SRI LANKA
December 10 - 19, 2016
10 Days/ 9 Nights
$2195 double occupancy
$410 Single Supplement
Can be combined with our Indian tour. For details, click HERE
Price is based on a group of 8 - 10 participants,
subject to surcharge for smaller groups
DAY 01, December 10:
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://www.plantationgrouphotels.com/
Arrival in Sri Lanka & transfer to Plantation Hotel, Kithulgala for two nights (APPROX DRIVE TIME: 2 hours) . If time permits, birding at the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve. You can see endemics such as Sri Lanka Myna, Green-billed Coucal, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Brown-capped Babbler and Red-faced Malkoha. Also look for Hill Mynah, Lesser Yellownape, Crested Drongo, Greater and Black-rumped Flamebacks, Black-capped Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Black Eagle. As dusk falls, we will look for the sub continental endemic Sri Lanka Frogmouth.
O/N Plantation Hotel, Kithulgala (no meals)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://www.plantationgrouphotels.com/
DAY 02, December 11: Full day birding. This morning the local villager will help you cross the Kelani River in a dugout canoe and reach the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve, which is a lowland tropical rainforest rich in endemic fauna and flora. The Kelani Valley Forest Reserve is ideal for lowland endemics such as Sri Lanka Myna, Green-billed Coucal, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Brown-capped Babbler and Red-faced Malkoha.
O/N Plantation Hotel, Kithulgala (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://www.plantationgrouphotels.com/
DAY 03, December 12:
APPROX DRIVE TIME: 2 hour drive
After breakfast we will leave for Nuwara Eliya, approximately two hours away by car. Birding stops en route.
O/N Jetwing St Andrew's Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://cocoonresorts.com/
DAY 04, December 13: This morning we will visit Horton Plains National Park to see Cloud Forests and rare montane fauna, which include the endemic Rhino-horned Lizard, which was featured in Charles Darwin's monumental work on evolution, Bear Monkey, Giant Squirrel and Sambhur. Walk though the grasslands and Cloud Forests to a popular viewpoint know as World's end, which is an escapement with an 870 m drop. We will look for endemic birds such as Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka Hill White-eye, and Dull blue Flycatcher. Later in the morning we will visit Hakgala Gardens for habituated troops of Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys, montane endemics and other highland bird species.
O/N Jetwing St Andrew's Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://cocoonresorts.com/
DAY 05, December 14:
APPROX DRIVE TIME: 4 hour drive
After breakfast, we will begin our 4-hour drive to Tissamaharama. En route we'll visit Tissa wetlands for the rare White-naped Woodpecker. We'll also spend some time at Debarawewa and other nearby tanks. We will look for Watercock, Common Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Asian Openbill and Spot-billed Pelican.
O/N Jetwing Yala Hotel, Tissamaharama (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala/
DAY 06, December 15: Yala National Park is the best place in Asia to see Leopards, so this morning & afternoon we'll take a safari in the national park. Research on Leopards in Yala Block 1 has shown it has one of the highest densities of Leopards in the world. Other large animals you may see include Asian Elephant, Sloth Bear, Spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Jackal, Grey Langur and Mongoose. In the water holes you may see Mugger Crocodile, Painted Stork, Lesser Whistling Teal, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great, Intermediate & Little Egrets & the rare Black-necked Stork. Also drive up to the Buttuwa Tank to see the rare winter visitor, Bay-backed Shrike.
O/N Jetwing Yala Hotel, Tissamaharama (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala/
DAY 07, December 16:
APPROX DRIVE TIME: 4 hour drive
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
After a bit of early morning birding and breakfast, we head toward Sinharaja for two nights. We'll enjoy some late afternoon birding at Sinharaja Rainforest (A UNESCO World Heritage) with the emphasis on endemic plants, reptiles and birds. Endemic birds we might see include the Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Junglefowl, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Ceylon Hanging Parrot, Layard's Parakeet, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal, Serendib Scops Owl, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Ceylon Small Barbet, Crimson-backed Flameback, Black-capped Bulbul, Spot-winged Thrush, Ceylon Rufous and Brown-capped Babblers, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, Ceylon Blue Magpie, White-faced Starling, Ceylon Hill- Myna, Ceylon Scaly Thrush, Ceylon Scimitar Babbler and Ceylon Crested Drongo. Indian sub-continental endemics include Malabar Trogon and Ceylon Frogmouth.
