Remarkable Ceylon

GALLE · YALA · KANDY

Leopard Country

Leopards, elephants, untouched wilderness.

Duration
9 Days
Party
PRIVATE · 2–6
From
US$3,840 per person
Sri Lanka has the highest density of leopards anywhere on earth, and almost nobody plans around that properly. This journey is built backwards from the animals: where they are, when they move, and the two hours either side of dawn when the parks belong to whoever got up.

What it is built around

  • Two full days in Yala Block One with a private tracker
  • Wilpattu at first light, when the leopards use the sand roads
  • A night on a working tea estate with a chef who cooks only what the garden gave
  • Elephant gathering at Minneriya, timed to the dry season drawdown
  • The climb up Sigiriya before the gates open to the coaches

The shape of it.

An outline rather than a schedule. The days move around you once we know your flights, and nothing here is fixed.

  1. Days 1–2

    Colombo, then south

    Met at the airport and driven straight out of the city. The first night is on the coast at Galle, deliberately slow, because the parks start early and jet lag is a real thing.

  2. Days 3–4

    Yala

    Two dawns and two dusks in Block One with your own tracker and vehicle. No shared jeeps, no convoy, and no rushing back for a buffet.

  3. Days 5–6

    The hill country

    Up through the tea belt by road, then a night on an estate at 1,200 metres where the temperature drops and the kitchen is a genuine reason to stay in.

  4. Days 7–8

    Sigiriya and Minneriya

    The rock at sunrise, the elephant gathering in the late afternoon, and a full day with nothing scheduled between them.

  5. Day 9

    Home

    A slow morning, then the drive back to Colombo, timed against your flight rather than against a checkout time.

What is included

  • Private vehicle and driver-guide throughout
  • All park fees and a dedicated tracker in Yala and Wilpattu
  • Nine nights in owner-run properties and small lodges
  • Breakfast daily, plus every meal on estate nights
  • 24/7 direct line to your trip designer while you travel

Best for

Travellers who would rather sit still for an hour watching a waterhole than tick off four sights before lunch.

Probably not for

Anyone wanting a lie-in. The wildlife days genuinely start at 5am, and the trip does not work if you skip them.

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