Join David & Pui Hang for this 15-night Sri Lankan Wildlife Photography Holiday to photograph the diverse & varied wildlife of this island located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal.
Our tour includes boat trips to search for the elusive Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin & the massive super pods of Spinner Dolphins, Sperm Whales & possibly Orcas, Short Finned Pilot Whales, Risso Dolphins, Brydes Whale & other marine species. Wilpattu for Leopard & Sloth Bear, Yala for the leopards & other jungle wildlife. River cruises to see the Saltwater Crocodiles, nighttime spotting of sea turtles & the opportunity to photograph blue whales from the air.
Join David & Pui Hang in Sri Lanka for the new 15-night Sri Lankan Wildlife Photography Holiday to capture images of the diverse & varied birds, mammals & marine life of Sri Lanka. Over 60 different species of mammal call this South Asian island home, in addition, Sri Lanka currently contains 183 species of reptiles, 122 species of amphibians, 227 species of birds & the surrounding waters are home to 28 species of Cetaceans.
Sri Lanka is an island paradise lined with amazing golden sandy beaches & turquoise blue waters. The oceans are rich with life, & amazing coral reefs. The deeper waters are home to marine giants such as the Blue Whale, the largest animal to have ever lived. It is a country that boasts a rich natural heritage, with amazing wildlife & biodiversity & incredibly, for an island of its size can boast of iconic megafauna such as leopards, elephants & sloth bears. Sri Lanka is also regarded as a biodiversity hotspot teeming with endemic birds, reptiles, amphibians as well as plant species found nowhere else on earth.
Join NaturesLens to capture images of amazing wildlife of Sri Lanka, in Sri Lanka, during the Wildlife of Sri Lanka photography holiday. This photography holiday is of 15 night/16 day duration on a Full Board, Shared basis & costs £7249per participant.
Our Sri Lankan Wildlife Photography Holiday will be of 15 nights/16 days duration in order to see the best of what this incredible country has to offer, from safaris to Yala & Wilpattu for leopards & sloth bears; Udalwe for jungle cats & Asian elephants; boat trips to see the super pods of Spinner Dolphins & also pods of Sperm Whales, Orcas, Short Finned Pilot Whales, Pink Dolphins & other beautiful cetaceans. We’ve even arranged to take a floatplane out to sea to do aerial photography of blue whales! And if this wasn’t enough, we will also spend one-night photographing sea turtles as they come ashore to lay their eggs.
This photography holiday truly is the ultimate Sri Lankan Wildlife Safari experience!
We spend several days on the West Coast, the first in search of the elusive Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin, also known as the Pink Dolphin. The following day, we set out early to sea to look for more marine mammals including the massive super pods of Spinner Dolphins. These acrobatic cetaceans are a sight to behold. Further deeper into the ocean, & you will have the opportunity to see pods of Sperm Whales & possibly Orcas, Short Finned Pilot Whales, Risso Dolphins, Brydes Whale & other species.
Over four days in Wilpattu, we will be taking jeep safaris to spot Leopard & Sloth Bear. Other larger animals seen regularly include Asian Elephant, Jackal, Mugger Crocodile, Sambar, Spotted Deer & Buffalo. A variety of raptors such as Crested Serpent, Changeable Hawk & White-Bellied Sea Eagles, Brown Fish Owl can also be seen here along with a large number of water birds & waders. Two of these days are full-day safaris.
Our lodge in Yala is located at a completely different entrance from the main entrance & so it is far less crowded. We will enter the core leopard areas first where most sightings are great with little crowds. Other residents in the park include Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant, Jackal, Sambar, Spotted Deer & Grey Langur. In Yala, we will experience some spectacular game viewing across 6 early mornings & afternoon game drives.
Upon leaving Yala, we drive to the South Coast for a spectacular river cruise where you will be able to photograph giant Saltwater Crocodiles at eye level. These saurian remnants of the prehistoric era can be found in numerous numbers on this riverine ecosystem, from young hatchlings barely a few inches long to giant males who exceed 15 feet!
Whilst the following day sees us up early for a whale watching tour in the deep ocean to look for the Blue Whale, Spinner Dolphins, Bryde’s Whale, Sperm Whale, Orca, Risso Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin & Striped Dolphin. Afterwards, we return to dry land & head back to the hotel for a late lunch.
As dusk arrives, we will head to the beach for a nighttime spotting of sea turtles. Five of the world’s seven species of sea turtles have been recorded coming ashore to lay their eggs at the beach we will be visiting. The Green & Olive Ridley Turtles are the most routinely encountered species, while the Hawksbill, Leatherback & Loggerhead Turtles are also seen intermittently.