O/N Martin’s Simple Lodge, Sinharaja (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
DAY 08, December 17:
Full day’s birding at Sinharaja Rainforest. Your naturalist guide will take you to some of his favorite spots to look for the Serendib Scops Owl and many others.
O/N Martin’s Simple Lodge, Sinharaja (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
DAY 09, December 18:
After a bit of early birding and a good breakfast, we'll make the 4-hour drive back to Colombo. On our last day, we'll enjoy an afternoon walk along Talangama Lake for Black and Yellow Bitterns & other common sub-continental species and birding around Talangama Lake.
O/N Villa Talangama, Colombo (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
DAY 10: Transfer to the airport for departure
Transfer to International Airport, approximately 45 minutes from our lodge.
(breakfast)
The price INCLUDES:
- Breakfast every day, beginning on day 2, Dec. 11
- All entry fees to reserves in itinerary
- Lodging
- Expert bilingual bird guide during the entire trip
- Cheepers! tour leaders, Jim and Cindy Beckman
- Private transportation during tour
- Yala NP Safaris
- Government taxes
- Transfers to and from airport
- Pretrip gift package, including customized checklist
- Post-trip electronic checklist and photo dvd
The price does NOT include:
- International airfare
- Lunches and dinners, every day of the tour
- Drinks other than bottled water, which will be provided at all times
- Tips
- Items of a personal nature, such as snacks, laundry, souvenirs, etc.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Deposit of $600 with registration (link for registration form is at the bottom of this page) with balance due by July 29, 2016.
Checks should be made payable to Cheepers! Birding on a Budget and mailed with the registration form to:
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget
Post Office Box 385
Spring Valley, OH 45370
Cancellation policy:
Cancellation must be made in writing (email or snail mail)
More than 6 months prior to departure – full refund of deposit
Between 4 and 6 months prior to departure – 50% refund of deposit
Less than 4 months prior to departure – No refund of deposit
If cancellation occurs after full payment is made, a refund will be given only if the vacant spot is filled.
Trip insurance is recommended.
You can compare prices offered by various trip insurance companies at this website:http://www.quotewright.com/?sub_id=6056
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather, landslides, and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Click the link below to print registration form:
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://www.plantationgrouphotels.com/
Arrival in Sri Lanka & transfer to Plantation Hotel, Kithulgala for two nights (APPROX DRIVE TIME: 2 hours) . If time permits, birding at the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve. You can see endemics such as Sri Lanka Myna, Green-billed Coucal, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Brown-capped Babbler and Red-faced Malkoha. Also look for Hill Mynah, Lesser Yellownape, Crested Drongo, Greater and Black-rumped Flamebacks, Black-capped Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Black Eagle. As dusk falls, we will look for the sub continental endemic Sri Lanka Frogmouth.
O/N Plantation Hotel, Kithulgala (no meals)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://www.plantationgrouphotels.com/
DAY 02, December 11: Full day birding. This morning the local villager will help you cross the Kelani River in a dugout canoe and reach the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve, which is a lowland tropical rainforest rich in endemic fauna and flora. The Kelani Valley Forest Reserve is ideal for lowland endemics such as Sri Lanka Myna, Green-billed Coucal, Spot-winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Brown-capped Babbler and Red-faced Malkoha.
O/N Plantation Hotel, Kithulgala (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://www.plantationgrouphotels.com/
DAY 03, December 12:
APPROX DRIVE TIME: 2 hour drive
After breakfast we will leave for Nuwara Eliya, approximately two hours away by car. Birding stops en route.
O/N Jetwing St Andrew's Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://cocoonresorts.com/
DAY 04, December 13: This morning we will visit Horton Plains National Park to see Cloud Forests and rare montane fauna, which include the endemic Rhino-horned Lizard, which was featured in Charles Darwin's monumental work on evolution, Bear Monkey, Giant Squirrel and Sambhur. Walk though the grasslands and Cloud Forests to a popular viewpoint know as World's end, which is an escapement with an 870 m drop. We will look for endemic birds such as Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka Hill White-eye, and Dull blue Flycatcher. Later in the morning we will visit Hakgala Gardens for habituated troops of Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys, montane endemics and other highland bird species.
