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10 Best Places to Visit
About Sri Lanka
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| Regions: ancient-cities | capital-colombo | hill-country | south-coast | | Choosing a holiday can be agonising, especially if you’re a birder – but what if you want to see more than birds, or you have a partner or family who are less keen than yourself? We have the perfect solution in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has something to offer everyone. But for birders the country boasts an impressive range of habitats and 430 bird species of which about 26 are endemic (depending on your taxonomy) a number of others are shared only with the Western Ghats of southern India. A typical Sri Lanka Bird Watching tour could take in an ancient city, botanical gardens, national parks, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuary. These sites are ideal for anyone and not just for birder.
One of 26 bird species unique to the island is the Sri Lanka Woodpigeon, a shy inhabitant of highland forests.
Nuwara Ellya is the best site fo Kashmir Flycatcher, which winters almost exclusively in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Magpie, one of the country's most colourful endemics, occurs In the forest at Sinharaja, Sri Lanka's best birding site.
Cultural sites are a bonus on a birding holiday: this colossal statue of Lord Buddha graces the Wevurukannala Temple In southern Sri Lanka. The Impressive fortress at Sigirya, rising 600 feet above the plains, is popular with tourists and birds alike.
Armed with a professional bird guide and with a partner who is less fanatical bird watcher, we setoff to explore the delights of this gem of an island, Sri Lanka. Our mission was to see all the endemics as well as taking in some of the cultural sites.
Negombo
A visit to the wetland sanctuaries of Bellanwrla and Muthurajawela (near Negombo Lagoon) a short distance to the north of the Capital and only 15 minutes from the Colombo International Airport, is a good place to start to get your first taste of some of the country's more familiar birds: Pond Herons, various egrets, Brahminy Kites, Red-wattled Lapwings, Ring-necked Parakeets, Koels, Common Mynas and hordes of House and Jungle Crows. Rather more unusual in global terms are Black Bitterns, which are surprisingly easy to see.
Anuradhapura
In the best tradition of saving the highlights to the end, it is best to head initially to the north part of Sri Lanka into the dry zone, to the ancient city of Anuradhapura in the Northern Central Province. There is plenty to see on the way and a journey which should only take two or three hours can last all day if you decide to stop and observe the colourful tropical nature of Sri Lanka.
Anuradhapura is an ancient capital of Sri Lanka and was home to a long succession of Sinhalese kings - spanning 14 centuries. The cultural heritage here is magnificent and there are countless temples, stupas and shrines in celebration of strong Buddhist faith on this island of Sri Lanka.
There are plenty of birds around Anuradhapura. Not surprisingly, waterbirds abound in the extensive wetlands and elegant Pheasant-tailed Jacanas are a familiar sight. Obligingly, they were all in their long-tailed breeding plumage during our visit.
We were not expecting endemics in this area, but Sri Lanka Junglefowl were vocal in the mornings in the dense undergrowth and was very shy. Tree enthusiasts won't want to miss the sacred Bo tree, reputed to have grown from a sapling of the tree under which Lord Buddha gained enlightenment.
To the west of Anuradhapura is the Wilpattu National Park which has recently been popular with some tourists since reopened in March, 2010. It is just a matter of time before it becomes a popular eco-tourism destination. Wilpattu National Park spanning from Anuradhapura to the northwest coast (50 km to the west of the Anuradhapura) covering an impressive 425 sq miles, the park is Sri Lanka 's largest. Wilpattu National Park has nearly sixty lakes and tanks with an excellent bird population due to the wetlands. Some of the wetland bird species that can be found in Wilpattu National Park includes Garganey, Pin tail, Whistling teal, Spoonbill, White ibis, Large white egret, Cattle egret and Purple heron.
Polonnaruwa
To the south-east Polonnaruwa succeeded Anuradhapura as the country's capital – another major cultural site, with large number of ruined temples, stupas, sculptures and several giant statues of Loard Buddha carved out of rock face. Elephants are common in the surrounding forests, but not easy to see. Our driver new a road which the elephants sometimes cross and sure enough, we spotted one lurking in the dense roadside vegetation, exactly as predicted. Another reward came even later when we surprised another on the road after darkness had fallen.
