Sri Lankan eco tourism and eco tourism packages in Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan Vacations and tours

Sigiriya

Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and castle/palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. It is a popular tourist destination, also known for its ancient paintings (frescos), very similar to those in the Ajanta Caves of India. The Sigiraya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

Anuradapura

Major attractions of the city include the largest and best preserved cave temple complex of Sri Lanka, and the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, famous for being built in just 167 days. The city also boasts to have the largest rose quartz mountain range in South Asia, and the Iron wood forest, or Namal Uyana. Ibbankatuwa prehistoric burial site near Dambulla cave temple complexes is the latest archaeological site of significant historical importance found in Dambulla, which is located within 3 kilometers of the cave temples providing evidence on presence of indigenous civilizations long before the arrival of Indian influence on the Island nation.

Polannoruwa

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader.

Bundala National Park

Located about fifteen kilometers east of Hambantota Bundala National Park is one of Sri Lanka's foremost destinations for birdwatchers, protecting an important area of coastal wetland famous for its abundant aquatic (and other) birdlife. The park is also home to significant populations of elephants, Marsh & estuarine crocodiles, turtles & other fauna, including the leopard. Stretching along the coast east of Hambantota, Bundala National Park is ideal for instant gratification: in a four hour jeep ride, we can see elephants, 8ft crocs, giant squirrels & flamingoes. Afternoon safaris in the dry season (December - May) provide visitors with the best chance of seeing the wildlife.

Kaudulla National Park

A park premeditated with offering protection for the herd of elephants witnessed sometimes over 250 during the migration season, Kaudulla National Park provides a measure of protection not just for that single species, but for a host of others such as many mammals, birds and reptiles all scaled or feathered, leafy or hairy.

Located 190 kilometers from the capital city of Colombo it can be accessed through Habarana Trincomalee road from the Gal Oya junction which is only 6 kilometers from the Park. The Kaudulla National Park plays a vital role in the region’s planned wild life protection which clearly attests the protection of bountiful natural heritage not just for survival but also to flourish for the future generations.

Located between Wasgamuwa National Park and Minneriya National Park this 6656 hectare conservation park includes semi mixed evergreen grass lands and riverside forests as well. Known for the flamboyant array of aquatic birds such as cormorants, painted storks and others, which attracts photographers from around the region, the wetlands of Kudulla Park is also home for fishing cats, sambar deer, the endangered rusty spotted cat, sloth bear and even at times leopards.

Yala Ruhunu National Park

Yala National Park is a national park in Sri Lanka. The reserve covers 979 km², although only the original 141 km² are open to the public. It was established in 1894 as a Game Sanctuary. Much of the reserve is parkland, but it also contains jungle, beaches, freshwater lakes and rivers and scrubland. The latter zone is punctuated with enormous rocky outcrops. The ranges of habitats give rise to a good range of wildlife.

Lahugala National Park

Located about 16 km inland to the west of Potuvil is the 1554 hectare Lahugala Kitulana National Park. The Pottuvil-Monaragala trunk road runs through the south-eastern sector of the park. It is 2 km off the main Monaragala – Pottuvil road some 5 km from Pottuvil. The park lies between larger wildlife reserves of Gal Oya National Park to the north and Ruhuna Yala National Park to the south, the Lahugala park is part of the protected ‘Elephant Corridor’ for the elephant population to move freely across the south-eastern part of the island initiated by the Governments as part of its nature and wild life conservation project.

The Lahugala Park was primarily declared as a sanctuary on 1st July 1966 which was later upgraded as a National park on 1st October 1980. Although considered as the smallest national parks in the country, the Lahugala Park is a popular location for elephant enthusiasts and bird watchers. The main reason for the large attraction of elephant herds in this park is contributed to the presence of the beru grass, which grows in the pastures around the main three tanks in the park. With the arrival of rain in October, most of the herds of elephants drift back to their regular haunts.

Horton Plains

Horton Plains National Park "Maha-Eliya" in Sinhala, is a national park in the highlands of Sri Lanka. It lies at a height of more than 2,000 m in the central highlands, and its altitude means that it has a much cooler and more windy climate than the lowlands of Sri Lanka, with a mean annual temperature of 16 °C rather than the 26 °C of the coasts. The area was named in 1834 after Lady Anne Horton, wife of Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, then-governor of Ceylon.

The sheer precipice of World's End and Baker's Falls are among the tourist attractions of the park.

Pinnawela

The Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage is situated northwest of the town of Kegalle, halfway between the present capital Colombo and the ancient royal residence Kandy in the hills of central Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka wildlife department in a 25-acre coconut property near the Maha Oya river. The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the many orphaned elephants found in the jungle. As of 2008, there are about 84 elephants.

Sinharaja

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests eco-region, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve's name translates as Kingdom of the Lion.

Wilpattu Nationl Park

Wilpattu National Park is a park located on the island of Sri Lanka. The unique feature of this park is the existence of "Willus" (Natural lakes) - Natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. Located in the Northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. The park is located 30km west Anuradhapura and located 26 km north of Puttalam (approximately 180 km north of Colombo). The park is 131, 693 hectares and ranges from 0 to 152 meters above sea level. Nearly sixty lakes (Willu) and tanks are found spread throughout Wilpattu. Wilpattu is one of the largest and oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is among the top national parks world renowned for its Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) population. The Leopard population in Wilpattu is still not yet known.

