PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR OF SRI LANKA

After early breakfast leave for Horton Plains via Ambewela and Pattipola. Horton Plains National Park is in an elevation of 7200 feet above sea level and is called a “Cloud Forest”. It is the only National Park in Sri Lanka where visitors can walk in the jungle to observe wildlife and nature. Look for birdlife including Yellow-eared Bul-bul, Ceylon Hill White Eye, Dusky Blue Fly-Catcher, The Wood Pigeon, Ceylon Warbler, Spotted-winged Thrush, The Whistling Thrush (Arrenga), Blue Magpie, Layards Parakeet, Green-billed Coucal, Orange-billed Babbler, endemics and other birds. Proceed to "World's End", and "Little World's End", for the fantastic view for photographers and look for the Bear Monkeys (Purple-faced Leaf Monkey), Sambhur (more than 3000 in the plains), and other animals. The stunted trees, the jungle cover interspersed with the Patna grasslands, the crystal clear streams, Baker’s falls – a cascading lovely water fall, flowering trees such as Rhododendron (Rhododendron Zeylanicum), Niloo or Strobilanthes, Forget-me-not with their small blue flowers, ground orchids and tree orchids including Wesak Orchids and dwarf Marsh Bamboo are some of the flora subjects for photography. In the evening return to Nuwara Eliya.

After breakfast drive to Yala via Ella (One of the most beautiful places in the Island), Wellawaya and Wirawila. Visit Buduruvagala to see the tallest Buddha Statue (51 feet in height) and 6 other statues dating to 8 th Century A.D. You will be passing many eye catching village scenes for photography.

Early morning go for a jungle Safari by 4WD to Yala National Park, with a Wildlife Tracker. Visit places frequented by Leopards (Panthera Pardus Kotiya) in the Park, including visits to “Koti gala”, “Kottamba-gas-wewa”, “Pandi-kema”, “Wepandeniya”, “Meda para” and “Wal-mal-kema” where leopards are found frequently. Stay in one of the places recommended by the Tracker to get an award winning photograph of a Sri Lankan Leopard. Try your luck! Wild Elephants, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Crocodiles, Sambhur, Jackal, other animals and birds including Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Stone Curlew, Great Thick Knee, Black-necked Stork, (the largest bird in Sri Lanka) Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue-faced Malkoha, Brahminy Myna, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Cormorants, Darters, Herons, Bitterns, Lapwings are some of the species found in Yala Nature park. Return to hotel and spend the evening bird watching at the Saltern or at the nearby Lagoon. In the night if the moon is up go to the beach and look for some of the 5 species of Sea Turtles coming to the beach for laying eggs. This area is famous for Turtles.