O/N Jetwing St Andrew's Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: http://cocoonresorts.com/
DAY 05, December 14:
APPROX DRIVE TIME: 4 hour drive
After breakfast, we will begin our 4-hour drive to Tissamaharama. En route we'll visit Tissa wetlands for the rare White-naped Woodpecker. We'll also spend some time at Debarawewa and other nearby tanks. We will look for Watercock, Common Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Asian Openbill and Spot-billed Pelican.
O/N Jetwing Yala Hotel, Tissamaharama (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala/
DAY 06, December 15: Yala National Park is the best place in Asia to see Leopards, so this morning & afternoon we'll take a safari in the national park. Research on Leopards in Yala Block 1 has shown it has one of the highest densities of Leopards in the world. Other large animals you may see include Asian Elephant, Sloth Bear, Spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Jackal, Grey Langur and Mongoose. In the water holes you may see Mugger Crocodile, Painted Stork, Lesser Whistling Teal, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great, Intermediate & Little Egrets & the rare Black-necked Stork. Also drive up to the Buttuwa Tank to see the rare winter visitor, Bay-backed Shrike.
O/N Jetwing Yala Hotel, Tissamaharama (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala/
DAY 07, December 16:
APPROX DRIVE TIME: 4 hour drive
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
After a bit of early morning birding and breakfast, we head toward Sinharaja for two nights. We'll enjoy some late afternoon birding at Sinharaja Rainforest (A UNESCO World Heritage) with the emphasis on endemic plants, reptiles and birds. Endemic birds we might see include the Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Junglefowl, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Ceylon Hanging Parrot, Layard's Parakeet, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal, Serendib Scops Owl, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Ceylon Small Barbet, Crimson-backed Flameback, Black-capped Bulbul, Spot-winged Thrush, Ceylon Rufous and Brown-capped Babblers, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, Ceylon Blue Magpie, White-faced Starling, Ceylon Hill- Myna, Ceylon Scaly Thrush, Ceylon Scimitar Babbler and Ceylon Crested Drongo. Indian sub-continental endemics include Malabar Trogon and Ceylon Frogmouth.
O/N Martin’s Simple Lodge, Sinharaja (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
DAY 08, December 17:
Full day’s birding at Sinharaja Rainforest. Your naturalist guide will take you to some of his favorite spots to look for the Serendib Scops Owl and many others.
O/N Martin’s Simple Lodge, Sinharaja (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
DAY 09, December 18:
After a bit of early birding and a good breakfast, we'll make the 4-hour drive back to Colombo. On our last day, we'll enjoy an afternoon walk along Talangama Lake for Black and Yellow Bitterns & other common sub-continental species and birding around Talangama Lake.
O/N Villa Talangama, Colombo (breakfast)
HOTEL WEBSITE: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala
DAY 10: Transfer to the airport for departure
Transfer to International Airport, approximately 45 minutes from our lodge.
(breakfast)
The price INCLUDES:
- Breakfast every day, beginning on day 2, Dec. 11
- All entry fees to reserves in itinerary
- Lodging
- Expert bilingual bird guide during the entire trip
- Cheepers! tour leaders, Jim and Cindy Beckman
- Private transportation during tour
- Yala NP Safaris
- Government taxes
- Transfers to and from airport
- Pretrip gift package, including customized checklist
- Post-trip electronic checklist and photo dvd
The price does NOT include:
- International airfare
- Lunches and dinners, every day of the tour
- Drinks other than bottled water, which will be provided at all times
- Tips
- Items of a personal nature, such as snacks, laundry, souvenirs, etc.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Deposit of $600 with registration (link for registration form is at the bottom of this page) with balance due by July 29, 2016.
Checks should be made payable to Cheepers! Birding on a Budget and mailed with the registration form to:
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget
Post Office Box 385
Spring Valley, OH 45370
Cancellation policy:
Cancellation must be made in writing (email or snail mail)
More than 6 months prior to departure – full refund of deposit
Between 4 and 6 months prior to departure – 50% refund of deposit
Less than 4 months prior to departure – No refund of deposit
If cancellation occurs after full payment is made, a refund will be given only if the vacant spot is filled.
Trip insurance is recommended.
You can compare prices offered by various trip insurance companies at this website:http://www.quotewright.com/?sub_id=6056
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather, landslides, and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Click the link below to print registration form:
| india_sri_lanka_registration_form_12_16.pdf |
