A Spectacular Safari Through Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s capital is a mix of old and new traditions and cultures. Skyscrapers dominate the skyline over the island’s western coast and around manmade Beira Lake. Among the gleaming office blocks of Fort – Colombo’s central business district – you will notice Buddhist shrines, Hindu temples and ramshackle cafés serving cups of robust Ceylon tea.

Flag down a tuk tuk to navigate the maze-like streets and alleyways. Stop at roadside stalls serving hoppers – pancakes made with rice flour and coconut milk, often topped with an egg. At sunset, head to Galle Face Green. Food vendors sell chilled beers and isso wade – lentil fritters topped with shrimp – as families fly kites against the orange sky.

Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s oldest national park. It’s also the largest, including varied landscapes of forest, mangroves and grassy plains. The land is punctured with distinctive, crater-like villus – salt-rimmed natural lakes that draw animals to drink, particularly in dry season (May to September).

To the west, the park is bordered by the Indian Ocean offering opportunities to spot two of Sri Lanka’s Big Five: blue whales and sperm whales. On game drives, seek out the final trio: leopards, elephants and sloth bears.

Wilpattu’s rivers are home to crocodiles and freshwater terrapins. And listen for barking deer, whose hoarse, dog-like cry often signals a leopard is nearby.

In Sri Lanka’s central plains, the Cultural Triangle is considered the island’s spiritual heart. Its corners are anchored by three ancient capitals: Anuradhapura, the first capital, the medieval capital Polonnaruwa and Kandy, the last royal capital. In-between are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and habitat for elephants and monkeys.

Your hotel, Water Garden Sigiriya has clear views of the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, Sigiriya Rock Fortress. This hulking, granite rock was carved into an ornate palace city in the fifth century.

Tour the ruins with a guide and end your day with sundowners and views from Water Garden’s rooftop bar.

Gal Oya National Park, in southeast Sri Lanka, is home to Senanayake Samudraya, known as ‘the sea’. It’s also home to herds of wild elephants that can sometimes be spotted swimming between islets on the vast lake.

Jeep safaris and boat tours provide opportunities to witness this unusual behaviour. They’ll also take you deep into the wilderness, scouring savannah and forest for leopards, water buffalo, sloth bears and monkeys.

The park is home to Indigenous Veddha people and visits to their village are community-led. Walk out with a chief to discover the ancient traditions of these guardians of the land.

After days spent delving into the wilderness, retreat to your private bungalow at Gal Oya Lodge. Or slip into the hotel’s outdoor pool for a dip with views of forest-clad Monkey Mountain.

Sri Lanka’s Tea Country is as scenic as the island’s ubiquitous Ceylon is strong. Here, in the hilltop town of Ella, the air is cooler and the scenery stretches further. Little Adam’s Peak offers a relatively short climb for sunrise views.

Marvel at Nine Arches railway bridge, or take a cooking class to learn how to make a fragrant Sri Lankan curry in a clay chatty.

Your home in Ella is Nine Skies, with just five bedrooms arranged in a tea bungalow. Rise early to visit a local tea factory. Accompanied by one of the managers, you’ll learn about each stage of production from sifting to drying and packing. The tour ends with an in-depth tasting of fine upcountry teas, which can be purchased to take home.

Back at the hotel, sip sundowners on the verandah, surrounded by landscaped gardens. And dine on dishes made with locally sourced produce and vegetables from the kitchen garden.

On Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, Yala is said to have the highest density of Sri Lankan leopards on the island. Head out with a driver-guide at dawn or just before sunset for the best chance of seeing them emerge from their treetop hideaways.

Over three incredible days, you’ll go beyond the busier areas and delve into the park’s wildest, most tranquil corners.

Its five zones encompass open grasslands, monsoon forests and a jungle-trimmed coastline. Elephants occasionally stroll on the honeyed sand, while beaches like Patanangala have been known to attract sunworshipping crocodiles, too.

Back in Colombo, there’s time for more adventure. On a knowledge-fuelled tour, you’ll try some of the city’s best street food and hear the fascinating stories behind every bite.

Your guide will tell you the tales of the city’s once-bustling port, whose labourers subsisted on sweet and fatty snacks. Gruelling shifts ended in the pubs and bars.

You’ll taste your way around cafés and street carts, stopping at a tea shop where sailors soothed sore heads with frothy, sugary brews. After a tuk tuk ride to a former British mason mansion, toast the end of your trip with a glass of raa or toddy, made with coconut flower sap.