Pass Polonnaruwa to east of the country there are several national parks, Wasgamuwa National Park and Maduru Oya National Park. These parks are great eco locations but yet to be explored by travellers to Sri Lanka. Maduru Oya National Park is located in the Dry zone and is 314 km away from Colombo. Lesser Adjutant, Wooly necked stork, open bill, painted stork, Racket tailed Drongo, Yellow fronted barbet, Sri Lanka Junglefowl & Spurfowl are among the over 100 species of birds found within the park.
Sigiriya
Perhaps the most amazing cultural site of all is the fortress of Sigiriya. Rising 600 feet above the plains, this giant plug of rock houses an improbable palace on its flat summit and some ancient cave paintings halfway up. The climb is steep and exhausting but the sight of Peregrines chasing swifts against this spectacular panoramic backdrop is breathtaking. Down below, in the surrounding grounds, formal gardens with ponds flanked the mad leading to the rock, while nearby, more wetlands and forest provided great birding – nothing particularly unusual as far as endemics were concerned, but wintering Indian Pitta is not to be sneezed at.
Kandy
Kandy lies at the heart of the Central Highlands and is another important cultural centre, steeped in history. It too was a former Sinhalese capital and was last kingdom in Sri Lanka to fall into colonial hands. The Temple of Tooth Relic is a major tourist attraction and nearby, the Udawattakele Forest Reserve provides some excellent birding within the city limits. Layard's Parakeet, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Blue-winged Leafbird, Spotted Dove, Emerald Dove, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Brown-headed Barbet and Black-backed Kingfisher are common in the forest. Red-faced Malkoha and Kashmir Flycatcher are two birds listed as threatened that can be found in UdawattaKele.
Having reached the wet zone we started clocking up the endemics. Four species of parakeet in one flowering tree (including the endemic Layard's Parakeet) was ideal for comparison purposes, together with the tiny Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot.Yellow-fronted and Crimson-fronted Barbets were also easily found in this area.
Our stay was brief and soon we were climbing into the hills, the road twisting and turning through endless tea plantations, to the former colonial retreat of Nuwara Eliya. Victoria Park, in the town itself, is a busy place yet we managed to find Pied Ground Thrush. The birds themselves are moderately wary but seem unconcerned by all the bustle of the town.
A little further out, Hakgala Botanical Gardens is a good place to mop up a handful of endemic species such as Dull-blue Flycatcher, Yellow-eared Bulbul and Sri Lankan White-eye.
Nuwara Eliya
Other highland specialities are easier to find in the picturesque Horton Plains National Park. A pre-dawn start is needed for one of the hardest species, the Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, as dawn is the best time to find this Inexplicably shy bird. Just as light was breaking, a weak burst of song gave the bird away and it was quickly located in the half tight. Other endemics such as Sri Lanka Bush Warbler and Sit Lanka Woodpigeon fell in quick succession and we were back in Nuwara Eliya for a late breakfast.
    
Sinharaja Rainforest
Undoubtedly the single best birding site in Sri Lanka is Sinharaja Rainforest. This magnificent piece of lowland and foothill forest is easily accessible from Ratnapura, a town famous for gemstones. You will need an early start from Ratnapura to visit Sinharaja Rainforest. As we rumbled along the last stretch of rough track into the park, a brown lump on a roadside branch caught our eyes. We were rewarded with a Sri Lanka Frogmouth, a much sought after nocturnal species.
A wide track through the forest makes birding relatively easy in Sinharaja, but there are few side trails. The leeches can be bad at times (mainly after rain), but were localised. Birds here travel around in 'bird waves'- large, loose mixed flocks which passes randomly through the forest. We saw nothing for the first two hours but when the first bird wave came through it was race against time to see as many as of its component species as possible. Orange-billed Babblers and Ashy-headed Laughing Thrushes were the most numerous and most visible members of the flocks, with smaller numbers of various other species. Gorgeous Malabar Trogons and the spectacular Red-faced Malkoha are also found here.
With its impossibly red bill, legs and eye-ring, the Sri Lanka Magpie is one of the best-looking endemics. Inside the forest, we watched a pair persistently attacking a tree trunk - eventually a huge hairy spider retreated from the tree. On the forest floor, Spot-winged Thrushes performed well, as did the local race of Scaly Thrush (possibly a separate species).