Udawalawa National Park

Known as the second largest park for herds of wild elephants, the Udawalawa National Park lies in the lower catchment of Udawalawa Reservoir in the country’s Intermediate Lowland region.It was established as a National Park on 30th July 1972. This area falls into two administrative districts in two provinces. The parkland on the right bank of Walawe ganga is within Ratnapura district in the province of Sabaragamuwa and the parkland on the left bank falls within Moneragala district in the province of Uva.

The dry land area of the Park is about approximately 28910 hectares. The reservoir of Udawalawa is surrounded by open plains and foothills such as kalthota escarpment and spectacular Diyawinne Fallto the north and Ulgala, in the west. The climate in the park is characterized by a seasonal rainfall and uniformly high temperature conditions. A short dry spell is experienced in February- March and a prolonged dry period is observed from mid May to end of September.

Minneriya National Park

Do a safari of the Minneriya National Park by jeep. The extent of the Minneriya National Park is about 8,889 hectares. Dry zone plant and animal species are common and elephants are in plenty. Unlike in other national parks, elephants could be spotted at a very close range. About 160 species of birds, 09 amphibians, 25 reptile species, 26 fish species and more than 78 butterfly species have been found in this area. There are also rare bamboo trees in this park which are not found in other parks.

Wasgamuwa National Park

Declared a strict natural reserve as way back as in 1938, Wasgomuwa was elevated to the level of a National Park in 1984. Situated 260 kilometers from Colombo, the park occupies areas of the North Central and Central provinces with a total land area of 39,000 hectares. The park consists mostly of riverine forest, grasslands and wetlands encompassing many different habitats for its inhabitants. The park is almost entirely surrounded by the Maheweli and Amban Rivers. Wasgamuwa is famous for elephants and has a reputation for having less habituated pachyderms than most other parks.

Wasgomuwa is one of the least visited and most un-spoilt of Sri Lanka’s national parks. Established in 1984 to protect wildlife displaced by forest clearance, this park is enclosed and protected by two mighty rivers which flank its borders: the Amban Ganga to the east and The Mahaweli Ganga to the west.

Haputalle

Located between Belihul Oya and Welimada is Haputale, a small town perched steeply on both sides of a sharp ridge at the southern edge of Sri Lanka’s flamboyant scenic hill country. 122 kilometers from the capital of Colombo Haputale could be reached by train in 9 to hours whilst a public bus or hired transport will yake an hour less to reach this panoramic small town. Haputale is renowned, like so many other hill towns on the island, for its spectacular views. While you travel make sure to turn off the air conditioner and grab a window seating to feast your eyes on magnificent waterfalls , looming mountain ranges and the misty breeze that will gently blow on to your face as you experience the temperature decreasing as you near you destination. One of the most disconcerting is obtained from the main street, which seems to disappear into thin air, although in reality it just makes a right turn . On a clear day you can see from this ridge all the way to the south coast, and at night the Hambantota lighthouse situated at the Southern coastal areas of Sri Lanka could also be sited.

The Diyaluma Falls is a 220 meter high waterfall on the Punagala Oya located very close to the A4 road between Koslanda and Wellawaya. The Punagala Oya rises from the Mahakande pass and flows into Kuda Oya, a tributary of the Kirindi Ganga, which flows into the sea near Tissamaharama. The Diyaluma Falls, the second highest in Sri Lanka, is the last of a series of waterfalls on this river.

Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya meaning "city on the plain (table land)" or "city of light", is a town in Sri Lanka. It is located at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) in the central highlands and is considered one of the most important locations for Tea production in Sri Lanka. The town is overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the highest mountain in Sri Lanka.

Ella

Ella is blessed with some of the most beautiful views, you could find in Sri Lanka. Only 8 km from Bandarawela, this small town is used as a base for plenty of trekking expeditions to the surrounding countryside. A taste of the breathtaking scenery of Ella could be had, if you just walk into the Garden of the Grand Ella Motel (Formerly Ella Rest House), where you seem to be standing at the edge of the world, and everything around you seems to disappear at your feet. Another fine view is from the Ambient Hotel, where the wide doorway, opens out to the mountains, creating a dramatic cinematic like experience, on entry. Some of the places you could see in Ella are the Ella Gap, Ravana Ella Falls, Little Adam's Peak and Bambaragala Peak among the other many varied pleasant walks with stunning scenery.

Kitulgala

Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. It is in the wet zone rainforest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the wettest places in the country. Nevertheless, it comes alive in the first three months of the year, especially in February, the driest month. The Academy Award-winning "The Bridge on the River Kwai" was filmed on the Kelani River near Kitulgala, although nothing remains now except the concrete foundations for the bridge Kitulgala is also a base for white-water rafting, which starts a few kilometres upstream.

Dambulla Cave Temple

The Dambulla rock temple was built by King Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. and it is a World Heritage Site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning.

Habarana

The Nature Conservancy eco accommodations on some of land a range of multi-days. Habarana is a small city in the Anuradhapura District of Sri Lanka. The location has some mid-range and up hotels aimed at package tourists, and is a departure point for other nearby locations of greater interest.