Tailor-made Vacation · Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Wildlife Encounter
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At a glance
Yala and Udawalawe hold two of Sri Lanka's most breathtaking wildlife encounters, and this itinerary gives both the time they deserve.
The whole trip is built on contrast rather than repetition. Mornings in Yala start before sunrise, with the light still flat and gray over the scrubland as the first jeeps head out, engines low so as not to spook whatever might be moving nearby. Udawalawe trades that tension for something calmer: wide grassland, a reservoir catching the morning haze, and elephants that rarely bother to look up as the jeep passes.
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By the time Weligama arrives, the appeal is less about spotting anything at all and more about the sound of the surf below the room and the smell of grilled fish drifting up from the beach shacks each evening.
Yala National Park is the centerpiece of the trip's first stretch, three nights based at a tented camp on the park's edge, with jeep safaris tracking one of the highest leopard densities anywhere in the world, alongside elephants, sloth bears, and water buffalo moving through open scrubland and dense forest in equal measure.
Udawalawe National Park follows with a single, focused day built around its wild elephant herds, gathered in numbers that rarely thin out even outside peak season.
The final four nights shift entirely to the coast at Weligama, where the pace drops and the days are shaped by whatever feels right: time by the pool, a boat out to look for whales, or a surf lesson. After the intensity of two national parks, four unstructured days on the south coast round out the trip well.
Sponsor A Child’s Education We believe in giving back to the community, which is why whenever you book a holiday to Sri Lanka we sponsor a child’s education for 6 months. We work with a local charity to help provide the resources and funding to make a difference to a child’s life and give them a better start and a brighter future.
Day by day
This is a sample plan, not a fixed departure. Days can be added, removed or reordered, and almost every client changes something. Prices are an entry-level guide; your quote will be exact.
Day 1: Kotugoda
Landing at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport comes with a private escort off the plane and into a lounge to wait out customs, bags handled on your behalf.
From there, a personal driver takes over for the short transfer to Kotugoda and the first hotel of the trip, a restored colonial house set among coconut groves just outside the city.
The rest of the day is unstructured, a chance to settle in and shake off the flight before the itinerary properly begins.
Day 2 to 4: Yala National Park
A short charter flight from Colombo to Mattala replaces what would otherwise be a long road transfer, putting you at Yala National Park within a few hours of leaving Kotugoda.
The next three nights are spent at a cocoon-shaped tented camp with its own private pool, positioned between the park boundary and the beach.
Yala itself holds one of the highest leopard densities recorded anywhere, and jeep safaris here also turn up sloth bears, wild elephants, wild boar, sambar and spotted deer, water buffalo, and a wide range of bird life, all moving through a landscape that shifts between open plains, rocky outcrops, and pockets of dense jungle.
Day 5: Udawalawe National Park
The drive to Udawalawe National Park comes after breakfast, and the park itself is built around a single, dependable draw: wild Sri Lankan elephants, gathered in herds around the central reservoir in numbers that hold steady across most of the year rather than concentrating only in a short season.
A game drive through the park also turns up monkeys, crocodiles, water buffalo, and the occasional leopard, though elephants remain the reason most travelers come here.
The day ends on the south coast at Weligama, checking in for a four-night stay.
Day 6 to 9: Weligama
The remaining four nights in Weligama are left deliberately open.
Days can be spent entirely by the pool or filled with whatever the coast offers: boat trips out to look for whales, surfing lessons on Weligama Bay’s long, forgiving break, or a slower cycle along the coastal roads.
After the early mornings and long safari days that come before it, this stretch is built for doing exactly as much or as little as feels right.
Our Experts
Sri Lanka is truly one of the most special places I've been lucky enough to visit. There's so much heritage and culture to discover on this small island nation - and the vistas are absolutely breathtaking.
Sri Lanka is the ideal place to pair with a trip to the Maldives, offering a dose of cultural stimulation following a sumptuous Maldivian escape. There's also a bounty of luxury properties in Sri Lanka.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Out Of Office do?
Out Of Office is a luxury LGBTQ+ travel company specializing in tailor-made vacations and extraordinary journeys around the world. We create bespoke luxury vacations, LGBTQ+ honeymoons, safaris, cruises, beach escapes, private tours and group trips, with every itinerary designed around you. Our travel specialists combine global expertise, first-hand destination knowledge and trusted local partners to create seamless, highly personalized experiences.
Is Out Of Office a gay travel agency?
Out Of Office is an LGBTQ+ owned and run luxury travel specialist, with particular expertise in gay and LGBTQ+ travel. We understand the additional considerations that can come with traveling as an LGBTQ+ person or couple, from local laws and customs to finding genuinely welcoming hotels and experiences.
We welcome every traveler, including friends, families and allies. Many of our clients are not members of the LGBTQ+ community, but choose Out Of Office for our luxury travel expertise, personalized service and discretion.
Do you create tailor-made LGBTQ+ vacations?
Yes. Every tailor-made trip with Out Of Office is designed from scratch around your interests, travel style, budget and the way you want to experience a destination. We can arrange luxury hotels, private transfers, flights, guides, excursions, cruises and special experiences as part of one personalized itinerary. The journeys shown on our website are there to inspire you rather than restrict you; only clearly identified group departures operate as fixed itineraries.
How do you choose LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and destinations?
We combine first-hand destination knowledge with trusted local expertise to recommend luxury hotels, resorts and experiences where LGBTQ+ travelers can feel informed and welcome. We also consider the laws, customs and attitudes of each destination, because LGBTQ+ rights and experiences differ around the world. Our team regularly visit many of the properties we work with and where a destination requires greater awareness, we give you clear and considered advice so that you can make an informed decision about where and how you travel.
We plant trees for every booking
For every booking made with Out Of Office we commit to planting trees in your name to help reduce the impact of travel on future generations. You'll even get a link to see where your trees are planted in the world via our partner Ecologi.
We donate to Rainbow Railroad with every booking
Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. A donation goes with every trip we sell, funded by us and never added to your price.
Start Planning Your Trip
Tell us where you would love to go, when you are thinking of traveling and what kind of trip you have in mind. One of our LGBTQ+ travel specialists will create a tailor-made itinerary designed around your destination, style and preferences.
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