During the day we tracked down the remaining endemics of the area: Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Chestnut-backed Owlet White-faced Starling, the Sri Lanka Myna, Brown-capped Babbler and Legge's Flowerpecker and, by the end of the day, had only one left to see, the rather shy Green-billed Coucal. The forest guard who came with us told about an occupied nest near the headquarters. What a stroke of luck! He took us to an isolated tree in a clearing and pointed out a well hidden large ball of dead vegetation. We waited, and waited. At last, as our time was almost up, a coucal suddenly appeared and our hearts sank - it was the wrong species! We couldn't wait any longer, it was time to leave.
Kumana National Park
For bird watching enthusiasts, Kumana National Park is an 'absolute must'. Kumana National Park is one of the most important bird nesting and breeding grounds in Sri Lanka. Over 250 species of birds have been recorded in the national park. One of the most significant features of the park is the 'Kumana Villu' - a 200 hectare natural swamp lake, fed by the 'Kumbukkan Oya' through a half mile long narrow channel. During April–July months tens of thousands of birds migrate to the Kumana swamp area annually. Rare species such as Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Eurasian Spoonbill, and Great Thick-knee are breeding inhabitants of the Kumana villu. Pintail Snipes migrate here from Siberia. Asian Openbill, Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Common Moorhen, Watercock, Purple Swamphen, White-breasted Waterhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Lesser Whistling Duck and Little Grebe are the bird species migrate here in large flocks. Among the rare birds that migrate to the swap include Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Malabar Trogon, Red-faced Malkoha, and Sirkeer Malkoha.
Summary
We had only scratched the surface. We had achieved 25 of the 26 endemics in just five days! Sri Lanka is a great place for bird lovers and for family members who might not be bird lovers. There is something for everyone here.
This feature is based on a feature originally published in Bird Watching - Britain's top-selling wild-bird magazine.
When to go: November to April is the best time to visit. In addition to being the driest season, a host of wintering species is an added bonus. But it will be more expensive since it is the peak season for tourism in Sri Lanka.
Where to go: Most of the endemics can be found in the wet zone in the southern part of the country. Essential areas to visit include Sinharaja, Nuwara Eliya, Horton Plains and Kumana National Park. | | Related Life Styles |  | Nature | | | | Sri Lanka is one of the smallest, but biologically diverse countries in Asia. More... |
|  | Trekking | | | | Trekking and hiking are excellent ways to not only explore Sri Lanka but also gin an insight into her people, their traditions and beliefs. More... |
|  | Wildlife | | | | Influenced by Buddhist respect for all living beings, Sri Lanka has a well-entrenched conservation ethic. More... |
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Sri Lanka Bird Watching Tours |  | Sri Lanka Mini Cultural Heritage Tour and Beach Holiday | from £959 | | Discover the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka inclding Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Tour, The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage with time on the beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Mini Colonial Tour and Beach Holiday | from £879 | | Discover the colonial past of Sri Lanka in this unique tour while staying at some of the finest colonial style hotels. Tour includes The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Nuwara Eliya Tour, Capital Colombo Tour and Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage plus time on the beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Mini Cultural Triangle and Wildlife Tour and Beach Holiday | from £989 | | Discover the world renowned Cultural Triangle and the wild life of Sri Lanka in this tour while staying at some of the finest hotels. Tour includes Anuradhapura Ancient City Tour, Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Caves, The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Peradeniya Botantical Gardens, Minneriya National Park, Negombo Village Tour, and Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage plus time on the beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Mini Central Highlands Tour and Beach Holiday | from £939 | | Marvel at the spectacular scenery, history, archaeological sites, tea plantations and so much more in this very special mini tour incorporating all the best highlights that Sri Lanka’s highlands has to offer. You will be staying at some of the finest hotels that gives the spirit of this holiday but still retain the modern comforts. |
