Day 05 : Game Drive in Yala National Park / Galle Fort / Bentota
Make an early start on a Jeep Safari in the Yala National Park, country’s oldest and most popular reserve covering an area of 1500 sq km and has one of the highest densities of leopards in the World.
Here you can spot three of country’s Big Five which include; leopard, sloth, and the Sri Lankan elephant. The Park is home to variety of wildlife including spotted deer, crocodiles, wild boar, wild buffaloes, langurs, peacocks and over 200 Spice of birds. Chances of spotting herds of roaming elephants and the elusive sloth bear are high. Most visitors come here to see the leopards. There are an estimated 350 of them among the highest population densities anywhere in the world. The leopards tend to seek shade in the midday heat. For this reason, early morning and late afternoon are the best times to see them.
Enjoy a late breakfast and drive to Galle.
A stop at Kataragama Hindu Temple where both Buddhist and Hindu devotees worship is suggested.
Explore the Southern capital city of Galle, Sri Lanka's finest colonial treasure, and once the greatest port in Ceylon. Galle Dutch Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage listed site, It mixes the exotic with the colonial. The architectural legacies of Portuguese and Dutch settlers alongside more traditional Sri Lankan styles are visible. Visit the Galle Fort, the Light House, the Maritime Museum, the ancient Dutch Reformed Church, the Sun and the Moon bastions and many other fascinating sights.
Later after wandering the narrow streets in the Fort, dotted with Dutch colonial villas, museums, restaurants, pubs and antique shops, leave for your beach hotel in the south / west coast. Sri Lanka’s serene south / west coast is a non-stop parade of beautiful, wave-lashed beaches, backed by stands of gently inclined coconut palms and pretty, low-rise fishing villages and resorts.
Stop at a turtle Hatchery and release a few baby Turtles to the sea.
Overnight stay in Bentota, south coast.
Recommended Activities:
Bentota Beach
Yala National Park safari
The Galle Fort