Whales And Leopards of Sri Lanka: Special Photographic Holiday

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 25 reviews.

John Pennery

WHALES AND LEOPARDS OF SRI LANKA

Written April 2013
satisfactory trip with blue whales sighted but very little else in 20 hours plus at sea,felt disapointed not to have seen the numbers or variety of whales & dolphins expected.as with the whales eventually had 1 good leopard sighting after 20hours plus game drives, yala was good with variety of wildlide but chaotic with too many vehicles lacking organisation & discipline
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
seeing blue whale with calf
What did you think of your group leader?
nice guy but simply not able to communicate effectively or decision make,leaving many things to group to arrange

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
be prepared to rely on own knowledge as there was no guide on whale watching other than spotters & the driver on safari only spoke limited english. also be mindful that it takes at least an hour sometimes much longer to see anyhing at sea & that due to the bizarre entrance to yala you have to be on road min 1 hour before park open 5am for 6am
Is there anything else you would like to add?
the whle watching i believe is being moved to east coast where the sightings are likely to be more numerous
the no of vehicles should be restriced in yala & the policing of the vehicles needs to be addressed as the leopards are very wary & i believe sightings will become even more elusive
the trip would benefit from a naturalist or guide who has a good understanding of what we may see & be able to answer questions posed
Luned Meredith

WHALES AND LEOPARDS OF SRI LANKA

Written April 2013
When I booked this holiday, my aim was to see blue whales and to spend as much time as possible watching them. I had already seen other whales and really wanted to see the giant of them all, the biggest mammal on earth. When it became clear that none of my friends or family shared my dream, I decided to make the trip alone, and so I now had a second purpose - to discover whether I could, at seventy years of age, really enjoy a solo adventure. I could happily spend every day on safari drives or whale-watching trips, so this holiday suited my needs in every detail.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
We found whales on each of our three boat trips out of Mirissa - several blue whales, including a mother and calf, and dozens of sperm whales, not to mention three different species of dolphin. I had achieved my goal of seeing a blue whale within 24 hours of landing in Sri Lanka.

The Safari Lodge at Yala, the Chaaya Wild, is a superb base. From here we set out on six safari drives - and were lucky to spot several leopards during these few days. I have seen leopards before, in Africa, and was unprepared for my emotional reaction on seeing the first leopard, a large male, padding quietly through the bushes. What an impressive creature it is!

What did you think of your group leader?
Our hard-working conscientious and knowledgeable guide dealt with snags quietly and without fuss. He organised our time very well and even managed to squeeze a few much-appreciated extras into our busy schedule, including a visit to the Bundala Bird Sanctuary and to a Buddhist temple.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

I can't think of any reason not to love this trip - apart from disappointment if there are no sightings of whales and leopards. The birds are wonderful and I think I'd be prepared to go just for those.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This was a well-organised trip. It was especially good to have the boat out of Mirissa to ourselves, so that our group (of eighteen people) had room to move around and have the full attention of the young crew members whose job it was to scan the horizon for tell-tale spouts. The safari driver/guide in Yala was a good spotter too. I had never been with Exodus before and I am impressed with the range of holidays on offer and - from my one trip - the organisation.
Gillian Kerr

WHALES AND LEOPARDS OF SRI LANKA

Written March 2013
Really well organsied trip with lots of leopards and whales. This is not a restful trip though as lots of early mornings and a few long drives crammed in to 9 days but worth it to see the fantastic wildlife.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing a blue whale calf swimming under the boat.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our tour leader Saman was thoughtful and well organsied. He went the extra mile to ensure we saw lots of wildlife and he his wildlife knowledge was excellent. Was also good to get a couple of extras squashed in and see a bit of Sri Lankan culture too - the Gala Fort and Buddist Temple.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for early starts and take a few snacks for the boat / drives / game drives.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This is a great wildlife trip but meals are in the hotels (and the hotel at Yala NP is fantastic) so there isn't much of a feel re Sri Lankan culture. However the whale watching is great and was fantastic to have our own boat. Yala NP is beautiful and the leopards are a bonus as there is loads of other stuff to see. Despite the frantic nature of the trip and the early starts arrived home with new lease of life!
Katherine Whalley