|  | Sri Lanka Luxury Heritage Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1379 | | Discover the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka with luxury inclding Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Tour, The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage with time on a luxurous beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Royal Kingdom Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1009 | | Discover the cultural past that dates back to the 5th century BC and the proud history of Sri Lanka. This unique holiday will take you to the most prominent historical ancient royal kingdoms in Sri Lanka give time to experience Sri Lanka's charming people, culture and diverse landscape. You will be staying at some of the finest hotels that give the sprit of this holiday but still retaining the modern comforts. |
|  | Sri Lanka T20 Colombo Finale Tour Holiday | from £1109 | | This package gives you the opportunity to watch the ICC Cricket T20 World Cup SEMI-FINALE matches and the FINAL in Sri Lanka. Come and watch whether England can defend its champion title. Book early and reserve this T20 cricket tour with a small deposit. Hurry! |
| | Sri Lanka T20 Super Eight Kandy Tour Holiday | from £1569 | | This package gives you the opportunity to watch the six of the ICC Cricket T20 World Cup Super-Eight games played in Pallekelle, Kandy in Sri Lanka. This could be the most thrilling encounters for the defending champions England. Book early and reserve this T20 cricket tour with a small deposit. Hurry! |
|  | Sri Lanka T20 England Qualifier Tour Holiday | from £999 | | Come and watch one of the most thrilling encounters of the ICC T20 2012 World Cup, the qualifier matches. The package includes 2 England qualifier matches. Book early, reserve your hotels, tickets, transfers and tours with a small deposit. Hurry! |
| | Sri Lanka T20 World Cup England Full Tour Holiday | from £2239 | | Come and support the current champion, England to defend title at the ICC T20 2012 World Cup. The package includes England qualifier matches played in Colombo, the Supper Eights matches in Pallekelle, Kandy, two semi-final matches and the final. Book early, reserve your hotels, tickets, transfers and tours with a small deposit. Hurry! |
| | Sri Lanka T20 Super Eight Colombo Tour Holiday | from £1609 | | This package gives you the opportunity to watch the six of the ICC Cricket T20 World Cup Super-Eight games played in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This could be the most thrilling encounters for the defending champions England. Book early and reserve this T20 cricket tour with a small deposit. Hurry! |
|  | Sri Lanka T20 World Cup Sri Lanka Full Tour Holiday | from £2219 | | Come and support the host country, Sri Lanka at the ICC T20 2012 World Cup. The package includes Sri Lanka qualifier matches played in Colombo, the Supper Eights matches in Pallekelle, Kandy, two semi-final matches and the final. Book early, reserve your hotels, tickets, transfers and tours with a small deposit. Hurry! |
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Excursions of Sri Lanka Bird Watching, Sri Lanka |  | Peradeniya Botanical Gardens | Kandy | hill country | | Peradeniya Botanical Gardens is the foremost of its kind in Sri Lanka in both size and splendour. It was created by the Kandyan King for the enjoyment of the aristocracy. Today the gardens have an orchid house, spice garden, Japanese garden, picturesque lake filled with water lilies and more. | | |
|  | Kandy Evening Cultural Dance Show | Kandy | hill country | | In the late evening be escorted to a performance of the energetic traditional Kandyan Cultural Dance show, accompanied by tumultuous drumming and climaxes with the amazing fire-walking show. | | |
| | Negombo Village Tour | Negombo | capital colombo | | Negombo is only 6KM from the Colombo International Airport and therefore an excellent option for those who are on a short trip or before starting a tour of the island. The town has wide beach, Dutch history, colourful fish market and lively bars and pubs after dark. | | |
| | Muthurajawela Marsh | Negombo | capital colombo | | Muthurajawela Marsh is a distinctive wetland habitat on the Negombo lagoon in the south of the town of Negombo. | | |
| | Negombo Fishing Harbour | Negombo | capital colombo | | Despite this fact Negombo has become a popular tourist destination, Negombo has still managed to maintain its traditional fishing heritage. Visit the Negombo harbour to see the fisherman who are still trying to earn their daily living through long established fishing practices. | | |
| | St Marys Church | Negombo | capital colombo | | One of Negombo’s most important structures is St. Mary’s Church. This holy building is lavish and grand in nature, standing tall amidst other structures in the town. | | |
|  | Anuradhapura Ancient City Tour | Anuradhapura | ancient cities | | Anuradhapura ancient city in Sri Lanka is a magical place. Anuradhapura features some of the most ancient archaeological treasures in Sri Lanka dating back to the 4th century BC. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites that must be missed. | | |
|  | Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour | Polonnaruwa | ancient cities | | Polonnaruwa ancient city remains one of the best planned archaeological relic sites in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. | | |
