Sri Lanka - Blue Whales & Leopards

A well organised visit that was conducted fluently by our excellent guides. Unfortunately the blue whales had left the area we visited far earlier than normal in persuit of their food the krill. Great efforts made by our guides and the boat crew to find the whales with greatly extended trips to sea. Despite the lack of whales the trips were extremely enjoyable and resulted in the sighting of whale sharks, hammerhead shark, various dolphins, a ray, flying fish and a turtle. Hotel at our base of Mirissa was very good and the staff efficient and attentive. An onward journey to Yala provided some interesting scenery and some bird spotting. The wildlife at Yala was more obliging than the whales and we saw a good range of mammals and birds; this did include a good long sighting of a leopard descending a tree, going for a short walk and then climbing another tree to have a cat nap. Wide selection of Sri Lankan and European food served up at Cinnamon Wild Lodge where we stayed. Onwards once again for about half our group and one guide to Sinharaja Forest and the Blue Magpie Lodge, the remainder of the group either doing their own extension or returning home. Blue Magpie Lodge may be described as small and simple, but the staff were superb and the food a wonderfully varied diet of typical Sri Lankan dishes, GREAT. Plenty of birds and wildlife on view from the roofed open air dinning room, although a Sri Lanka blue magpie did not visit us, we had to search the nearby Sinharaja forest for them and had some very good view of them and many other bird species. This was not exclusively a birding trip, so to see 25 of Sri Lanka's 33 endemic species seemed to be exceptionally good for a non-birder. Early start to get one last birding trip in started or final day and after a find last lunch at the Blue Magpie Lodge we were off on a scenic journey back to Colombo and a night at the Airport Garden Hotel. Another good hotel,great food and no noise from the nearby airport allowed a good nights rest before we started our journey home. A memorable holiday to a very welcoming country and people, very tempted to return and not just to see blue whales.

O.C. Oxfordshire

8 days in Sri Lanka with plenty of opportunities to see a wide range of wildlife. The main aim was to see blue whales and leopards but we saw so much more. The birds were too many to list, the boat trips delivered dolphins and turtles, and the safari days brought sightings of elephants, monkeys, water buffalo and sloth bear to name a few. Our guides were absolutely fantastic with knowledge of everything from history to butterflies and they knew the right places to visit for bird watching and unusual sights. The hotels we stayed in were very comfortable and the food was excellent. All in all it was one of the best holidays I have taken.

J.E. West Midlands

Wildlife great - saw lots of Blue Whales and a Leopard... many birds and other animals.

R.H. Buckinghamshire

One of the best holidays I've had - will need to return to Sri Lanka. We were fortunate enough to see in excess of 30 blue whales, and the other wildlife (including leopards) were most obliging.

J.Y. Nottinghamshire

This was my first wildlife holiday with an organised group. I cannot fault it in any way - the guides and drivers etc. in Sri Lanka were very accommodating and made us all feel like a team. I cannot imagine how this could be improved.

Mr & Mrs S. Rhondda Cynon Taff

Susanthe was amazing - so knowledgeable and also very accommodating of personal requirements. A really nice guy. Couldn't have asked for better. Fantastic holiday, from initial enquiry to return home service has been perfect.

D.S. Highlands

Fantastic wildlife plus some interesting cultural visits. Upul and Saman were both lovely, patient and knowledgeable guides.

E.R. Lincolnshire

It was well organised and our two very good guides ensured that everything ran smoothly.

D.W. Derbyshire

Both Upul and Saman were attentive, friendly, flexible, knowledgeable and great senses of humour which made the trip most enjoyable.

Mr & Mrs L. Hertfordshire

Without a doubt it was absolutely the best holiday we have ever had. The group was lovely and the two leaders Nick and Dhammi were superb. I was lucky enough to see several Blue Whales on my birthday and my birthday cake wish to see leopards too was amply rewarded. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone at Naturetrek who worked together to make it such a memorable 50th birthday holiday for me. It was a long saved-for trip of a lifetime and worth every penny.

Mr & Mrs S. Hampshire