rating etc.

Cost from £

Please contact us for a cost for when you wish to travel.

Our trips are almost always tailored to your requirements, we'll make small changes or alter the itinerary completely for you. For instance we get many requests to slow down the pace of a trip.

Departure Dates

Any day to your requirements.

Difficulty

A relatively straightforward tour but with a lot of nocturnal walks, sometimes on steep and possibly uneven ground.

Flights

Direct flights on Sri Lankan Airlines, or via Middle Eastern or European hubs, some regional departures are possible.

Time

GMT +5.5 hours.

Consider Extensions To

Our advise is to spend longer in some of the different locations if time allows.