|  | Sigiriya Rock Fortress | Sigiriya | ancient cities | | Sigiriya Rock Fortress is another fascinating World Heritage site dating back to the 5th century which was once a stronghold for a king who sought refuge. It remains on a 200 meter high rock with magnificent views of the surrounding jungle. | | |
|  | Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage | Kegalle | hill country | | Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is home for nearly 84 young and old orphaned elephants. Feed the baby elephants and watch them play and plod down to the river for their daily bath. | | |
|  | Royal City of Kandy Tour | Kandy | hill country | | Kandy is Sri Lanka's last royal kingdom and is a World Heritage site. The tour will take you to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, a magnificent golden roofed temple, Kandy Museum, Kandy Dance show, Botanical Gardens, Market Place and gem & jewellery shops. | | |
|  | Uda Walawe National Park Safari | Udawalawe | south coast | | The Uda Walawe National Park has around 500 wild elephants populating the area in large herds, it is an ideal place to see these majestic pachyderms in their natural surroundings. | | |
|  | Yala National Park Tour | Yala | south coast | | Yala National Park or Ruhuna National Park is the second largest and most visited national park in Sri Lanka. It is one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards. | | |
|  | Minneriya National Park Safari | Polonnaruwa | ancient cities | | Dominated by the ancient Minneriya Tank, Minneriya National Park has plenty of scrub and light forest in its 8890 hectares to provide shelter for its toque macaques, sambar deer, leopards and elephants – to name a few. | | |
|  | Horton Plains | Nuwara Eliya | hill country | | Horton Plains is one of the most popular and a unique natural attraction in Sri Lanka. It is located 2000m high plateau 28km south of Nuwara Eliya and its known for its beautiful landscapes, rare plants, animal life and World’s End where the plains comes suddenly to an end. | | |
|  | T20 Super Eight Day 1 Matches | Kandy | hill country | | | | |
| | T20 Super Eight Day 3 Matches | Kandy | hill country | | | | |
|  | Adams peak | Ratnapura | hill country | | The 2,243 m (7,360-ft) high summit is situated in the middle of a wildlife sanctuary called Peak Wilderness. According to Buddhist history the footprint at the summit of the mountain is of Lord Buddha, left during his third visit to Sri Lanka. | | |
|  | Singharaja Rain Forest | Sinharaja | hill country | | Sinharaja Rain Forest’s biodiversity makes it one of Sri Lanka’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sinharaja Rain Forest is a great location for general wildlife enthusiasts and a must for bird watchers. | | |
| | T20 Super Eight Day 5 Matches | Kandy | hill country | | | | |
| | Ella Adventure Park | | | | | | |
|  | Elephant Back Safari | Sigiriya | ancient cities | | In the afternoon take an optional Elephant Back Safari through the forests and villages of Habarana/Sigiriya. | | |
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Other Articles |  | Active | | There is no better or more exhilarating way to discover Sri Lank’s spectacular scenery and nature than through white water rafting down a majestic river, trekking & hiking in Horton Plains National Park, rock-climbing and caving of the Knuckles mountain range, mountain biking in the Hill Country, horse riding, camping, jeep safaris – the options are endless. More... |  | Adventure | | Sri Lanka's diversity of topography and climate results in the island being the perfect year-round location for activity and adventure. More... |  | Anniversary | | Going on a romantic holiday to a tropical paradise such as Sri Lanka can be a great way to celebrate your anniversary. More... |  | Ayurvedic | | Sri Lanka's ancient history has a page devoted to the world of "Ayurveda" meaning the science of life and is the most scientific and complete system of preventative and curative medical care known to mankind. More... |  | Culture | | The culture of Sri Lanka has been influenced by many things in the past, but Sri Lanka has managed to retain much of its ancient, rich aspects. More... |  | Golf | | . More... |
| Sri Lanka Weather | | Sri Lanka weather is slightly complicated by having two monsoons and an inter-monsoonal period when rain can occur in many parts of the island. As a result, Sri Lanka has become an all year around travel destination. More... | |
| Best Time to Travel to Sri Lanka | | Visitors come to Sri Lanka all year around. Sri Lanka’s climate means that it is always the ‘right’ beach season somewhere on the coast. More... |
| Sri Lanka Visa Requirements | | Sri Lanka tourists visa regulations are simple. USA and most European countries receive 30 days tourist visa on arrival. More... |
| Foreign Embassies in Sri Lanka | | As a tourist, it is always important to know where the foreign embassy is in Sri Lanka and what they can and cannot do to help you. More... |
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