WHALES AND LEOPARDS OF SRI LANKA

Written March 2013
2nd trip with Exodus and same attention to detail. Tour leader ensuring itinerary delivered. Quality accommodation and good food. Group very mixed but easy going. Early starts ensured oportunities to see whales and leopards maximised, and we were not disappointed, however little time to enjoy facilities, especially in Yala. Sightings of elephants were an unexpected bonus. Our tour leader was determined to ensure we experienced as much of Sri Lanks as was possible in the time available, teaching us the philosophy behind Buddism en route.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Dolphins running ahead of the boat was expected but to see a calf blue whale swim under the boat twice was beyond belief. To be in the middle of a pod of sperm whale the next day left little room for disappointment.
My sightings of leopards were from a distance, but luckily caught on camera.
However to see two elephants, one with two young , the other with one, swim towards each other and touch trunks in acknowledgement before heading off together was wonderful to watch.
I loved the lakes filled with pink and white lotus flowers, just beautiful.
One other inspiration was to see the post 2004 Tsunami recovery
What did you think of your group leader?
Saman was truely dedicated to being a tour leader, ensuring our safe and smooth journey through a country he wanted to share with you and ensure we went home to encourage others to visit.
He did his homework and planned excursions en route to give us an opportunity to visit a bird sanctuary as well as an amazing Buddist Temple built into a hillside.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take Sri Lanka for what it is and enjoy all it has to offer.
Some aspects will be better and other aspects may not be as good as other countires you may have visited, but it is certainly a trip worth experiencing.
We added 5 nights in the Maldives before the trip arriving refreshed in Colombo a day early rather than arriving on an overnight flight then facing a 6hr drive (and a 5am start the next day). We managed to do this within the brochure price by also booking flights ourself.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yala safari driver would benefit from further training or each jeep should have a tracker/guide.
Yala resort had a watch tower where a leopard family were spotted during our stay but we did not have time to appreciate this.
Would recommend extra tours as arranged by tour leader
Andy Foskett

WHALES AND LEOPARDS OF SRI LANKA

Written February 2013
This is an action packed adventure combining some of nature's most impressive wildlife, facinating culture and beautiful scenery.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing our first leopard was so exciting but the breathtaking moment for me was the blue whale which cruised within a few metres of the boat, seeing the head and blow hole before it gracefully dived with tail fluke in the air.
What did you think of your group leader?
I have been with Exodus 3 times now and the guide wasn't up to usual inspirational standard. Although helpful when asked questions he basically went through the motions unlike the previous holidays where the guides have made the trip so interesting by being highly motivated and enthusiastic and volunteering lots of info about their country and things we encounter on the trip. But I guess it comes down to personalities. This guide did nothing wrong, the others were just sooo good!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be aware you will be up a 5am all but a couple of days! However you do get used to it and the days are full. You get chance to relax in the middle of the day between morning and afternoon safaris which is nice and in the afternoons following the whale watching. Nice pools at the hotels. Very few mosquitos but advise spray. Definitely recommend a taxi ride in a TukTuk. We had a group trip to the turtle sanctuary which we arranged with reception at the hotel. We only wore half our suitcase. It was always warm in the evenings in Feb.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The National Park is vast and only 1/5th is open to the public. The vehicle tracks only visit a small portion of this area so you are reliant on animals being close to the trails. It is also very bumpy. Having said all that my 80 year old mother had no problem and really enjoyed it and we saw plenty of wildlife.
Robert Mash

WHALES AND LEOPARDS OF SRI LANKA

Written December 2012
First: the trip delivered what it advertised: we saw Blue Whales on every sea trip, and Leopards on every Yala drive. Second: the accommodation and food were excellent.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Blue Whale close enough to the boat for us to get a good idea of its size!
What did you think of your group leader?
He was very genial and did his best to be helpful. The organisation of the final full day was not perfect: we spent too much time at sea, and did not eat between (poor) packed breakfast and (very poor) packed lunch on the boat, and arrival at the Airport Hotel.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for a very good tour!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Our jeep at Yala was too keen on going at (very rough) full speed looking for leopards, at the expense of other animals (and plants) and passengers' comfort. I bumped my head on the jeep roof on more than one occasion. That said, the driver calmed down, a bit, when we asked him to.
The final full day was a difficult one (see above). The packed lunch on the boat consisted of a jam sandwich (no butter) and one other object.
Edward Keep

WHALES AND LEOPARDS OF SRI LANKA

Written December 2012
If you want to see a wide variety of wild animals in a beautiful country then this trip is recommended
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing endangered animals at ease and relative safety in the wild
What did you think of your group leader?
1st one was rubbish, no information, overslept on first whale watch. 2nd one took over from Sunday night was awesome, knoweldgeable, imparted all the info we needed and more and wanted desperatly to give us the best time, which he achieved
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you don't sail well - quells you could be bounced around for 7-8 hours
A good camera with a good zoom
Is there anything else you would like to add?
First hotel OK but the breakfast packs were a joke. Yala is awesome. If you are asked which route from the airport to the first hotel DON'T take the scenic route, 6 hours of stop start through crowded streets in an overheating coach, and no scenery to look at, just town after town, take the expressway three and a half hours and time for a swim at the end of it.