This itinerary involves a lot of driving, but does showcase the best of Sri Lanka’s national parks, wildlife and beaches, exploring the stunning east and south coasts of the island. The itinerary can also be altered to include an internal flight to reduce the amount of driving, or alternately extra nights can be added to spread out the driving. If you enjoy taking in stunning landscapes, seeing wildlife and relaxing on beaches, this is for you.
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Description
1 night – Waikkal
2 nights Wilpattu National Park
3 nights – Trincomalee
2 nights – Kandy
2 nights – Yala
1 nights – Udawalawe
3 nights – Mirissa
✈️ UK to Waikkal (1 night): On arrival, a warm welcome awaits from your personal driver who will be ready to transport you to Waikkal on the western coastal belt of Sri Lanka. Throughout your holiday, your dedicated driver will be at your service, ensuring seamless transfers between your hotels and offering you the flexibility to explore any additional sightseeing spots along the way. Situated along the picturesque western coast of the island, Waikkal offers pristine beaches, fringed with swaying palm trees and lapped by the gentle waves of the Indian Ocean. The real draw though, especially for nature lovers, is the nearby Muthurajawela Marsh. This expansive wetland ecosystem boasts a labyrinth of waterways and mangrove forests that are teeming with wildlife, including numerous bird species, amphibians, and reptiles. The best way to view the marshes is on a boat safari. As you wind your way through the marshes, your tour guide will help you spot the diverse array of bird species from herons and kingfishers to owls and egrets, plus mammals including the fishing cat and the endangered Sri Lankan leopard. Also, don’t forget to scan the waters for reptiles including crocodiles and water monitors.
🚗 Waikkal to Wilpattu National Park (2 nights): Heading inland and into the heart of the country’s wilderness, your driver will escort you to your next destination: Wilpattu National Park. The park is the largest and oldest national park in Sri Lanka and boasts dense forests, expansive grasslands and lakes – all home to a huge variety of creatures and best explored on a jeep safari. Some of the creatures your tour guide will help you to spot include the leopard, elephant, and sloth bear plus various bird species including painted storks, crested serpent eagles, and peafowl.
🚗 Wilpattu National Park to Trincomalee (3 nights): Next, you’ll travel to the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka to discover the historic town of Trincomalee. Beyond Trincomalee’s fascinating cultural heritage and landmarks lies a paradise for nature lovers.
The nearby Pigeon Island National Park, boasting vibrant coral reefs and a wealth of marine life, is a great place to take in Sri Lanka’s stunning natural beauty. It’s also home to a fascinating variety of bird species including the Nicobar pigeon, after which the island is named. The area’s picturesque beaches are perfect for snorkelling and dolphin watching, and for those who prefer to stay on dry land, there are plenty of glass-bottom boat trips for you to enjoy the underwater life.
🚗 Trincomalee to Kandy (2 nights): For the next stop on your itinerary you’ll head to Kandy, a picturesque town in the heart of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka. Here, nestled amidst rolling hills, lies the Temple of the Tooth Relic, believed to house a tooth belonging to Lord Buddha. Just a short walk away you’ll find the serene Kandy Lake, which is surrounded by lush greenery including a variety of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, and home to various bird species.
🚗 / 🚂 Kandy to Yala (2 nights): For the next part of your adventure, you can choose between a direct private transfer to Yala or opt for a beautifully scenic train journey that takes you from Kandy to Ella, located approximately three-quarters along the route. Upon reaching the train station in Ella, your driver will be ready to take you on the final part of your journey via car to Yala. The train journey from Kandy to Ella is renowned for its stunning scenery, passing through picturesque tea plantations, mist-covered mountains, and lush green valleys, and is very popular with our eShores clients. Yala itself is home to Yala National Park, the country’s most visited national park. Boasting dense forests, expansive grasslands and coastal lagoons, the best way to get up and personal with the wide range of wildlife is to take a jeep safari where you can spot the Sri Lankan leopard, elephants, sloth bears, and various species of birds.
🚗 Yala to Udawalawe (1 night): From one iconic park to the next, your driver will transfer you from Yala to Udawalawe, renowned for its large herds of Asian elephants which roam freely in their natural habitat. Along with the elephants there is a range of other fascinating wildlife, including leopards, sloth bears and water buffalo. In the centre of the park, the Udawalawe Reservoir offers fabulous opportunities for birdwatching.
🚗 Udawalawe to Mirissa (3 nights): To round off your unforgettable Sri Lankan journey, you’ll head to the beautiful beaches of Mirissa. Here, you can bask on the pristine beaches and snorkel in the crystal-clear waters. With its idyllic setting it’s the perfect way to savour the last few days of your holiday in Sri Lanka.
✈️ Mirissa to UK: You’ll board your flight back to the UK; with countless memories and photos of the wonderful Sri Lankan wildlife you’ll have encountered.
Why choose eShores?
One to One Service
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
100% Tailor Made
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
Fully Protected
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
Competitive Pricing
As a tour operator & travel agent, we'll search the market to ensure that we find you the best price. Also as an online business, we can ensure our prices are as competitive as possible.
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Sharon
Kadie is so informative on the tours and countries we have visited. This is my 3rd trip with her. I wouldn’t use anyone else
Posted 2 days ago -
Dennis
Having sucessfully used eShores in the past, I decided to ask them to arrange a multi destination holiday to Greece this year. I told Rob what we had in mind, and he very quickly put together a number of hotel options for us to consider. Once we made our choice he confirmed everything, including airlines, flight times and transfers. Nothing was too much trouble for him, despite we making a few alterations along the way. Well done Rob.
Posted 2 days ago -
Colin& Sue
eshores helped us arrange our recent Feb /March 2024 trip to Cambodia ,Vietnam and Singapore with my wife . What a fantastic job sorting our holidays out for us, very professional , even changed the itinery to suit us . Chris Eves at eshores was brilliant nothing too much trouble and a great help and service .Will definitely use them again have also recommended the company to numerous people on our travels. Private transfers were organized from the different hotels and to and from the airport, this definitely made our trip much more enjoyable, everything on our trip ran like clockwork, our holiday finished off at Marina bay sands hotel in Singapore , although expensive it has to be on a bucket list .Keep up the good work cant wait for the next holiday .
Posted 2 days ago -
Elizabeth
Quick response to emails . Requested a lot of changes etc that were all dealt with promptly.
Posted 3 days ago -
Tony
Michelle is fantastic and has so much patience with Me which I thank Her for. On this occasion the pricing was more favourable than My last trip but again Michelle has been so supportive and met all My expectations.
Posted 4 days ago -
Jane
Second time booking with Michelle at e shores. Could not have been more helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. Would highly recommend.
Posted 5 days ago -
Maureen
Nick was very helpful in finding us a suitable 2 centre holiday in Greece. He quickly amended the original quote when we had to change the dates. He was very approachable, polite and friendly.
Posted 5 days ago -
Anonymous
Matt really helped with our booking. Nothing was too much trouble. Every time we changed our mind (which was quite a few) he rearranged the plans and got back to us promptly. I will definitely use this company again.
Posted 1 week ago -
Angela
Have just booked with eShores for the second time. Gavin planned a three week Caribbean Island hopping trip earlier this year which was fantastic and very well organised. We decided to do the same thing again and look forward to our next trip in January. Would definitely recommend this company and use them again.
Posted 1 week ago -
Paul
Absolutely a fab team ...Matt has been taking care of my holiday he is really so nice and helpful and responded to everything for me..
Posted 1 week ago
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