After seeing the marine life at sea level, the next day sees you boarding a seaplane to fly over the ocean to photograph blue whales from the air. This is the best way to photograph these enormous leviathans! The flights are 45 minutes per round trip on average, & the plane can take 3 people per flight. After the whole group have taken their flights, we will get back on the road & head towards the lowland rainforests.
During our last two days, our naturalist & local tracker will show us the wide variety of endemic flora & fauna to be found in the main forest reserve. 28 of Sri Lanka’s 34 endemic species may be found here, including the recently discovered Serendib Scops Owl & other rarities such as the Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Chesnut-backed Owlet & White-faced Starling. Other species we may encounter during our rainforest walks include Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, Giant Squirrel, Kangaroo Lizard, Hump-nosed Lizard & Sri Lanka Keelback. We will also be keeping an eye out for reptiles such as Green Pit Viper & Hump Nosed Lizard.
Discount from Lenses For Hire on any lenses, or other camera equipment, that you require FOR this wildlife photography holiday.
NaturesLens have partnered with Lenses For Hire to give you an exclusive discount on any lenses hired for any NaturesLens Wildlife Photography Holiday or Workshop.
What our clients say
Make a Booking Enquiry
Sorry, all the available places for this photography holiday, Wildlife of Sri Lanka, have already been reserved; however, if you would like to be placed on a waiting list in case of any cancellations or to be notified should we decide to run another of these trips, please fill in the form below.
This form collects your entered details for the purposes of a booking enquiry.
Please view our privacy policy for full details on how we protect & manage your submitted data.
How to Book
Before booking, it is important that you read the relevant photography holiday event page & our Booking Terms & Conditions. If you have any doubts regarding your suitability for this photography holiday, please contact us.
To book, simply click the relevant link from the event page on our website. You will then be sent a booking form & a copy of our terms & conditions. In order to secure your place on the selected photography holiday, simply complete the booking form with details of all persons travelling & holiday indemnity, in relevant cases, & return to us (either by email or by post) with confirmation that the deposit has been paid. Payments should be made via bank transfer.
A deposit of 20% is required at the time of booking unless you are booking less than 90 days before departure. In this case, full payment of the photography holiday price is required.
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Camera Equipment
To be advised
Recommended Clothing
To be advised
Additional Notes
NaturesLens photography holidays do not include flights unless it is explicitly stated on the event page. When it is time to book your flights, we will send you the details in plenty of time to allow for bookings at the best available price.
The photography holiday itinerary is subject to change & is to be considered provisional.
NaturesLens photography holidays require a minimum number of participants in order to be viable. If this minimum number is not met, the photography holiday may not go ahead. This photography holiday has a minimum participant level of 6 plus NaturesLens guide(s).
In the event that the minimum number for a photography holiday to go ahead is not reached, NaturesLens reserves the right to cancel any given photography holiday. In that event 100% of monies received will be returned. However, NaturesLens is not responsible for expenses incurred by its customers.
Not all mentioned wildlife can be observed & photographed at all times of the year, thus some activities may be considered seasonal & not available.
Please note the cuisine on many of the NaturesLens photography holidays is authentic & typical of the region in which you are travelling. International or western cuisine is often NOT available. If you have any concerns over the food arrangements or have any special dietary requirements, please contact us prior to making a booking.
All personal luggage are the responsibility of the owner & we request that photography holiday participants limit their luggage to the equivalent of one suitcase, one flight bag, one camera bag & tripod. We do not wish to appear dictatorial in this matter & the request is made to ensure space & comfort for everyone in our vehicles.
NaturesLens & its agents act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel arrangements, & as such, do not assume responsibility for injury, accident, damage, loss, delay or irregularity which may occur via defect of transportation or any other cause.
NaturesLens reserves the right to substitute hotels, & other previously outlined arrangements as necessary, to either improve or equal the travel experience.
NaturesLens reserves the right to pass on to photography holiday particpants any additional & unplanned expenditure incurred during a photography holiday, via events beyond the control of NaturesLens.
NaturesLens reserves the right to accept or decline any person as a member of any photography holiday.
Payment of deposit by photography holiday participants or their representative constitutes their acceptance of all conditions contained herein.
All bookings are made subject to our terms & conditions.
Travel Insurance Requirements
It is a condition of booking that you are insured against medical & personal accident risks. This must include cover for the activities to be undertaken during the photography holiday. We also strongly recommend you take out cover for cancellation & curtailment & baggage cover.
We have made use of the services of Campbell Irvine Insurance in the past, Campbell Irvine has policies which are specially designed for adventure holidays & are underwritten by AXA Insurance. As an alternative, check your standard travel insurance, many bank accounts include suitable insurance as part of a packaged deal.
Personal Travel Insurance can be arranged directly at Campbell Irvine.
For photographic insurance, we highly recommend the services of Glover & Howe. We have made use of their policies for a number of years now, adjustments, policy maintenance & claims are handled in an easy & professional manner by them.
