DestinationCat: The Untamed Island: Signature Wildlife Expeditions

Remote, wild, and largely untouched, Kumana in the deep southeast is a paradise for serious birdwatchers and those who prize empty lagoon landscapes and authentic wilderness over well-worn safari routes.

If elephants are your priority, Udawalawe rarely disappoints. Herds graze in open grassland beside the reservoir year-round, making it the island’s most reliable destination for close, natural encounters with elephants.

Home to ‘The Gathering’, a seasonal congregation of up to 300 wild elephants around an ancient reservoir during the dry season, Minneriya offers one of Asia’s most spectacular wildlife spectacles.

Sri Lanka’s largest national park is defined by its unique ‘villus’, natural lakes that attract an abundance of wildlife, including leopards, elephants and over 200 bird species, in a near-total absence of crowds.

Sri Lanka’s most famous wildlife sanctuary holds the world’s highest leopard density and offers afternoon safaris of extraordinary drama. Elephants wade in lagoons at dusk, sloth bears shuffle through scrub, and painted storks roost in ancient trees.