Into the Wild Heart

Meet your chauffeur-guide at the airport and drive to Wilpattu (about 3.5 hours). After checking in, rest and meet your naturalist driver, who will brief you on the safari plan, what you might see, and how to be quiet and patient in the park.

Join an early jeep safari in Wilpattu, known for its natural lakes and for leopards and sloth bears. After lunch, drive to Habarana (about 3 hours) for an evening at leisure.

Head out on an elephant safari in Minneriya or Kaudulla, depending on the season, where herds gather by the reservoirs. In the late afternoon, visit Sigiriya for views at sunset.

Drive to Nuwara Eliya (about 5 hours) via Kandy and the tea country, with stops for views and a cup of tea. Arrive in the cool highlands in the evening.

Start early for the Horton Plains hike, a loop of about 9 km to World's End, a cliff dropping hundreds of meters, and Baker's Falls. Then drive down to Udawalawe (about 4 hours).

Spend the morning on safari in Udawalawe, where elephants are almost always seen. After lunch, drive to Yala (about 2 hours).

Safari at dawn and again in the afternoon in Yala, one of the best places in the world to see leopards. Also look for elephants, crocodiles, deer, buffalo, and plentiful birdlife.

Drive to Mirissa (about 3 hours) along the southern coast and spend the afternoon on the beach.

From November to April, go whale watching at dawn. Then move to Galle (about 1 hour) and explore the fort in the afternoon.

Transfer to the airport (about 2 hours) via the expressway.