Escorted Tours 2023-24 1st Edition

Leopard, Yala National Park Day 1: UK to Colombo Depart the UK on your overnight flight. Day 2: Colombo to Wattala D On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel with the day free before your welcome dinner. Day 3: Wattala to Wilpattu B/L/D Depart for Wilpattu with a stop at Anawilundawa, where the ocean, mangroves and lakes which meet here attract flocks of birds. Day 4: Wilpattu B/L/D Enjoy a full-day safari at Wilpattu National Park and the chance to spot Sri Lankan leopards and other wildlife. Later, enjoy a barbeque dinner. Day 5: Wilpattu to Kandy B/L/D Depart for Kandy, en route see the Dambulla Rock Temple with lunch in Matale. Take a short tour of Kandy, with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth. Day 6: Kandy B/L/D Head to Udawattakele Nature Reserve for a forest trek, hopefully spotting deer, boar and monkeys. The rest of the day is at leisure at the hotel. Day 7: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya B/L/D Explore Peradeniya’s botanical gardens, then travel to Nuwara Eliya, stopping for a tea plantation tour. Later, enjoy a short hike and scenic drive. Day 8: Nuwara Eliya B/L/D Trek the evergreen forests of Horton Plains for 1.5 – 3 hours before an afternoon at leisure. Day 9: Nuwara Eliya to Yala B/L/D Journey to Lunugamwehera National Park for an afternoon Jeep safari to observe the wildlife that inhabits the reserve. Continue to Yala for the night. Day 10: Yala B/L/D In the early morning, travel by Jeep through Yala National Park, home to the world’s highest density of leopards. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure. Day 11: Yala to Udawalawe B/L/D Witness a feeding at the Elephant Transit Home, a rehabilitation centre for abandoned elephants, then Jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park. Day 12: Udawalawe to Sinharaja B/L/D Travel to Sinharaja Rainforest, where you can enjoy the tropical setting on a nature trail. Day 13: Sinharaja B/L/D Explore Sinharaja on another trail before relaxing with an afternoon at leisure. Day 14: Sinharaja to Mirissa B/L/D Journey to the coastal town of Mirissa and enjoy an afternoon at leisure at your beachfront resort. Day 15: Mirissa to Wattala B/L/D Enjoy a morning at leisure. Today marks the end of the tour for those staying on for a beach extension; otherwise, transfer to Wattala. Day 16: Wattala to the UK B Transfer to Colombo for your return flight, or continue on to your chosen extension. Sri Lanka’s Parks and Wildlife Visit Yala National Park and trek through Udawattakele Nature Reserve to hidden forest monasteries and cave dwellings and spot endangered birds in the tropical undergrowth of Sinharaja Rainforest. Tour highlights ✔ Embark on wildlife safaris in Wilpattu, Yala, Udawalawe and Lunugamwehera ✔ Enjoy a visit to Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home ✔ Trek the forest of Horton Plains and walk the trails of Sinharaja Rainforest ✔ Tour lush Nuwara Eliya and it’s bustling tea plantations Meal plan: All meals daily Accommodation: Wattala, 4 H Pegasus Reef Hotel Wilpattu, 4 H Big Game Camp Kandy, 3 H Hotel Tree of Life Nuwara Eliya, 3 H Mirage Kings Cottage Yala, 4 H Tamarind Lake Udawalawe, 3 H Centauria Hotel Sinharaja, 4 H Rainforest Ecolodge Mirissa, 4 H Mandara Resort Flights: London Heathrow to Sri Lanka with Sri Lankan Airlines. Regional flights available, please see page 168-169 Tour pace: Challenging  Colombo < <        Wattala Mirissa Sinharaja Yala Udawalawe Nuwara Eliya Kandy Wilpattu Coach Air Nights 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 Small Group Tour - 25 or less Departures & from prices 8 Aug 23 £2,949 27 Feb 24 £2,949 26 Sep 23 £2,489 23 Apr 24 £2,949 10 Oct 23 £2,549 30 Apr 24 £2,399 14 Nov 23 £2,799 4 Jun 24 £2,399 9 Jan 24 £2,949 6 Aug 24 £2,799 23 Jan 24 £2,949 24 Sep 24 £2,599 6 Feb 24 £2,949 8 Oct 24 £2,699 13 Feb 24 £3,099 12 Nov 24 £2,899 • Tipping paid locally £80 pp per tour P R I V A T E T O U R U P G R A D E S F R O M £249 No Single Supplement Rooms available with no single supplement. Once sold, single supplement starts from £579 Extend your tour Sri Lanka beach stay, 4 nights, All-Inclusive 4 H from £309 or 5 H from £359 Maldives beach stay, 4 nights, 4 H All-Inclusive from £949 Highlights of Kerala, 5 nights from £489 Colombo city stay, 2 nights, 4 H from £199 35 Southern Asia Hundreds of escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk