Sri Lanka's wildlife highlights

Today you are driven up into the Tea Country. This scenic journey usually takes around five hours, as you watch the beautiful scenery change as you ascend into the verdant hills. Your chauffeur guide can suggest places to stop for refreshments if you wish.

From Nuwara Eliya drive down to Yala National Park today with your chauffeur guide. You have a couple of nights to maximise your chances of seeing the leopard and sloth bear of the area. It's a long drive but there's plenty to see en route and you can ask your chauffeur-guide to stop for any photo opportunities.

In the morning and late afternoon enjoy private safaris into Yala National Park. You are likely to see spotted deer, wild boar and wild elephant in addition to a wide variety of birds. If you are really lucky you may also spot sloth bear and leopard — with on average one leopard per square kilometre Yala has the highest density of leopard in Asia.

Transfer to Udawalawe today with your chauffeur-guide which takes a couple of hours. Here you can visit the Elephant Transit Centre where the baby elephants jostle their way to the gate at feeding times, some cheeky ones pushing back into the queue for a second feeding.

Enjoy two private game drives in the Udawalawe National Park today, where the bird and animal sightings differ to your Yala experience. Udawalawe National Park is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to see elephants, with around 500 taking residence in the park. Other animals that you may spot include sambar deer, spotted deer, wild buffalo, crocodiles and water monitors.

Continue to the Sinharaja Biosphere this morning — the driving time can differ dramatically depending on which accommodation you choose. Sinharaja is situated in the country's wet zone and is the last major undisturbed area of rainforest in the country. This is a fantastic place to explore as there are over 150 species of birds to spot as well as other interesting animals to see.

This morning embark on a private guided tour of the rainforest with a local tracker. Explore the reserve on foot while the tracker helps you to see what wildlife inhabits the area, as well as showing you different plants and trees. There is much to see here, with some wonderfully exotic insects and endemic species of bird. Later in the afternoon drive to Colombo and check in to your hotel in a rural area close to the airport. The drive takes about five hours through quaint local villages and banana plantations.

You can make a fairly leisurely start for the drive to Colombo airport, a brief thirty-minute journey. Here you will be met by the airport representative and directed to the correct check in areas, ready for your flight. Your return flight will arrive the same day.