Elephant orpahanage in Sri Lanka
 
 
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Discover Sri Lanka

Tripcode: AIL

Countries visited: Sri Lanka

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Ancient cities, cool highlands, abundant wildlife and superb beaches

Client at buddhist ruins in Sri Lanka

Lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a natural paradise; a landscape of verdant mountains, rainforests, paddy fields, tumbling waterfalls and sweeping gorges. Hidden amongst this are the ancient Buddhist city of Polonnaruwa and the impressive 'Lion's Rock' fortress at Sigiriya, testaments to the country's rich history.

In contrast there's the religious centre of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in the Central Highlands, as well as the chance to climb Adam's Peak for sunrise during trekking season.

On this Sri Lanka adventure tour we descend from the hill country by taking a train through the tea plantations into the central lowlands. From here we take a game drive in Yala National Park, which has one of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world, before spending our last few days lazing on idyllic palm-fringed beaches and visiting the old Dutch city of Galle.

RT TripWhat makes this trip responsible?

We have an excellent long-term relationship with the local operator who employ and train all leaders. We provide refresher training with a focus on Responsible Tourism, so our local leaders can educate our clients locally on helping to preserve the way of life in their area. Many local restaurants and shops are also used to purchase items throughout this trip which benefits the local community.

Sri Lanka Projects

Back to Life Project
After the devastating Tsunami of December 2004 Exodus helped set up a project to rebuild some of the areas that our clients had been visiting for years. This included rehousing some of the families who had lost their homes in the Tsunami. The project has now been completed and we are looking forward to giving continued assistance to community projects in the area.
If you would like to read further information about this project please see our Back to Life Project page.

Yala Leopard Project
This a new project set up in 2010 by Paul Goldstein. The dense population of leopards in Yala has pushed young leopards outside the park's boundaries to look for new territories. As the Chena cultivations and cattle farmers live adjacent to the park's buffer zones, the predators often come into contact with villagers and their livestock with casualties on both sides. Leopards prey on young cattle corralled in flimsy wooden pens for overnight protection. There are instances where a single leopard can cause multiple kills on young calves which leads to revenge attacks by farmers. This conflict is estimated to claim up to 20 leopards around the periphery of Yala Park annually, to say nothing of the financial loss to the farmers. Exodus has pledged to raise enough funds to supply the cattle farmers with steel pens that will safeguard their cattle through the night.
For further information please see our Yala Leopard Project page

Map

Countries visited: Sri Lanka

DISCOVER SRI LANKA
Day 1
Depart London.
Day 2
Arrive Colombo; to Marawila.
Day 3
Visit cave temples at Dambulla; to Sigiriya.
Day 4
Optional elephant ride, afternoon climb the rock fortress.
Day 5
To Giritale; bike ride through country villages.
Day 6
Visit ancient capital of Polonnaruwa; drive to Kandy via spice gardens and Aluvihare Temple.
Day 7
Visit Temple of the Tooth, the Botanical Gardens, a gem factory and a cultural show.
Day 8
Free time in Kandy to explore or relax; optional visit to Pinnawela elephant orphanage.
Day 9
Optional Adams Peak climb (Dec-Apr only); to Kitulgala visiting tea factory en route; optional river rafting.
Day 10
Morning jungle walk; afternoon to old colonial hillstation of Nuwara Eliya.
Day 11
Early morning to Horton Plains; walk to World's End viewpoint; to Bandarawela by train.
Day 12
Scenic drive through Ella Gap to Kataragama; game drive in Yala N.P.
Day 13
Drive to Tangalle and walk through a rice paddy plantation; coastal drive to Ahangama; optional lunch at Tsunami house.
Day 14
Free day to relax on the beach or optional activities including whale watching (Nov to April).
Day 15
To Galle; visit old fort and turtle hatchery; transfer to Colombo.
Day 16
Fly to London.
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Elephant orpahanage in Sri Lanka
Client at buddhist ruins in Sri Lanka Fisherman on stick in Sri Lanka Aerial view of Sigiriya Rock Riding Elephants, Habarana Seated Buddha, Polonnaruwa Rock Painting at the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya

Elephant orpahanage in Sri Lanka

 
 
 
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